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Bonita Springs, Florida Attractions

Fronted by 10 miles of sugar sand PUBLIC coastline, the best Bonita Springs, Florida attractions start on the beach or in the water.  Pristine and shaded Lovers Key Beach is a good choice for seclusion and relaxation.  Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Recreation Area offers it all:  fishing, beachcombing, watersports, and all the amenities.  Fishing is a popular Bonita Springs, Florida attraction, and anglers explore the fertile waters of Rookery Bay and Ten Thousand Islands to catch mackerel, pompano, grouper, red snapper, snook, bluefish, and shark. 

The Naples Fishing Pier is over 1000 feet long and features a shop selling snacks and bait. Charter boats are available to take fishermen to the Gulf for half-day and full-day excursions. Boats may also be rented for use in Naples Bay and other inland water as well as in the Gulf.

Wildlife and nature sanctuaries grace the list of Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attractions, and include  Everglades National Park, J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildflife Refuge on Sanibel Island, Audobon Corkscrew Swamp Wildlife Preserve, Clam Pass Sanctuary,  and Caribbean Gardens.

Corkscrew Swamp Wildlife Preserve is an 11,000 acre sanctuary which protects North America's largest remaining stand of ancient bald cypress, 600-year-old trees as tall as 130 feet, as well as endangered birds, such as wood storks, which often nest here. This Bonita Springs, Florida attraction is a favorite destination for serious birders.  The lush and entertaining 52-acre Caribbean Gardens: The Zoo in Naples, established in 1919 as a botanical garden, now serves as a nationally accredited zoo and incorporates land and water habitat for a wide range of wild animals.

Bonita Springs and surrounding Collier County have excellent golf and tennis facilities, with over fifty golf courses in the County, many the work of top golf designers such as Tom Fazio and Jack Nicklaus. Two resorts have their own golf courses and others provide guest access to nearby private clubs. Several semi-private and public courses welcome golf travelers. A highly acclaimed local golf school teaches the basics and finer points of the game. Several professional golfers have homes in and around Bonita Springs, and the region hosts a senior PGA event. Excellent tennis facilities are in Cambier Park and more, and top players compete each year in local events such as the Nuveen Masters Tournament.

The fine arts are enjoyed at Naples Museum of Art and the Naples Philharmonic Performing Arts Hall.  The first full-scale art museum in Southwest Florida, the Naples Museum of Art features an impressive 15 different galleries, highlighting paintings, sculptures, and drawings, with major permanent collections concentrating on both the American Modern and Ancient Chinese genres. The Naples Philharmonic hosts more than 400 events each season. This 99,000 square foot facility includes the 1,200-seat main hall and 200-seat Black Box theater.  Other museums in Naples include the Collier County Museum and unique Teddy Bear Museum.

Be sure to check out Bonita Springs, Florida vacation rentals by owner beach houses and condos for luxurious, yet affordable accomodations - many times less than the cost of a cramped, stuffy, less-than-clean hotel room.

For more information on Bonita Springs, Florida attractions, contact:

Chamber of Commerce-Bonita Springs
25071 Chamber Of Commerce Drive
Bonita Springs, Florida
239.992.2943
 or the
Naples Visitors Center
895 Fifth Avenue S.
Naples, Florida
239.262.6141.

DIRECTORY OF GREATER BONITA SPRINGS, FLORIDA ATTRACTIONS:

BAREFOOT BEACH PRESERVE
Lely Beach Road
Bonita Springs, Florida attraction
239.498.4364
  
The 342-acre Barefoot Beach Preserve is a quiet place, with picnic tables, a nature trail, learning center, a butterfly garden, and refreshment stands.  

BONITA SPRINGS PUBLIC BEACH
Hickory Boulevard at Bonita Beach Road
Bonita Springs, Florida attraction
239.461.7400
   
This Bonita Springs, Florida attraction offers a beach with picnic tables and a nearby restaurant.
  
DELNOR-WIGGINS PASS STATE RECREATION AREA
11100 Gulf Shore Drive N  at Route 846
Naples, Florida
Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction
239.597.6196
   
Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Recreation Area offers beachcombing plus many other water activities.  This well-maintained 189-acre Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction has guarded beaches, barbecue grills, picnic tables, a boat ramp, an observation tower, rest rooms with wheelchair access, bathhouses, showers, and lots of parking. Fishing is best in Wiggins Pass, at the north end of the park. Rangers conduct sea-turtle walks in summer and kayak tours year-round.

CARIBBEAN GARDENS: THE ZOO IN NAPLES
1590 Goodlette Road
Naples, Florida
Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction
239.262.5409
www.napleszoo.com

The only zoo in Florida to have rare, Indochinese tigers and a supporting cast of lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, and African wild dogs,  the lush and entertaining 52-acre Caribbean Gardens is a great half day activity. The Primate Expedition Cruise takes you through islands of monkeys and apes. Youngsters can amuse themselves in three separate play areas, and there are meet-the-keeper times and alligator feedings as well. 

COLLIER COUNTY MUSEUM
3301 Tamiami Trail E
Naples, Florida 
Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction
239.774.8476
www.colliermuseum.com
  
This Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction displays a Seminole chickee hut, native plant garden, swamp buggy, reconstructed 19th-century trading post, steam logging locomotive, and other historical exhibits.
 
CORKSCREW SWAMP SANCTUARY
Route 846
Bonita Springs, Florida attraction
239.348.9151
www.audubon.org

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is an 11,000-acre wilderness area and wildlife sanctuary of the National Audobon Society.  The sanctuary contains the largest known stand of virgin bald cypress (some more than 500 years old) and a large colony of American wood storks nest here seasonally.   This is a favorite destination for serious birders. Includes a 2¼-mi self-guided tour along a boardwalk and a nature center. Allow 4 hours minimum for this Bonita Springs, Florida attraction.

EDISON-FORD WINTER ESTATES
2350 McGregor Boulevard
Fort Myers, Florida
Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction
239.334.3614
www.edison-ford-estate.com
   
Nearby in Fort Myers is Thomas A. Edison's Winter Estate, which pays homage to the prolific inventor who gave the world the stock ticker, the incandescent lamp, and the phonograph, among other inventions. The 14-acre estate is a remarkable place with a laboratory, botanical gardens, and a museum, and next door is his friend Henry Ford's more modest winter home, which includes a display of antique Ford automobiles.   Allow 4 hour minimum for this Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction.

EVERGLADES EXCURSIONS
Various hotel locations
Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction
239.262.1914
www.evergladesexcursions.com

Full and half-day safaris to the Everglades include narrated tour of Everglades City, jungle cruise through Everglades National Park, airboat ride through Ten Thousand Islands, a tour of Big Cypress Preserve National Park, lunch and more. 
EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK Main entrance SR 9336 from US 1 at Florida City Shark Valley and Everglades City entrances off of US 41 Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction 239.695.3311.

This national treasure of 1.5 million acres of preserved subtropical wilderness is an important Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction.  The Everglades is essentially a slow-moving fresh-water river, and half of the park is comprised of water.  Cape Sable is the southernmost tip of the U.S. mainland.  From Cape Sable the park extends 45 miles north along the Gulf of Mexico and 30 miles east, including Florida Bay.  The park is home to more than 350 species of birds, alligators,crocodiles, snakes, manatees, dolphins, sea turtles and more. 

FIFTH AVENUE
Naples, Florida
Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction

Boutiques, luxury hotels, fine restaurants and shade-tree lined sidewalks make this walking tour of Old Naples an enjoyable and pleasant experience.

GOLF COURSES ARE IMPORTANT GREATER BONITA SPRINGS, FLORIDA ATTRACTION

Visitors to Bonita Springs must experience these top-rated courses:  Tiburon, Pelican's Nest, and Flamingo Island at Lely Resort.  See Golf section for a full listing.

KORESHAN STATE HISTORIC SITE
Tamiami Trail
Estero, Florida
Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction
239.992.0311
  
Named for a religious cult that was active in the early 1900s, this Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction preserves a dozen structures where the group practiced arts, worshiped a male-female divinity, and created its own branch of science called cosmogony.  Rangers lead tours, and the grounds, planted with exotic gardens, are lovely for picnicking and camping.  Canoeing available along Estero River.
 
NAPLES MUSEUM OF ART
5833 Pelican Bay Boulevard
Naples, Florida 
Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction
239.597.1900
www.naplesphilcenter.org
   
The first full-scale art museum in Southwest Florida, the Naples Museum of Art features an impressive 15 different galleries, highlighting paintings, sculptures, and drawings, with major permanent collections concentrating on both the American Modern and Ancient Chinese genres. Tours and exhibits bring additional innovative pieces to the museum, whose very structure, including a dazzling glass dome of many-hued glass bubbles, glass corkscrews, and other shapes, is a dramatic work of art on its own.  Allow 2 hours minimum for this Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction.

NAPLES NATURE CENTER
1450 Merrihue Drive
Naples, Florida
Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction
239.262.0304
www.conservancy.org
 
On 14 acres bordering a tidal lagoon teeming with wildlife, the Naples Nature Center includes an aviary, a wildlife rehabilitation clinic, a natural-history museum with a serpentarium, and a sea-turtle aquarium. Short trails are dotted with interpretive signs, and there are free guided walks and boat tours on the mangrove-bordered Gordon River several times daily. Canoes and kayaks rentals are available.  Allow 1 hour minimum for this Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction.

NAPLES TROLLEY TOURS
Old Naples Store and Trolley Depot
Naples, Florida 
Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction
239.262.7300
www.naplestrolleytours.com

See a wide range of sites in this 1.75 hour tour of Naples Pier, Palm Cottage, Fifth Avenue South, Tin City and more.

PALM COTTAGE
137 12th Avenue S
Naples, Florida 
Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction
239.261.8164
   
Houses in 19th-century South Florida were often built of a cementlike material made of sand and seashells. For a fine example of such tabby construction, stop by Palm Cottage, built in 1895 and one of the Lower Gulf Coast's few tabby homes. The historically accurate interior contains the simple furnishings of the period. Allow 1 hour minimum for this Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction.

PHILHARMONIC CENTER FOR THE ARTS
5833 Pelican Bay Boulevard
Naples, Florida
Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction
239.587.1900
www.naplesphil.com

The Philharmonic Center for the Arts was opened in 1989 and features both performing and visual arts in a single complex. This 99,000 square foot facility has two stages and hosts more than 400 events each season. The main hall seats 1,221 and the smaller Black Box theater seats 200. In addition, the center has art galleries, general meeting rooms and two sculpture gardens.

ROOKERY BAY
Shell Island Road
Naples, Florida
Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction
239.775.8569

Rookery Bay is an area of mangove islands that shelter rare birds and marine life.  Maintained as a national estuarine research reserve, this Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction offers boardwalks and a nature center.

TEDDY BEAR MUSEUM
2511 Pine Ridge Road
Naples, Florida 
Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction
239.598.2711
www.teddymuseum.com

This unique Greater Bonita Springs, Florida attraction displays more than 5,000 bears from around the world. Oil heiress Frances Pew Hayes, an area resident, had the log structure built when she ran out of room to keep the bears in her home.  They're displayed descending from the rafters in hot-air balloons, attending board meetings, sipping afternoon tea, and even doing bear things like hibernating.

WATER-ORIENTED BONITA SPRINGS, FLORIDA ATTRACTIONS

BOATING -- Powerboat and WaveRunner rentals are available from Naples Watersports, at the Old Naples Seaport, 10th Avenue South at 10th Street South in Olde Naples, 239.435.9595; from Club Nautico, at the Boat Haven Marina, 1484 E. Tamiami Trail, 239.947.3999, on the east bank of the Gordon River behind Kelly's Fish House; and from Port-O-Call Marina, also behind Kelly's Fish House, 239.774.0479.

CRUISES -- The Gordon River and Naples Bay from the U.S. 41 bridge on 5th Avenue South to the Gulf are prime territory for sightseeing, dolphin-watching, and sunset cruises. The double-decked Double Sunshine, 239.263.4949, www.ladybrett.com, launches 1 1/2-hour cruises onto the river and bay daily from Tin City.

The Sweet Liberty, 239.793.3525, www.sweetliberty.com, a 53-foot sailing catamaran, makes 3-hour morning shelling cruises to Keewaydin Island. The vessel then spends the afternoon on 2-hour sightseeing cruises and 2-hour sunset cruises on Naples Bay before docking at Boat Haven Marina on the east side of the Gordon River Bridge.

For a good deal more luxury, the 83-foot Naples Princess, 239.649.2275, www.naplesprincesscruises.com, has narrated breakfast, lunch, and sunset dinner cruises from Port-O-Call Marina, on the eastern shore of the Gordon River.

FISHING -- The locals like to fish from the Naples Pier.  You can buy tackle and bait from the local marinas. The pier is open around the clock, and admission is free. No fishing license is required.

The least expensive way for singles, couples, and small families to fish without paying for an entire boat is on the 45-foot Lady Brett, 239.263.4949, www.ladybrett.com, which makes two daily half-day trips from Tin City. Rod, reel, bait, and fishing license are included. Its sister boat, the Captain Paul, goes on half-day backcountry fishing trips.

SCUBA DIVING -- Kevin Sweeney's SCUBAdventures, 971 Creech Rd., at Tamiami Trail, 239.434.7477, www.scubadventureslc.com, takes divers into the Gulf, teaches diver-certification courses, and rents watersports equipment.

WATERSPORTS -- Good Times Rental, 1947 Davis Boulevard, 239.775.7529, rents WaveRunners, Windsurfers, skim boards, snorkeling gear, and other beach equipment. Hobie Cats and windsurfers can also be rented on the beach at the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club, 851 Gulf Shore Boulevard N, 239.261.2222, and at Clam Pass County Park, at the end of Seagate Drive, 239.353.0404.