The 10 Best Hidden Gems Things to do in Southwest Gulf Coast, Southwest Gulf Coast

Naples Historical Society's Historic Palm Cottage is Naples oldest house (1895) and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Open for house tours and historic district walking tours.

Revs Institute® is now open with limited capacity. Tickets must be purchased online for specific dates/times in advance. No telephone orders or walk-up visitors can be accommodated. Face coverings are mandatory. Revs Institute is dedicated to the study of the automobile past, present and future. Revs Institute offers visitors an exceptional opportunity to view over 100 of the most influential automobiles of our time. Many of the cars are unique or exceptionally rare, and each meets rigid standards of historical, technical, aesthetic or social significance. To enhance the visitor experience, specially designed interactive displays and artifact showcases are presented within four themed galleries. They include unique items from the extensive Revs Institute library and archives. Revs Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For information, visit revsinstitute.org.

Online reservations only. No walk-ins allowed. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is a 13,000 acre Preserve. The Sanctuary is open Tuesday-Sunday from 8:00am-3:00pm with last admission at 1:00 pm. Timed tickets are available for 8am-10am, 10:30am-12:30pm, 1pm-3pm. Visitors will find a gentle, pristine wilderness that dates back more than 500 years. A 2.25 mile boardwalk meanders through pine flatwoods, wet prairie, around a marsh and finally into the largest old growth Bald Cypress forest in North America. These impressive trees, relatives of the redwood, tower 130 feet into the sky and have a girth of 25 feet. Their massive branches are draped with mosses, lichens, bromeliads and ferns. The forest is also home to alligators, otters, white-tailed deer and red-bellied turtles. A wide variety of wading birds, songbirds, raptors and the fabulous Painted Bunting can be seen throughout the year. Photo opportunities are available at every turn of the boardwalk trail.

Bayfront sanctuaries connecting people with air plants of the world, native nature, and our regional history.

One of the original Civilian Conservation Corps parks.

The Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve represents one of the few remaining undisturbed mangrove estuaries in North America. Rookery Bay's Environmental Learning Center is a state-of-the-art, air conditioned 16,500 square-foot facility with four research laboratories, classrooms, a 140-seat auditorium, and two story visitor center. The Environmental Learning Center offers a variety of hands-on experiences, including a 2,300-gallon aquarium and a marine life touch tank. Other displays in the learning center address coastal research, local history and ongoing conservation efforts within Rookery Bay. There is also a number of nature trails, a scenic overlook bridge, unique gift store, art gallery, and picnic area. Guided boat and kayak tours are offered seasonally from November to May. Check our website for more information.

Land of biological diversity, measuring 729,000 acres, combines a mix of pines, hardwoods, prairies and mangrove forests along with a variety of wildlife including White-tailed deer and Florida panther.

Accessible only by boat, a ferry can take you to this island nature reserve known for its beautiful beaches and great collection of shells.

Park is not associated with Bonita Springs Dog Beach. Enjoy swimming, sunbathing, shelling, fishing, hiking, bicycling, wildlife watching, canoeing/kayaking, geocaching and more.