Vanderbilt Beach

Vanderbilt Beach

Vanderbilt Beach in Northwest Naples is one of the original quiet residential developments of Naples with quick and easy access to the beach featuring larger homes with gulf access, Naples Florida beachfront condos for sale and high-end hotels including the Ritz Carlton and La Playa. In 1950 old aerial photos show it as a wilderness area composed of mainly scrub oak habitat. In 1952 a hydraulic dredge opened a channel from Wiggins Pass to what is now the Vanderbilt intercanal area and at the same time to the Gulf of Mexico.

A road builder from Tampa, J.B. Conners, was the land development pioneer of Vanderbilt Beach.

In the late 1970s, the building boom began with the construction of single-family homes and condominiums for full and part-time residents. Today real estate ranges from the low 400s for older condos to more than $12 million for luxury homes.

A pedestrian park, Conners Park on the corner of Vanderbilt Drive and Bluebill Avenue, was begun in 2000 on land donated to the county by J.B. Conners. Now complete, it offers walkers and bikers a relaxing and lovely environment.

Vanderbilt Beach remains one of the most popular ones with a nearly 3-mile stretch along the Gulf Coast with soft white sand inviting everyone to a swim, stroll or just a relaxing time.

Vanderbilt Beach Park is a popular North Naples beach close to hotels, restaurants, and shopping. Bird watching, shelling and stand-up paddleboarding are just some of the activities to be enjoyed at this popular white-sand beach. There is a coastal hammock and tropical vegetation within Vanderbilt County Park, which provides a home for native wildlife and nesting or migrating birds in the winter.