Discover Florida’s Paradise Coast in 2026

Florida’s Paradise Coast enters 2026 with an extraordinary lineup of openings, anniversaries and experiences that continue to shape Southwest Florida’s reputation for luxury, creativity and natural wonder. From the highly anticipated debut of the Four Seasons to milestone anniversaries, new culinary icons and world-class cultural programming, here’s what’s new in Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades.

HOTEL HAPPENINGS

Naples Beach Club, A Four Seasons Resort (opened 13 November 2025)
13 November saw the opening of the first Four Seasons on Florida’s West Coast, one of the year’s most anticipated openings. Beyond its 1,000 feet of private Gulf shoreline, the property features 220 rooms and suites, transformative wellness programming and world-class dining, with a Tom Fazio-designed championship golf course arriving in 2026. Dining is anchored by James Beard Award winner Gavin Kaysen’s Merchant Room, the beachfront HB’s and the celebrated Sunset Bar. Culinary leadership includes Food and Beverage Director Michael Rodriguez, Executive Chef Fabio Quarta and Executive Pastry Chef Eddy Dhenin.

Olde Naples Hotel, Opal Collection (2026)
Opal’s boutique property reimagines the city’s original 1889 hotel with 109 rooms, a rooftop pool, Annie’s Bistro and heritage-inspired interiors. Steps from galleries and cafés and Naples Beach, when the property opens in 2026, it will offer a stylish retreat blending history and contemporary luxury.

JW Marriott Marco Island — Blue Zone-Inspired Wellness (2026)
Stretching across three miles of pristine beachfront, this iconic Balinese-inspired resort will emerge in 2026 as a must-visit wellness destination with Blue Zone-centric programming designed for whole-person health. Spa circuits, hydrotherapy and aromatherapy showers meet nutrient-rich cuisine and sea-moss cocktails, while sound baths, sunrise meditations and mangrove forest bathing root the experience in place.

The Ritz-Carlton, Naples — 40th Anniversary (2025)
In 2025, the Gulf-front resort marks four decades of barefoot glamour with a year of anniversary festivities, from a dedicated menopause retreat in October to Naples Longest Table in December. Surrounded by native wetlands and migratory bird preserves, its sister property, The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, complements the beach resort with championship golf, tropical pools and family-friendly offerings.

DINING HIGHLIGHTS

Heyday Cookshop (Early 2026)
James Beard semifinalist Kayla Pfeiffer debuts her second Naples concept, Heyday Cookshop, where food, art, design and music rotate every few months under the direction of guest chefs in residence. Expect a hi-fi vinyl listening lounge, collaborations with local purveyors and an inventive beverage programme built around vermouth cocktails, amaros and natural wines. A creative playground for artists across mediums, Heyday is designed to surprise.

Tulia Italian Steak (October 2025)
Chef Vincenzo Betulia transforms The French Brasserie into a luxe steakhouse with Wagyu cuts, handmade pastas and caviar service. The design is moody and intimate, with Rouge speakeasy vibes. Wine Spectator’s two-glass award programme and Coravin pours elevate the cellar.

Prime Social Reserve (Autumn 2025)
Fifth Avenue South’s first VIP rooftop lounge, by Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, offers reservation-only exclusivity. Executive Chef Alejandra Bringas and GM Rick Giannasi lead the Asian-inspired menu, while members enjoy curated tastings, winemaker dinners and private shopping collaborations.

Nat Nat Naples
This 36-seat natural wine bar is insiders-only – no website, no marketing, just a word-of-mouth following. Chef Ming Yee and curator Diego pour low-intervention wines from Mount Etna to the Canary Islands, paired with seasonal dishes sourced from local purveyors like Inyoni Farms and Captain Billy. Equal parts bottle shop and vibey hangout, it reimagines the wine scene as playful, fun and refreshingly approachable.

Stone Crab Season
Everglades City, the Stone Crab Capital of the World and birthplace of the industry, anchors a tradition that runs from 15 October – 1 May, when the region produces nearly 40 percent of Florida’s claws. The season is marked by seafood festivals and family-run fisheries along the waterfront, while across Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades, diners savor the delicacy everywhere from rustic crab shacks to white-linen restaurants.

Naples Winter Wine Festival (30 January – 1 February 2026)
Named USA Today 10Best’s Best Wine Festival, the Naples Winter Wine Festival is one of the world’s most celebrated wine auctions. Returning for its 26th edition in 2026 with the theme “Picture This,” the festival will honour vintners Shahpar and Darioush Khaledi and welcome Chef Vintner Dustin Valette as chef de cuisine. Over an unforgettable weekend at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, guests who purchase packages starting at $17,000 per couple will enjoy intimate vintner dinners, exclusive tastings and the thrill of a live auction that last year alone raised more than $34 million for children’s charities in Collier County.

ARTS & CULTURE

Artis—Naples 2025–26 Season
Artis—Naples marks the nation’s 250th anniversary with a multidisciplinary season highlighted by Joshua Bell’s The Elements, the Vienna Philharmonic with Lang Lang, Sarah Brightman, Leslie Odom Jr. and Samara Joy. Within its campus, the AAM-accredited Baker Museum celebrates its own 25th anniversary in 2026 with major exhibitions, from Tamara de Lempicka and Ansel Adams to contemporary voices like Linling Lu and sonia louise davis.

Naples Art Institute — Miró: Fire in the Soul (Until May 2026)

Presented by the Naples Art Institute, Miró: Fire in the Soul offers an extraordinary glimpse into the creative spirit of Spanish artist Joan Miró. On view until May 2026, the exhibition brings together more than 60 original works spanning painting, sculpture, prints and ceramics – including a rare and expansive look at Miró’s later works, illuminating his exploration of colour, symbolism and freedom of expression.

Key Marco Cat — Smithsonian Loan (Until April 2026)
Travellers have a once-in-a-generation chance to see the Key Marco Cat, one of North America’s most significant archaeological treasures, displayed at its original site on Marco Island. On the Smithsonian’s longest-ever loan, the 500-year-old Calusa carving is at the Marco Island Historical Museum until April 2026 before returning to Washington, D.C.

Cars on 5th & Revs Institute
Naples’ signature automotive showcase transforms Fifth Avenue South each February with more than 650 exotic, luxury and classic cars. The Revs Institute, one of the world’s most prestigious automotive museums, deepens the story with ultra-rare vintage automobiles and archives that present cars as cultural artifacts and design icons.

Eco-Adventures
Eighty percent of the region is protected wilderness, anchored by the UNESCO-designated Everglades, a landscape where adventure feels otherworldly. On Marco Island, paddle with marine biologists through mangrove tunnels and the Ten Thousand Islands or comb pristine beaches for rare shells, while in Everglades City, swamp walks, airboat rides and pole-boat excursions with Gladesmen guides keep centuries-old traditions alive – made all the more meaningful as Everglades National Park approaches its 80th anniversary in 2027.

Shopping Districts
Just blocks from the water, Naples’ signature boulevard pairs Mediterranean Revival architecture with palm-lined promenades, where luxury boutiques, jewellers, galleries and alfresco cafés create a European-meets-Rodeo Drive atmosphere. By night, it comes alive with marquee events like Evening on Fifth and the world-renowned Cars on 5th. Nearby, Third Street South charms with pastel storefronts, flower-draped courtyards and boutique shopping, now refreshed by new arrivals: Books on Third, Daniella Ortiz handbags and expanded Balcony Boutiques hosting rotating pop-ups from Ala von Auersperg, Hill House Home and Addison Bay. Discover collectible design at The Patina Collection and a multigenerational perspective on artist David Newman’s legacy at Newman Art Gallery, carried forward by the women of his family. Waterside Shops rounds out the scene with international luxury labels from Gucci to Louis Vuitton.

Click here to find out more about visiting Florida’s Paradise Coast.