Florida : Safety by City
- Amelia Island
- Boca Raton
- Boynton Beach
- Bradenton
- Brandon
- Cape Coral
- Clearwater
- Cocoa Beach
- Coral Springs
- Daytona Beach
- Deerfield Beach
- Delray Beach
- Deltona
- Destin
- Everglades City
- Fort Lauderdale
- Fort Myers
- Fort Pierce
- Fort Walton Beach
- Gainesville
- Hialeah
- Homestead
- Jacksonville
- Jupiter
- Kendall
- Key Largo
- Key West
- Kissimmee
- Lake Buena Vista
- Lake City
- Lake Worth Beach
- Lakeland
- Lauderhill
- Marco Island
- Melbourne
- Miami
- Miami Beach
- Miami Gardens
- Miramar
- Mount Dora
- Naples
- New Smyrna Beach
- North Port
- Ocala
- Orlando
- Ormond Beach
- Palm Beach Gardens
- Palm Harbor
- Panama City Beach
- Pembroke Pines
- Pensacola
- Pompano Beach
- Port St. Lucie
- Punta Gorda
- Sarasota
- St. Augustine
- St. Petersburg
- Tallahassee
- Tampa
- Vero Beach
- West Palm Beach
- Winter Park
Naples, Florida, lies on the Paradise Coast of southwest Florida and is renowned for its subtle luxury and quiet ambiance.
It’s ranked the #8 Best Beaches in America by U.S. News and World Report.
You’ll get a taste for a few of the finer things in life, but be prepared to pay a bit more in this luxury area.
There is a nice blend of affluent amenities and laid-back beach activities.
If you want to live the high life here, you can.
If you want to wear flip-flops and a bathing suit the whole time, that’s fine too.
Just know it’s a little more upscale than the so-called “Redneck Riviera” of the panhandle beach towns.
You can sip a glass of wine on the beach while taking in a mesmerizing sunset (maybe you’ll catch the elusive “Green Flash”?
We’ll dive into that a little later) or take a Tiki Bar for a ride on the water.
(Yes, seriously)
If you are looking for a party city, Naples isn’t it.
Who needs the hangovers and safety risks that come with drinking in rowdy bars, anyway?
Warnings & Dangers in Naples
OVERALL RISK: LOW
I thought I had seen the lowest-risk cities I was going to see. I was wrong. Naples has had two homicides in the past decade. There have been two robberies in two years. For the past 10 years, there hasn't been a single report of a pickpocket or purse snatching. What DID throw me for a loop, and I'm still bug-eyed writing this, is the stolen vehicle rate and values. 40 cars were stolen locally in 2020. The dollar amount of the stolen vehicles is staggering. Stay tuned for that (I can't give it all away right up front! We've got a lot to talk about.) Anyway, there's a low risk unless you drive a fancy car.
TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
There's an in-town trolley system that can take you around to the popular spots. It costs $30 per person and there's a 25-person limit for each ride. There's also the Collier Area Transit bus service that runs through the whole county. You can rent a car as well to have a little more travel freedom (Just NOT a fancy car, okay?). Overall, it's a low risk.
PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
None. Ninguna. Rien. Nessuno. With no pickpockets in a decade? Low low low risk. There's always a chance, however, and nobody wants to be the first report of the crime in 10 years. The people and visitors of Naples are doing personal safety right with an amazing crime number like that.
NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
Naples sits in prime position for hurricanes and tropical storms during the summer months. The heat of summer and busy weather patterns throughout the year can create severe thunderstorms loaded with dangerous lightning, dangerous winds, and torrential rain. While 264 days are sunny, the severity of the weather risks gives this a medium rating.
MUGGING RISK: LOW
The two robberies over the past two years were residential robberies, so you have a low risk of being mugged — unless you are a fancy car.
TERRORISM RISK: LOW
There's a low risk here. There are bigger areas with hard targets in Florida, but none is near Naples.
SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
There were 550 reports of scams in the Naples/Marco Island area according to the latest data available in 2019. 216 of those were either imposter scams or rental scams. We're going to give this a medium risk because there's a lot of money here and wealthy people who visit, so it's a scammer's dream come true.
WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Naples is very safe for women. There's a low risk of anything but sunburn or sand stuck in your Prada bag. That's assuming you use basic safety measures like not wandering around at night after a few cocktails or leaving your purse behind while you run to the restroom.
TAP WATER RISK: LOW
Tap water has low risk. It meets or exceeds all requirements and is monitored around the clock for any issues.
Safest Places to Visit in Naples
If I can take a little writer’s privilege here, I’m going to start with my favorite part of Naples — the shopping.
To be clear, you can go broke in Naples if you aren’t a savvy shopper or unless you have a black Amex card.
There are high-end stores with items that cost more than my car.
For shopping enthusiasts, window shopping is 75% of the fun.
There are affordable places and local boutiques with trinkets and unique items.
Here are the most popular shopping areas:
- 5th Avenue South
The “It” spot in town with mostly locally owned and operated businesses.
It comes to life at night with restaurants offering patio seating.
- 3rd Street South
A more casual shopping spot near the Naples Pier.
Check out the Saturday Farmer’s Market if you can.
- Waterside Shops
Well-known designers have stores here, like Pottery Barn and Ralph Lauren.
- Mercado
It’s a world of its own with Whole Foods, a movie theater, and some more casual name brands.
If you want Naples nightlife, this is as good as it’s going to get after sunset.
- The Village Shops on Venetian Bay
A tribute to the city’s namesake, this is a mini-Italian shopping and dining village.
Since we’re already at The Village Shops, let’s head to the beach.
One thing a little different about Naples beaches is they aren’t loaded with a lot of pomp and circumstance.
There’s more natural beauty here until you hit the Naples Pier.
You can eat and drink at the end of the pier and watch the sunset.
You can fish off the edge (with a fishing license).
You can just watch the pelicans dive down for fish and spot a dolphin in the distance.
When it comes to dining in Naples, there are just so many choices.
More than 700 restaurants fill this area, from a meal that costs more than your mortgage payment to lobster rolls beachside.
I heartily recommend you eat your way through Naples to sample a little something as much as you can.
This town is just meant for foodies.
Now that you’ve eaten all that, let’s go on some adventures.
The Naples Botanical Garden is floral luxury at its finest.
Naples has a zoo with a great way to safely interact with wild animals (we’re going to talk about safety with non-controlled wildlife in a bit).
There are plenty of boat tours and scuba trips you can book as well.
Snorkeling is really good in this area.
For the best seashells, take a boat ride to Keewaydin Island where 8 miles of undeveloped beaches wait for you and your dog.
This is the only dog-friendly beach in the region, and dogs are allowed on public shuttles.
I also encourage you to read the article about Marco Island on this site as the two are typically paired together on a trip to this area.
Places to Avoid in Naples
Here’s the hard part about visiting Naples.
If you come between November and April, you’re going to be in “season” when all the snowbirds come down to their winter homes.
This makes the community much busier than the other half of the year.
Traffic increases, reservations are harder to come by and beaches are more crowded.
Then, from June through November, you’ve got the risk of a hurricane with special attention paid to the busy tropical months of August and September.
For ideal timing, visit after Easter and before August or October through Mid-November.
You can avoid some of the blistering summer heat but also have fewer crowds to deal with.
As for the bad parts of town?
There aren’t any.
The crime rate is very low here as it would impact tourists.
Let’s get to the 2 million dollar answer.
In 2020, there were 40 cars stolen in Naples for a grand total of $2,041,000.
(WHAT??)
That’s $51,000 per car, but news reports list a couple of cars stolen — a Bentley, Range Rover, Land Rover, and a Ford Truck with a boat attached.
This is a town with a lot of money and thieves know it.
Several of these incidents, like the Bentley, included an owner who left the keys in the front seat for a repair tech who was coming but thieves got to it first.
The bottom line is if you are renting a car, go with a low-profile one, and always lock it and keep your belongings out of sight.
While the crime against people is pretty low in this city, cars are a whole different story.
Safety Tips for Traveling to Naples
- Let’s go through basic beach rules. You can’t jump from the pier, bring a pet on the beach, have a glass on the beach, or drink on the beach. Naples beaches are open 24/7 but you can’t park in city lots past 11:00 pm.
- Speaking of the beach, the sunset is a must-see here. We talked earlier about the Green Flash. As the sun sets, there is a phenomenon that happens right as the sun makes its final appearance of the day. An incredible green light flashes for just 1-3 seconds. It’s due to the spectrum of colors already absorbing the orange, yellows, and reds of the setting sun, leaving blue and green to fend for themselves in a brilliant moment not everyone is lucky enough to see. Ideal viewing conditions are when the air temperature and water temperature are different or if there’s a bit of a haze in the air. Good luck catching it!
- If you see a bright green stripe on a road, it’s not a natural wonder, it’s a safety step for bicyclists. Naples has 30 miles of bike paths in nature and on public roads. The bright green panels help everyone stay in their lane.
- There are places to store water toys on the beach in Naples, like paddleboards or kayaks. Tourists need to know it is only for residents of Naples and not for visitors. It’s not a slight against tourists, even the locals have to sit on a waitlist to get a spot.
- Another benefit for Naples residents is free parking at the beach. Tourists have to pay and there aren’t even the same parking lots. Make sure you are going to the metered parking lot and not a resident-only one. Parking is $3 hr with a $1.50 minimum. You can pay with quarters or a credit card. The parking kiosk at the Pier does allow you to set up a text reminder of when your parking is about to expire.
- Almost nothing can ruin a good beach night more than the infamous Florida “Noseeum”. These small insects travel in groups and feed off human blood. You can’t see them coming, and they have a mouth like a pair of scissors that injects their saliva in. This can happen all at once dozens of times anywhere bare skin is present, generally going for the ankles and backs. They are named Ceratopogonidae, but Floridians call them Noseeums because you can’t see them until they’ve already attacked. Common bug spray should help protect you from Noseeums. They are most likely to be out at sunrise and sunset near the water.
- While we’re talking about creatures in Florida, let’s address that alligator in the water. Alligators are part of life in Florida and if you see freshwater or brackish water, assume there is an alligator there. Despite this, you can still kayak and paddleboard in freshwater and, for the most part, alligators will leave you alone. You should avoid dangling your arms or legs in the water for a long time. If you see an alligator, don’t go closer for an Instagram shot that could end with you going to the emergency room. They are rarely aggressive toward people.
- In Florida, you need a fishing license for both saltwater and freshwater fishing. You can easily get one (or two) on the Florida Fish and Wildlife website. Don’t go fishing without one, you can be cited or fined.
- You are going to be tempted to wear your best jewelry and clothes for a trip out on the town in Naples. Even with low crime rates, you might want to think twice about how much worth you wear, just in case.
- Check the beach conditions when you arrive. They are easy to see because they are displayed by colored beach flags. Anything but green means you should be wary. If there’s a purple flag, it means there’s dangerous marine life. That could be anything from jellyfish to sharks, but ask a lifeguard to be sure. A red flag means you should think twice before going in the water if you aren’t a strong swimmer and a double red flag means the water is off-limits.
So... How Safe Is Naples Really?
This is a city that is built with wealth and affluence and brings in more than 260,000 snowbirds during Season.
They wouldn’t settle for anything less than a stellar safety record and the police live up to that.
This is a tourism bureau that is so picky about what photos they authorize for publishing that we were denied because “.. it does not fulfill our mission.”
That’s not a knock on them, it’s just a fact that this city is picky about all of its assets and will defend them, whether it’s a photo or a thief.
As tourists, we sometimes like to drive around and look at neighborhoods, but you’ll find many of the communities here are gated and if you try to slip through the gate there will be 5 police officers and HOA police after you.
The neighbors are just as involved in crime prevention as the police.
The police here ride by car, boat, and ATV.
This is one of the safest travel experiences you have if you do as the locals do and put personal safety first. Oh, and don’t leave your keys in your Bentley unattended.
How Does Naples Compare?
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Naples | 91 |
| San Francisco | 61 |
| Philadelphia | 60 |
| Houston | 59 |
| Atlanta | 58 |
| St. Louis | 58 |
| Los Angeles | 56 |
| Belize City (Belize) | 37 |
| La Paz (Bolivia) | 52 |
| Sao Paulo (Brazil) | 45 |
| Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | 43 |
| Sofia (Bulgaria) | 73 |
| Siem Reap (Cambodia) | 63 |
Useful Information
Visas
Visas are all handled at the airport and you don't need to worry about any additional items in Naples.
Currency
You'll only use the U.S. Dollar here. There is little need for cash as everything can be charged to a card. Some of the parking downtown do take quarters, but not dollars, but they also take credit cards. If you do have some loose change though, here's a way to use it.
Weather
The weather is as luxurious as the city it serves. Rarely will a winter day get below 70°(F) and a shawl might be nice for the evening temperatures in the 50s. Summers get highs up to 90°(F) and it's a humid climate, so be prepared to sweat. The summer lows don't dip below the mid-70s. Those "sweet spots" we talked about between Season and Hurricane Season? The mid-80s for highs and upper 60s.
Airports
If you want to charter a private flight, you can go to Naples International Airport just two miles away, but in keeping with the affluent essence of the community, it's the only way you're able to fly out of the city. Commercial passengers will have to go to Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers, about 36 miles right up I-75.
Travel Insurance
All the money in the world can't stop a hurricane from coming or severe weather from delaying flights, so it's a good idea to invest in travel insurance for your trip to Naples, Florida.
Naples Weather Averages (Temperatures)
Average High/Low Temperature
| Temperature / Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 24 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 27 | 25 |
| Low °C | 13 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 18 | 15 |
| High °F | 75 | 77 | 79 | 82 | 86 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 86 | 81 | 77 |
| Low °F | 55 | 59 | 61 | 64 | 70 | 73 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 70 | 64 | 59 |
