Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park
Courtesy of Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades CVB
Florida is known for its beaches: 825 miles of them. Some of the state’s prettiest shoreline can be found along the Gulf of Mexico, where the water is turquoise and the sand is white. The most consistently beautiful and accessible stretch on the Gulf side is in Collier County, also known as the Paradise Coast—the lacy southwestern edge of Florida around the city of Naples, Marco Island, and the Everglades.
I’ve lived in Florida for years, and I’ve spent much of that time exploring the state’s beaches, from the Keys to the Panhandle—and what has always struck me about the beaches of the Paradise Coast is their sheer range: from remote island hideaways accessible only by boat to soft, quartz sand ribbons steps from civilization.
So no matter what kind of beach experience you’re looking for, there’s one in this region that’s right for you. Here are seven public beaches in Collier County for every kind of traveler.
Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park
Twelve miles north of Naples, Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park ($6 per entry, max eight people per vehicle) is a 199-acre oasis of coastal vegetation that offers powdery sand, dunes crowned with sea oats, fantastic shelling, and calm Gulf water that stays warm and swimmable year-round. It’s one of the most pristine coastal settings in Collier County, with regular dolphin sightings, mangroves, and a wide, protected shoreline that seems removed from the built-up coast.
Who it’s best for
Beachcombers drawn by the plentiful brown-and-cream junonia shells and turkey wings, both prized by collectors. Hikers, scuba divers, and wildlife watchers (especially lovers of birds, dolphins, and manatees) will also find plenty to see here.
Insider tip
If you want to explore the mangroves, you can launch a kayak near Water Turkey Bay (or take a tour with Get Up and Go Kayaking). In the dunes, watch for gopher tortoises along the paths and be sure to give them space.
Tigertail Beach Park
Tigertail Beach Marco Island Florida
Photo by Paul Harrison/Shutterstock
Shaped like its namesake, this beach on Marco Island’s western edge delivers two distinct experiences. A family-friendly inner beach with soft sand and shallow water is connected to the parking lot by boardwalks. For the more adventurous, there’s the outer beach: a long spit locally known as Sand Dollar Island, which faces a calm tidal lagoon on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other.
To reach it, you must wade about 50 yards through the lagoon; water shoes are advised, as there’s mucky seagrass on the bottom. At high tide, the water can be waist-deep, so some visitors use a stand-up paddleboard to cross. It’s easy to get distracted by wading birds and interesting shell fragments on the way.
Who it’s best for
Intergenerational family gatherings—the oldest and the youngest can stay on the mainland, while the more adventurous can venture into the lagoon and to Sand Dollar Island.
Insider tip
Low tide makes it easier to reach Sand Dollar Island, where you might find tidal pools with small fish, sea stars, sand dollars, and occasionally a prized junonia shell.
Rabbit Key
Ringed with white sand and reachable only by kayak (or a boat tour from Everglades City with an outfitter like Everglades National Park Adventures), Rabbit Key, an outer barrier island in the Ten Thousand Islands archipelago that sits within the boundaries of Everglades National Park, is as off the grid as Florida beaches get.
Access is limited from March through August to protect nesting shorebirds, but camping is permitted on the island’s eastern side between October and April with a backcountry pass. A beach day here means sharing the shore with the birds and the occasional offshore dolphin.
Who it’s for
Intrepid adventurers willing to go the extra mile (and navigate the mangrove estuaries of Ten Thousand Islands) to reach the ultimate remote beach.
Insider Tip
If you’re not familiar with the area’s charts and tides, you’ll be better off with a guided eco-tour or ranger-led trip. Local guides know which islands are accessible, open, and best for shelling or wildlife sightseeing.
Clam Pass Beach Park
Clam Pass - aerial view
Courtesy of Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades CVB
In the heart of Naples, Clam Pass Park beach ($10 to park) offers a remote atmosphere without visitors having to leave the city. To reach it, you must walk along a .75-mile boardwalk though dense mangroves (or take a free tram from the parking lot that leaves every 15 minutes).
Once you’re out of the woods, you’ll discover the park’s most distinctive feature: a narrow, shallow channel you can float down on a kayak or a stand-up paddleboard (Naples Outfitters and Kayak Co. rents equipment for pickup or delivery).
Who it’s best for
Water-sports lovers who’d rather be active than flop on the sand. This park also has beach wheelchairs and loaner life jackets.
Insider tip
Follow the lead of the locals, who often drift the channel’s entire length before exiting through an outlet into the Gulf. From December to April, free ranger-led nature walks are available with a reservation.
Vanderbilt Beach
Naples, Florida - March 6, 2018: Tourists enjoying the Vanderbilt beach in Naples, Florida. Naples is located on the Gulf Coast in southern Florida.
Photo by LesPalenik/Shutterstock
Stretching for five miles along North Naples, Vanderbilt Beach Park ($10 to park) has everything you could want in a Gulf Coast beach: soft white sand, calm water, and easy conditions for swimming or floating. Picnic areas, restrooms, and nearby restaurants make it ideal for lingering through sunset. With services connecting you to Central Naples (like Breeze Beach Shuttle, which operates six-person golf carts), a drop-off spot for gear, and kayak launch points, it’s one of the area’s most user-friendly beaches.
Who it’s best for
Beachgoers—like families and snowbirds staying at nearby hotels—who wants only the basics.
Insider tip
At sunset, you can often spot dolphins offshore.
Barefoot Beach Preserve
Barefoot Beach just north of downtown Naples was selected by “Dr. Beach” as the #2 USA beach in 2014. The beach has long stretches of white sand perfect for peaceful beach walks.
Karen Bartlett/Karen Bartlett
One of the last undeveloped barrier islands along Florida’s southwest coast, Barefoot Beach Preserve ($10 to park) is also one of the county’s most beautiful. The boardwalk curves through sabal palms and gumbo-limbos before opening onto a seldom-crowded stretch of white sand. Natural dunes, plentiful shorebirds, fighting conch shells, and gopher tortoises in the scrub contribute to the unspoiled atmosphere. This is as natural as a Gulf beach gets—and it’s a 15-mile drive north from Naples and has restrooms, picnic tables, and a marked nature trail.
Who it’s best for
Anyone who wants to feel as if they’ve truly gotten away from it all—but still intends to make it back to Naples for a 7 p.m. dinner reservation.
Insider tip
The farther north you walk along the beach, the more likely you are to see wildlife, including dolphins, ospreys and other birds, manatees in the winter, and sea turtles during their nesting season from May to October.
Lowdermilk Park
Locals come to this spot near Gulf Shore Boulevard, the main coastal thoroughfare in North Naples, for an easy, no-fuss beach day.
A wide stretch of soft sand lies beside calm, swimmable water, while behind it a park with some shade—a rarity in South Florida—offers picnic tables, rentable gazebos, volleyball courts, playgrounds, and a concession stand for snacks between dips. There are also mats for wheelchair access to the beach.
Who it’s best for
Groups who want to park and chill, and families with little ones who might need a shady respite from the beach.
Insider tip
Hit the beach early to claim one of the eight free tiki huts, which are prized by locals, especially on weekends.
