Tammy

Which of these locations has the finest sand and prettiest water? Lots of good restaurants would be nice also.

Patrick

I have always been partial to the beaches on the Gulf Coast of Florida, as they are beautiful fine white sand, not like the brown, coarse sand on the Atlantic. The water is very calm on the Gulf also, so if you like waves, then you must stick with the East coast. Since I chose to live in Naples many years ago and haven't changed my mind yet, my obvious choice is Naples. Five years ago, I wouldn't have been able to recommend many restaurants, but in the past few years many really fine and very trendy restaurants have opened. It is rapidly becoming a dining capital of Florida. Would you believe lots of "thirty somethings" who live in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale now come to Naples to spend the weekend? Talk about a reversal from the past!

Tammy

Thank you Patrick. You've helped me many times. Have you seen the Ritz Carlton in Naples? Is their beach nice?

Patrick

Undoubtedly the Ritz is the top place to stay in Naples, as many surveys and "top resort hotel in . . ." awards attest. Their beach is lovely and is a little more secluded than some as it is north of town, adjacent to the long Pelican Bay development which doesn't have any other hotels and therefore fewer "beach goers", although there are quite a few from the Vanderbilt Beach area adjacent to the north. We love going up to the Ritz to eat at either of their two casual beachfront places, where you sit and watch the sunset and have wonderful food at surprisingly reasonable prices (about the only thing not expensive at the Ritz). One of the real plusses about the Ritz, incidentally, is that every room faces the gulf, so you never have to worry about getting stuck in a room without a view. By the way, the hotel sits back from the beach separated by a boardwalk through the natural mangroves which were left in a conservancy agreement. The beach bar and restaurants are on the beach side of the boardwalk.