Explore Naples, Florida, on a Budget

Posted July 21, 2010 by Kate Hamman

Located in Southwest Florida on the edge of the Everglades, Naples attracts people year-round to golf, shop, and play in the sand. However, Naples can also be an affordable alternative to pricier beach destinations. Here, you can shop for bargain designer clothes, eat at an Italian restaurant, and stay in a tropical inn without going broke.

Shop
Options Thrift Shoppe: Located along Naples' Treasure Trail, an area filled with antiques and secondhand stores, Options Thrift Shoppe overflows with designer items at discount prices. You'll find purses by brand names such as Kate Spade, Coach, and Gucci, Prada shoes (potentially, of course) and much more, all at very reasonable prices. On top of the racks of clothing and accessories, the store also sells an impressive range of home goods and furnishings. Plus, 100 percent of the proceeds go to the Shelter for Abused Women and Children.

Eat
Naples Tomato Restaurant and Grocery: Get a taste of Naples, Italy, at this Naples, Florida, restaurant and grocer, which offers a fresh take on Italian food and wine. Naples Tomato has the state's first mozzarella bar and sells more than 300 different wines. Dinner entree prices tend to hover in the low $20s, but the real bargain is the two-course lunch for $9.99, where you can pick and choose from a range of pasta and salad options.

Stay
Lemon Tree Inn: When life gives you lemons, come stay at the Lemon Tree Inn, where the lemonade is always complimentary. Located just blocks from the shopping and nightlife of Fifth Avenue South, the city's oldest hotel features 34 rooms facing a central tropical courtyard. Rooms start at $89 per night, and include continental breakfast by the pool.

To search for flights and compare prices to Ft. Myers, which is home to Naples’ closest airport, please use our price-comparison tool.

(Photo: Naples Marco Island Everglades CVB)

Categories: Destinations, Florida, Southeast

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