Florida’s Paradise Coast may be synonymous with white-sand beaches, luxury resorts and the sophisticated streets of Naples, but its wild landscapes are worth discovering. 80% of the region is parks and nature preserves, encompassing vast mangrove forests, cypress swamps and wetlands that form the gateway to the Everglades and Ten Thousand Islands. Today, the destination is increasingly embracing these wild landscapes and refining luxury through access to untouched nature, wildlife and conservation-led experiences. With tourism helping support the protection of these landscapes, discover how to experience an eco-friendly side of paradise.
Everglades National Park – Explore the River of Grass
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s most remarkable wetland ecosystems, the Everglades reveals a completely different side of Florida, with vast sawgrass marshes, mangrove forests and waterways supporting an extraordinary variety of wildlife, from alligators and manatees to wading birds. Everglades Area Tours offers small-group naturalist-led kayak and canoe tours that venture away from the busier routes and into quieter waterways with the chance to spot wildlife while learning about this significant ecosystem and the conservation work helping to protect it.
The Ten Thousand Islands – Discover a Marine Wilderness
Marco Island, the largest of the Ten Thousand Islands, forms part of a spectacular maze of mangrove islands, tidal creeks and secluded waterways. These sheltered waters provide important habitat for bottlenose dolphins, manatees, sea turtles and coastal birdlife, making the area particularly rewarding for wildlife encounters. Join a Dolphin Study Eco-Tour to discover how researchers identify and monitor individual dolphins. Alternatively, paddle through mangrove waterways and remote islands on a naturalist-led mangroves and manatees kayaking tour, to learn about this fragile coastal ecosystem.
Big Cypress National Preserve – Step into the Swap
Explore Big Cypress National Preserve, an immense landscape protecting 729,000 acres of cypress swamps, freshwater wetlands and pinelands that are a vital habitat for southwest Florida’s wildlife and playing an important role in the wider Everglades ecosystem. Visitors can discover what makes this ecosystem so unique on a seasonal ranger-led swamp walk or an interpretive canoe trip, while camping under the stars at one of the eight campsites situated throughout the preserve.
Where to Stay: Hotels Supporting Conservation
The Ritz-Carlton, Naples
The Ritz-Carlton, Naples combines its beachfront location with five-star dining, spa experiences and sweeping coastal views. Behind the luxury, the resort holds certifications including Florida Green Lodging and Green Key, and through the Ritz-Carlton’s wider Community Footprints programme, group guests can also take part in Signature Impact Experiences, including volunteering with local organisations, offering an opportunity to give back to the destination during a stay.
LaPlaya Beach and Golf Resort, Naples
LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort offers a quintessential Naples escape with beachfront accommodation, private cabanas, watersports and championship golf. The resort has earned a Three Palm designation through the Florida Green Lodging Program and works with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida on sea turtle conservation. Six artificial mini-reefs at its marina provide habitat for native marine life, while initiatives behind the scenes include water conservation and recycling kitchen grease into biofuel.
JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, Marco Island
Stretching along three miles of private white-sand beach, JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort combines a luxury island escape with easy access to one of southwest Florida’s most remarkable natural environments. The Florida Green Lodging-certified resort makes an ideal base for venturing beyond the beach and into the Ten Thousand Islands, where mangrove forests, secluded waterways and wildlife-rich coastal habitats begin just offshore.
For more information on Florida’s Paradise Coast, visit paradisecoast.com.
