The Casa Botanica Guide to Naples Without Spending Every Day in the Car

One of the easiest ways to accidentally spend too much of a vacation in Naples is behind the wheel.

There is a lot to see here, and Naples is spread out enough that it's tempting to create an itinerary that has you driving from one end of town to the other every day. But when you're on vacation, sometimes the best plan is the one that involves fewer car keys.

That's one of the things we love about Casa Botanica's location in the Bayshore Arts District. You can walk to some places, hop on one of the bikes for others, and reach many of Naples' favorite destinations with a relatively short drive.

So, if you'd rather spend more time doing Naples than driving around Naples, here's how.

WALK: Start With Naples Botanical Garden

This one is almost too easy.

Naples Botanical Garden is approximately 0.2 miles from Casa Botanica, essentially right across Bayshore Drive. It is one of Naples' signature attractions and one of the few places where you can leave the house on foot and, minutes later, be wandering through tropical gardens.

The Garden covers 170 acres and combines beautifully designed gardens with natural areas, water features, tropical plants and walking paths. Depending on the season, there are also exhibitions, tours and special events.

This is especially nice in the morning. Have coffee at Casa Botanica, put on your walking shoes and head over before the day gets warmer.

No parking space to find. No GPS required. No debate over who has the car keys.

Just go.

WALK OR BIKE: Explore Bayshore Drive

Head north from Casa Botanica and you'll begin discovering the Bayshore Arts District.

This is where Naples gets a little more eclectic.

You'll find restaurants, galleries, public art, local businesses and casual places to stop for a drink or something to eat. It feels different from Fifth Avenue and Third Street, and that's precisely why it's worth exploring.

Depending on how far you want to go, you can walk part of Bayshore or grab one of the bikes at Casa Botanica and turn it into an outing.

The nice thing about biking is that the journey becomes part of the day. You're not simply driving somewhere, parking, doing an activity and driving back.

You're actually experiencing the neighborhood.

BIKE: Make the New Bayshore-to-Sugden Connection

One of the area's newest improvements makes exploring without a car even more interesting.

The new Bayshore pedestrian boardwalk creates a walking and biking connection from Bayshore Drive into Sugden Regional Park.

The route passes through restored native landscaping and wetlands before connecting with the existing pathway around Lake Avalon.

Once you reach Sugden, you can continue exploring the park, which includes a 60-acre lake, walking paths, picnic areas, playground, butterfly garden and one of Collier County's few freshwater beaches.

It's exactly the kind of Naples outing that doesn't need much planning.

Grab a bike, bring some water and see where the morning takes you.

BIKE: Head Toward Pickleball

If pickleball is part of your vacation vocabulary, Casa Botanica puts you close to one of the sport's best-known Naples destinations.

East Naples Community Park is home to the USOP National Pickleball Center and hosts the US Open Pickleball Championships.

For Casa Botanica guests, it's close enough that pickleball doesn't need to become a major transportation event.

Head over for a morning of play, then come back to Casa Botanica, cool off in the pool and spend the rest of the day doing something completely different.

Personally, we think pickleball followed by pool time is a pretty good Naples combination.

WALK, BIKE OR TAKE A VERY SHORT RIDE: Eat Your Way Around Bayshore

One of the pleasures of staying in the Bayshore area is having local food and drink options close to home.

Celebration Park offers a casual waterfront setting along Haldeman Creek with food trucks, drinks and live music. Nearby you'll find other restaurants, breweries and places to stop for a cocktail, lunch or dinner.

This is where the bikes can be particularly fun.

Instead of automatically getting into the car every time someone says, "Who's hungry?", check what sounds good nearby.

You might discover that dinner becomes part of the adventure.

STAY PUT: Remember That Casa Botanica Is Also a Destination

This may sound obvious, but vacation itineraries have a funny way of becoming competitive sports.

You don't have to leave the house every morning.

Some days, the best use of your rental is actually enjoying it.

Sleep a little later. Make breakfast. Drink coffee outside. Swim. Read a book. Play ping pong. Have lunch by the pool. Take a nap. Sit under a palm tree.

Nobody is keeping score.

One reason we designed Casa Botanica with so much outdoor space was because we wanted it to feel like somewhere you could actually spend the day, not simply somewhere you return to after spending the day everywhere else.

A completely unproductive pool day is still a very productive vacation day.

SHORT DRIVE: Downtown Naples and Fifth Avenue South

Eventually, of course, you'll probably want the car.

Downtown Naples and Fifth Avenue South are only a short drive from the Bayshore area, so you can easily head downtown for shopping, dinner, galleries or an evening stroll without devoting a large part of your day to getting there.

This is one of our favorite ways to enjoy downtown: spend the day closer to Casa Botanica, relax by the pool in the afternoon, clean up and head to Fifth Avenue for dinner.

You get the energy of downtown without needing to stay in the middle of it.

SHORT DRIVE: Naples' Beaches

You can't come to Naples and ignore the Gulf for very long.

Fortunately, several beach options are within an easy drive of Casa Botanica.

Load up the beach chairs and cooler, both provided at the house, and make it a beach morning rather than automatically committing the entire day.

Go early, enjoy a few hours by the Gulf, then come back to Casa Botanica for lunch and a swim.

There's something particularly satisfying about leaving the beach and knowing your next body of water is your own private pool.

SHORT DRIVE: Naples Bay and the Waterfront

Naples isn't only about the Gulf.

Naples Bay, Haldeman Creek and the surrounding waterways offer boating, kayaking, sightseeing and waterfront dining that can easily become part of your stay.

If you want to get onto the water, look for a kayak rental, sightseeing cruise or boating experience. If you'd rather admire the water while someone brings you dinner and a cold drink, Naples is exceptionally well equipped for that activity too.

Either way, you don't need to spend an hour in the car to make it happen.

The Trick Is Not Trying to See All of Naples Every Day

Naples has a lot to offer, but you don't have to experience all of it before lunch.

Instead, think of your vacation in little clusters.

Have a Bayshore day with the Botanical Garden, bikes, art and waterfront dining.

Have a pickleball and pool day.

Have a beach morning and Casa Botanica afternoon.

Have a lazy pool day followed by dinner on Fifth Avenue.

And definitely have at least one day when nobody decides what you're doing until after the second cup of coffee.

That's when Casa Botanica's location really starts to make sense.

You're close enough to experience many different sides of Naples, but you don't have to spend your entire vacation driving between them.

Your Naples Vacation Doesn't Need a Commute

We created Casa Botanica to feel like a home base for experiencing Naples rather than simply a place to sleep between activities.

Walk across to Naples Botanical Garden. Take the bikes out and explore Bayshore. Head toward Sugden or pickleball. Spend the afternoon in your private pool. Then make the short drive downtown for dinner or over to the beach for sunset.

Some days you'll use the car.

Some days you may barely touch it.

And on vacation, that's a pretty nice luxury.

Ready to experience Naples from Casa Botanica? Explore the house, check availability and start planning the kind of Naples vacation where getting there is part of the fun, not half the day.