vanderbilt beach

Second year I've visited Naples in March and Vanderbilt Beach is still my favorite attraction. The beach is gorgeous! I love that there are showers to rinse off, bathrooms, water fountain and a place to rent chairs, cabanas and umbrellas. For the better lounge chair it's $7 for the day - so worth it! You need to get to Vanderbilt Beach in the morning to get chairs, umbrellas and cabanas as by afternoon, particularly on a weekend, they're all gone. The parking garage is also convenient and a short walk away, $8 for the day. But again this gets filled up quickly. It is a public beach so expect crowds but I find that the people in Naples, even visitors, respect your personal space so I didn't feel that crowded like I would on the Jersey shore. Also a great beach to take a walk. Go visit Vanderbilt Beach and unwind!

We arrived early (around 930a) so secured a spot easily in the convenient parking garage. Found a nice spot to set up, the sand and water are absolutely beautiful! Beach fills up pretty quick and was probably one of the busiest beaches we have ever been to (about the same as Waikiki Beach).

Nice sand and a peaceful stroll. Picked up a beached stingray and put him back into water. Very slippery. No I didn't get stung! Great way to catch some rays.

Great beach. Transportation from the hotel on the shuttle made for easy drop off and pick up access. Shuttle runs every 2 hours. We were in the height of "season" so it was a little crowded.

Took my baby for her first visit to the beach here. Got there before 10 and had no problem finding a place to park us for a couple of hours. They have good parking close by, restrooms and water fountains. Loved our time here!

It was a cloudy overcast day so there was almost no one at the beach. The wife and I enjoyed it so much, I feel that if we went when it was good weather the beach would have been packed. Good place to pick up sea shells.

We road our bikes from our RV campground. It was a beautiful day and the visibility seemed unlimited. There were a good number of people enjoying the sights, sites and sun, and they were, of course, part of the attraction. Having survived California beaches, the size of the crowd was not at all bothersome! White sand, beautiful Gulf shore, entertaining birds (!), and if you're looking for shells, get there very early! Nearby are shops, including ICE CREAM.

Nice beach. It's a beach!! It has white sand and wouldn't be a place to necessarily go to find shells though. Overall the sand was white and soft on our toes...what more can we say about it.

Overcrowded, cramped. Seagulls were the most aggressive I have ever seen. Only way you could eat is with a towel over your head. I saw so many people trying to eat only to have a bird dive bomb or crash into them. Was scary for children.Beach filled with grandparents bringing their grandkids and not adequately supervising them. Saw one kid throw ball and hit someone and another crashed his wake board into someone strolling down the beach. Head north and go to Lovers Key in Fort Meyers Beach instead!

I've been to Fort Myers Beach and Naples Beach. I would say Vanderbilt Beach is a very nice beach right in the middle of those two (location wise and attraction wise.) The parking was very easy, just enter the parking structure less than a block away. The bathrooms were right by the structure. There was a nice shady drop off area with benches and there were places to buy food right across the street from parking. The only drawback on Vanderbilt beach was the lack of shade. There wasn't a pier or anything to sit under and it was expensive to rent umbrellas or cabanas. Overall, it's a family friendly beach that's nice and quiet.

Great beach for families with small children. The water is shallow and calm especially in the first half of the day. The sand is great! I love this place!

This is a very nice beach with beautiful views. Has a shower to wash your feet as you leave the beach. The best part is the city parking garage is a half a block away

Although they did not have great waves, the beach was very clean, warm water and fun to walk up and down looking for shells

There is nothing better than spending a beautiful sunny December day on this magnificent white sand beach. If you look close enough you can even see the dolphins swim amongst the pelicans. But don't worry , plenty of room for humans.

Have been going to Vanderbilt Beach for 28 years when on vacation. Most people enter the beach on the small boardwalk off Vanderbilt Beach Rd. There is a parking ramp that is free to residents of the county but otherwise will cost you a few bucks as a visitor. Best to get there before 11am during the spring break season or it will be full. Once on the beach you can pick the Carlton Ritz path or head north toward the La Playa Resort. Be warned if you park yourself too close to the Ritz they will boot you as they seem to own that part of the beach. But one can walk beyond their perimeter and find some nice areas. The trick is to be willing to walk down the beach quite a ways in either direction to avoid gigantic crowds. There is a place to rent cabanas and have a cool treat right when you enter. Cabanas are about $20 for the day at Cabana Dans. New bathrooms were installed right near the boardwalk and they are nice. Some new businesses are also opening across the street from the Vanderbilt entrance that looks to offer boards, food, cold drinks, etc. This is a real family beach and the kids love it. Most folks on this beach are polite and friendly. A very popular beach for running along the surf line and seeing dolphin too. There is a concession near the Ritz that can get you aboard a Waverunner, paddle board or parasailing. The other entrances popular along this beach are by the famous Naples Pier further to the south and north at Wiggins Pass which is part of a park.