Day Trips from Naples
Naples sits at the hinge of Southwest Florida, with white-sand islands to the south, the Everglades just east, and old river cities a short hop north. Here are the six escapes we send friends on.
Updated June 2026
One of the quiet luxuries of Naples is how much sits within an easy drive. Point the car south and you reach Marco Island in about twenty minutes; point it east and the Everglades open up; head north and you string together barrier islands and a historic river downtown. You can be sinking your toes into a new beach or gliding through a mangrove tunnel before lunch and still make it home for the Gulf sunset.
This is the hub for all of it. Below we line up the six day trips we actually take, each with a rough drive time and a quick read on what it's good for, so you can match the trip to your mood. Want to stay in town instead? Our Beaches & Outdoors guide covers everything right here, and Plan Your Trip helps you slot it all into the week.
Six day trips from Naples
From a twenty-minute beach run to a river city up the coast — each one earns the drive.
Marco Island
The nearest escape: wide white beaches, shell-strewn Tigertail Lagoon, and salty old Goodland for a beach-bar afternoon.
Everglades National Park
The River of Grass on Naples' doorstep — airboats, ranger talks and gator-spotting along the Tamiami Trail and at Everglades City.
The Ten Thousand Islands
A maze of mangrove islets where the Glades meet the Gulf — boat tours and kayak trails thick with dolphins, manatees and birds.
Sanibel & Captiva
The famous shelling islands, back in full swing after Hurricane Ian, with a rebuilt causeway and beaches as good as ever.
Fort Myers
A walkable river downtown and the Edison & Ford Winter Estates — history, gardens and dining up the Caloosahatchee.
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
An Audubon boardwalk through the largest old-growth bald cypress forest in North America — cool, shady and full of birds.
A closer look
What each trip is really good for, and roughly how far it is from town.
A perfect day out
Our favorite easy version — south to Marco and back, no rush.
- Leave Naples mid-morning and drive twenty minutes south to Marco Island while the beach is still cool.
- Spend the morning swimming and shelling at Tigertail Beach, then wade out to the lagoon's sandbars.
- Lunch on fresh seafood, then drift down to Goodland for a beach-bar drink and a little live music.
- On the way home, swing through the edge of the Ten Thousand Islands for the mangrove views.
- Make it back to a Naples beach for the main event, the sun dropping straight into the Gulf.
Where to go next
More ways to spend your days on the Paradise Coast.
Marco Island
Twenty minutes south to wide beaches, Tigertail's shells and Goodland's salty beach bars.
Everglades National Park
Airboats, gators and ranger talks where the Tamiami Trail runs east into the Glades.
Beaches & Outdoors
Every Naples beach, plus shelling, dolphin cruises and the mangroves, in one guide.
Plan Your Trip
Drive times, best seasons and how to fit the day trips around your week in Naples.
Book a day-trip tour
Common questions
What are the best day trips from Naples, Florida?
Our favorites are Marco Island (about 20 minutes south), Everglades National Park and the Ten Thousand Islands to the east and southeast, Sanibel and Captiva and Fort Myers up the coast to the north, and the Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary about 45 minutes northeast. Together they cover beaches, islands, the Everglades and a historic river city.
How far is Marco Island from Naples?
Marco Island is the closest day trip, roughly 18 miles and about 20 to 30 minutes south of Naples down Collier Boulevard. That makes it easy to do as a half-day beach run or a full sunset-to-sunset outing.
Can you visit the Everglades on a day trip from Naples?
Yes. Naples sits right at the western edge of the Everglades, and the Tamiami Trail (US-41) runs east into the park within about an hour. You can take an airboat ride, join a ranger program, or boat the Ten Thousand Islands out of the Everglades City area, where the park's Gulf Coast gateway has reopened as the new Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center with a rebuilt marina and kayak launch. Check current hours before you go.
Are Sanibel and Captiva open after Hurricane Ian?
Yes. The barrier islands took a hard hit from Hurricane Ian in 2022, but they have largely recovered: the Sanibel Causeway was rebuilt and reopened, and the beaches, shelling and wildlife are back. It is roughly an hour-plus drive from Naples, so plan it as a full day and start early.
Is Fort Myers Beach worth the drive from Naples?
Downtown Fort Myers and the Edison & Ford Winter Estates, about 45 minutes north, are well worth it and largely back to normal. Fort Myers Beach itself is still rebuilding from Hurricane Ian, with the new pier a longer-term project, so check what is open before you count on a beach afternoon there.
Do I need to book day trips in advance?
For beaches and the boardwalk at Corkscrew Swamp you can just show up, though Corkscrew charges a small admission. For boat tours, airboat rides and kayak trips in the Everglades and Ten Thousand Islands, it's worth booking ahead in winter high season, when the most popular departures fill up.