Best For: The families who really enjoy that perfect mix of natural and urban beach surroundings.

Stay: Mangroves border the Naples Grande Beach Resort, where you’ll find some 23 acres of green and raised wooden walkways winding their way to the shore. (An open-air shuttle whisks you down to the beach.) Bungalows with split floor plans set in a Zen garden are ideal for families.

Play: An hour’s drive from the Everglades, Naples is a jumping-off point for trips into Florida’s most famous swamp. Everglades Excursions, with its air-conditioned van (translation: no crabby kids on a hot summer day), transports guests from Naples to the wetlands. Fly across the river of grass pro- pelled by wind on an airboat as you search for gators; wrap the half-day tour with a visit to Everglades City, the gateway to the Ten Thousand Islands. Back in town catch one of the Naples Players Youth Theatre’s summer productions—Annie, 101 Dalmatians and Cats—at the Sugden Theater.

Eat: Richer and creamier than ice cream, Abbott’s Frozen Custard is a premium treat on a real hot day. Flavors range from vanilla to black raspberry to mint chocolate chip. For the freshest, order what- ever flavor is coming out of the machine that day. The no-frills, laid-back Mel’s Diner serves chili-cheese fries, beer-battered onion rings and comfort food like buttermilk-fried chicken. If the kids want to watch boats, Pinchers Crab Shack on the Gordon River has great viewing, along with plenty of blue, king, snow and stone crabs. For more information, please visit: paradisecoast.com.

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