42 Best Sights in The Lower Gulf Coast, Florida

Majestic royal palms, some planted by Thomas Edison, line one of the city's most scenic streets and are the root of its "City of Palms" moniker. The boulevard runs from downtown to Summerlin Road, which takes you to the barrier islands.

One of Naples's most culturally exciting attractions, the botanical "gardens with latitude" flourish with plants and decorative elements from Florida and other subtropical locales including Asia, Brazil, and the Caribbean. Highlights of the 170 acres include a Children's Garden with a butterfly house, tree house, waterfall, cave, Florida Cracker house, and hidden garden; an infinity water lily pool; an aromatic Enabling Garden with a how-to theme; and a dramatic waterfall feature. A visitor center offers a café, restaurant, and three gardens, including one with more than 1,000 orchid species and cultivars.

The lush 44-acre zoo got its start as a botanical garden in 1919 and has since drawn visitors curious to see lions, cheetahs, bears, gazelles, and a wildly popular giraffe herd. It also offers glimpses of such endangered creatures as red-ruffed lemurs, cotton-top tamarins, François' langurs (leaf monkeys), snow leopards, mountain bongos (a type of antelope), and Florida panthers. Other attractions include two kids play zones; the Reptile Rendezvous show; and the Primate Expedition Cruise, which sails past islands populated with monkeys, apes, and lemurs. Meet-the-keeper experiences, alligator feedings, and educational Safari animal presentations are scheduled regularly.

Houses in 19th-century South Florida were often built of tabby mortar, a concrete-like material made of sand and seashells. For a fine example of such construction, stop by Palm Cottage, built in 1895 and one of the Lower Gulf Coast's few surviving tabby homes. The historically accurate interior contains simple furnishings typical of the period. Next door to the cottage, Norris Gardens was designed to reflect turn-of-the-last-century garden trends. Docent tours of the home are included with admission; for an extra $10, join the two-hour walking tour of the garden and historic district held on Wednesday morning (reservations required).

In the midst of 110,000-acre Rookery Bay National Marine Estuary, the center dramatically interprets the Everglades environment and local history with interactive models, aquariums, an art gallery, a film, tours, and "coastal connections" programs (45 minutes, at 11 and 2 daily). It's on the edge of the estuary, about five minutes east of Marco's north bridge on Collier Boulevard. Take a walk along Observation Bridge, a 440-foot pedestrian bridge that spans the reserve's creek from the center's second floor; it connects with 1½ miles of nature trails and leads to a creek-side viewing platform. Guided and self-guided walks are available. Kayak and boat tours are also available through advance registration. Exhibits include an interactive research boat, a display on the importance of the Gulf of Mexico to coastal communities, and another on global climate change. Geocaches can be found on the trail and in the parking area.

Charming buildings from the island's past include a general store, a one-room schoolhouse, a 1927 post office, a tearoom, a 1925 winter-vacation cottage, a 1898 fishing cottage, and the 1913 Rutland House Museum, containing old documents and photographs, artifacts, and period furnishings. All buildings are authentic and have been moved from their original locations to the museum grounds.

The River District has become a haven for independent galleries, including this space for edgy, up-and-coming visual artists, musical acts, films, and theater. Once an abandoned post office circa 1933, it was transformed by Florida Arts, Inc., a nonprofit organization, in the early 2000s. Even if your taste runs more to classical works than contemporary, a visit is worthwhile for the neoclassical revival facade: eight towering coral-rock Ionic columns give way to swaths of intricately detailed window screens. The friendly staff is happy to answer questions about the building's history.

Across from the children's museum along the eastern edge of town, this splashy park has a Tadpole Pool as well as dumping buckets, spray guns, and other interactive features that will delight younger kids. The whole family will go for the diving pool, Sunny's Lazy River, and five waterslides. The park is generally closed from October to President's Day weekend (except during some local school breaks).

This centrally located beach is safer for swimming than beaches at the passes, where waters move swiftly. It is, however, one of the more populated beaches, lined with low-rise condos and resorts set back behind vegetation. Casa Ybel Resort lies east of the public access; other smaller resorts can be found along the stretch to the west. The parking lot is a five-minute walk from the beach, so drop off your gang and gear before you park (the lot is open daily from 7 am to 7 pm). At the beach, you can walk for miles in either direction on soft white sand studded with shells. Amenities: parking (fee); toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

On the northwest side of the island is 2,500 feet of both developed and undeveloped areas. Once Gulf-front, in recent years a sand spit known as Sand Dollar Island has formed, which means the stretch especially at the north end has become mud flats—great for birding. There's plenty of powdery sand farther south and across the lagoon that draws a broad base of fans for its playgrounds, butterfly garden, volleyball nets, and umbrella rentals. Beach wheelchairs are also available for free use. Amenities: parking (fee); toilets; water sports. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.

This is a prime sunset-watching spot on the southern point of Captiva. Strong currents through Blind Pass make swimming tricky but shelling amazing, and parking is limited. Surfers head here when winds whip up the waves. The beach is narrower than in other parts of the island. No buildings sit on the beach, but 'Tween Waters Resort is across the road to the north of the public access, and restaurants are nearby. Amenities: parking (fee); toilets. Best for: sunset; surfing; walking.

Opened in 1936 by two retired moonshiners from Detroit, this was one of the state's first roadside attractions and remained little changed until 2013, when the family decided to close its doors—and, thus, ending a rich chapter of Florida tourism history—forever. In stepped Florida landscape photographer John Brady, who negotiated a lease with the founding family and transformed the old-style cramped zoological gardens (that once featured Florida panthers, black bears, crocodiles, alligators, and tame Florida deer) into a botanical garden by conserving the flora and fauna following contemporary standards. Now in focus are diverse gardens that include old-growth trees like kapok, banyan, candle nut, egg fruit, plumeria, jaboticaba, mahogany, cashew, avocado, and mango, as well as integrated animal exhibits with tortoises, turtles, smaller alligators, flamingos, and a butterfly garden. The original buildings have been preserved and made into a modern gallery that showcases Brady's photography.