Naples itinerary: 1, 2 and 3 days

Naples is a small, low-rise Gulf coast city: a walkable downtown strip, a long beach, and a lot of nature within a short drive. Most people do not need more than two or three days here unless they are using it as a base for the whole southwest Florida coast.

Pick by what you want to spend the day doing, not by how many sights you can tick off. Beach time, downtown time and nature time are three different days.

Start on Fifth Avenue South, the main downtown street, where the shops, galleries and cafés sit within a few blocks. Walk it in the morning before the heat builds, then branch to Third Street South and the Tin City area near the water if you have time.

In the afternoon, drive to the Naples Pier and the beach either side of it. The pier is the classic walk-out-over-the-Gulf spot and the beach is free to use; you pay for parking. Stay for sunset, which is the reason most people come.

Eat dinner downtown or near the beach. Expect seafood and Italian to dominate; reserve in season (January to March) because the good rooms fill.

Give the morning to the beach. The city beach runs for miles along Gulf Shore Boulevard; the pier area is the busiest, and the further north or south you go, the quieter it gets. Parking is the constraint, so arrive early in season.

In the afternoon, choose one nature stop rather than trying to do several. The two standard picks are a mangrove or swamp boardwalk experience to the east and a coastal nature reserve with a boardwalk to the north. Both are hot and buggy in summer, so bring water and repellent.

If you would rather not drive, a boat or kayak trip through the mangroves covers the same ground from the water and is the better option in the middle of the day.

A third day works best as one bigger outing. On the water, the options are a shelling or sightseeing boat to the barrier islands, a sunset cruise, or a fishing charter; all leave from the Naples or Marco Island area.

On land, drive north to Fort Myers for the Edison and Ford winter estates and a bigger downtown, or further north to Venice for its own beach and shark-tooth reputation. Both are straightforward drives on Interstate 75 or the coast road.

If you are flying out the same day, keep the outing short and leave the airport transfer time in the plan.

Naples is not a budget destination. The main costs are lodging in season, a rental car, and meals downtown. Beach and pier access itself is cheap; parking is the recurring charge.

Shoulder months (May and October) and summer bring lower room rates but also heat, afternoon storms and, in late summer, the chance of a storm system. Check the forecast before booking a boat trip.

Book lodging and any boat trip before you book flights in season. January to March is the peak, and both rooms and charters sell out.

Drive defensively and expect slow traffic on Gulf Shore Boulevard and downtown in the evening. Tolls are electronic on some roads, so check whether your rental car has a transponder.

Summer afternoons bring thunderstorms; plan outdoor time for the morning. Hurricane season runs roughly June to November, so keep an eye on forecasts if you travel then.