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Maren Kessler, fifteen winters on this coast

I moved to Naples in 2009 for what was supposed to be one winter of freelance work and never got around to leaving. Since then I've written about this coast for regional magazines, kept a running notebook of tide charts and restaurant openings, and walked roughly the entire twelve miles of beach between Delnor-Wiggins and Gordon Pass more times than is reasonable.

Everything on this site is reported the slow way: in person, at the hour the place is actually worth visiting. If a guide says the light at Lowdermilk goes copper about forty minutes before sunset in February, it's because I stood there in February. If a beach is listed as boat-access only, it's because I've only ever reached it by boat.

I don't take payment for placement, and nothing here is a paid review. When I recommend an operator or a kitchen, it's because I've used them or eaten there and would send a friend. The one thing I recommend most often is simple: get on the water at least once while you're here. It changes how the rest of the trip reads.

Maren Kessler, editor of Experience Naples Florida, on a dock at golden hour
  • Resident of Collier County since 2009
  • Fifteen years writing about the Southwest Florida coast
  • Reports every guide on location, in season
  • No paid placements, no sponsored reviews

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