ATTRACTIONS The lively Backyard Social in Fort Myers feels like a casual backyard gathering with food trucks, music, yard games, and duckpin bowling. Home to six beautiful gardens and a nature preserve, Naples Botanical Garden is a 170-acre paradise that features plants from around the world. Dive into discovery at Sarasota’s Mote SEA , a brand-new marine science aquarium where underwater worlds come alive through shark and manatee habitats, stingray touch pools, and sea turtle and otter exhibits. Suit up for SunSplash Waterpark in Cape Coral, where you can laze the day away tubing or dropping down high-speed water slides. Blast off into the cosmos at the planetarium inside The BISHOP Museum of Science and Nature in Bradenton, where stargazing meets storytelling in out-of-this-world shows. SOUTHWES T BACKYARD SOCIAL, FORT MYERS Roundhouse Creative DINING A staple on the Gulf Coast, Pop’s Sunset Grill in Nokomis brings island-inspired fare and live music every day under a palm thatch-roofed tiki hut beside the water. The Chateau on Anna Maria Island offers French-inspired cuisine like duck confit fettuccini in a restored 19th-century home with bayside views. For some of the freshest grouper around, head to Tide Tables Restaurant & Marina in the historic fishing village of Cortez. Dig into Southern seafood favorites like cornmeal-crusted catfish and oysters Rockefeller at Owen’s Fish Camp in Lakewood Ranch, where the Old Florida charm and lively flavors reel you in from the first bite. Osteria Tulia ’s farmhouse-chic setting in Naples combines Italian heritage with culinary craft—and don’t skip the housemade limoncello. OSTERIA TULIA, NAPLES Emergent Media ACCOMMODATIONS Scan the QR code to discover places to stay in Southwest Florida: VISITFLORIDA.com/places-to-stay SUNSEEKER RESORT, CHARLOTTE HARBOR Rarefolks 102 • VISITFLORIDA.COM
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