Collier County is natural and cultural gem tucked away in Southwest Florida. Its where the Gulf of Mexico's sparkling water meets white sand, wild islands and downtowns filled with artful treasures, culinary delights and countless other discoveries. Explore Naples, Marco Island, Everglades City, Immokalee and Ave Maria.
The area is blessed with a wide array of things to do and places to explore. Whether you are a visitor, new to the area or an old timer, you will always find something interesting.
The wealth of its unprecedented arts and culture scene is one of the areas greatest treasures. Whether you’re a lover of theatre, the visual or performing arts, museum devotee or street art lover, you’ll find it all in Collier County. The beating heart of Naples arts is certainly Artis Naples, but how about a play at the Sugden Community Theatre, an afternoon arts festival, the Modern Art exhibition at the Baker Museum or a rare glimpse of a Pre-Columbian history artifact on Marco Island?
All this and more can be found in Collier County. Naples, Marco Island, Bonita Springs and Ave Maria all have their own arts and culture scene and each neighborhood is unique.
You may have heard that Collier County is the largest county in Florida by land area. This is indeed a fact. The county includes Everglades City, Naples, Marco Island and Immokalee. You will also find part of Bonita Springs within Collier County.
Despite the large area, Collier County never feels crowded. More than half of the county is dedicated as conservation lands.
Collier's eastern portions are occupied by the Florida Everglades, the largest subtropical wilderness area in the US. Along the southern coast are the mangroves, marshes and barrier islands of the Ten Thousand Islands, Everglades and Rookery Bay. Visitors to the glades enjoy wading birds, manatees, primitive camping, swamp canoe trips or hunting.
If you are looking for a brief experience with the everglades, check out the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center. The Environmental Learning Center in Naples offers hands-on learning, a 2,300-gallon aquarium, interactive exhibits, art gallery, and guided tours of the mangrove swamps and barrier islands.