Pretty as a picture:
Naples has plenty of places to watch the sunset (Part 1)

By CARRIE A. SCHWANTNER
caschwantner@naplesnews.com
June 25, 2004

A Naples sunset is a sight that never gets old.

“There is no sky like the sky here,” said Sue Friedland, a veteran sunset watcher. “You can’t get the colors anywhere that you get here.”

But finding the right vantage point - and getting a little help from Mother Nature - can make or break the experience.

The landmark Naples Pier is a popular spot for sunset gazers. Couples come to the Naples Pier to enjoy the romantic atmosphere at day’s end.

“You see people that are building relationships, people that are in the middle of relationships, and people in their twilight,” said longtime Naples resident Jeff Cox, who was fishing from the pier on a recent evening.

Singles can enjoy the scene, too. The atmosphere of the pier, which juts 600 feet into the Gulf, can lighten anyone’s mood.

“Even if you have a real bad day, you know it’s going to be a better day tomorrow,” Cox said.

The pier isn’t the only place in Southwest Florida to view the end of the day. On Marco Island, the sunset is a big draw for places such as Quinn’s on the Beach, a restaurant that’s part of the Marco Island Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa.

“It’s a beachfront setting and a relaxed atmosphere that allows our customers to enjoy conversation amongst friends or family and enjoy the direct sunset,” said Mark Vaughan, director of sales and marketing for the resort.

Quinn’s has nightly reggae music, and the restaurant’s new layout offers a sunset view from any seat in the house.
Vaughn said Quinn’s is also a great spot to say, “I do.”

“We host numerous sunset weddings out on the beach, they’re becoming more and more popular,” he said.

Farther up the coast, Gumbo Limbo is another place to unwind at sundown.

Part of The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, the restaurant and bar offers a cool and relaxed ambience.

“It’s the combination of the food, ... the environment, Ritz-Carlton service and the beautiful water and beach,” said Suzanne Willis, area director of public relations.

Gumbo Limbo has a Caribbean-inspired menu. Folks can take a drink down to the beach or sit at the bar or a table.

“Almost everyone has the coconut shrimp or the lobster quesadilla when they come here,” Willis said.

For those who are more interested in the party scene, Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club’s Sunset Beach Bar hosts a lively sunset party on Sundays, when the patio furniture is cleared away to make room for a dance floor and additional bars. The Sunday event was created because of the lack of things to do in Naples during the slow season.

“The whole tradition of Sundays got started 18 plus years ago ... just a way to have some fun,” said Jim Gunderson, Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club general manager. “It’s continued to be a very popular thing. Regardless if they’re 26 or 76, people seem to enjoy [it].”

The Sunset Beach Bar offers live entertainment every night of the week, but the bands Sunday night are a bit more upbeat and have wider appeal.

“The music is not so heavy that someone at, say, 50 years old is not going to recognize anything, but it’s not such an oldies thing that someone at 25 is not going to recognize stuff,” Gunderson said.

Whether traveling by water or land, patrons can come dressed as they please.

“You do get folks who have parked their boats off the beach and swam ashore, and they’re very casual to folks that are dressed very well,” Gunderson said.

The beach bar scene is not the only way to see the sunset.

Naples offers numerous options for sunset cruises. From the Kahuna Katamaran in Marco Island to the Cocohatchee Nature Center Sunset tour in Naples, being offshore seems to bring nature’s spectacular show even closer.

“You have the most perfect vantage point. You’re out there with the sunset,” said Gigi Amols, director of sales and marketing for The Naples Princess cruises.

While the sun is setting, many of these cruises know exactly where to go for the best chance of spotting dolphins and bald eagles.

But sunset viewers don’t have to limit themselves to watching from sea level.

An hourlong sunset flight over the Gulf Coast on a clear day can be the experience of a lifetime.

It will also guarantee you a longer day, said Carsten Sturm, owner and president of Europe-American Aviation.

“If you’re standing on the beach you see the sun going down, you can watch it disappearing in the horizon. If you’re in the plane, the higher you are, you will see the sun for longer,” Sturm said.

“If you have a real clear day you can see so far - you can see all the way south to Cape Romano, you can see what feels like forever over the Everglades,” said Sturm. “All that together is overwhelming.”

But there’s always a chance the weather won’t cooperate with your sunset view. Summertime in Florida often means afternoon showers.

Marissa Oakes, a meteorologist with WINK-TV, said this time of year there’s a good possibility there will be rain and thunderstorms as the sun is setting.

“Each day, you have to monitor the (weather) radar just to see if there will be rain if you want to go out to Naples Pier to see that sunset or not,” Oakes said. “We just have that risk of getting rain pretty much every day.”

Some clouds can be helpful though, Oakes said.

“I like sunsets when there are just a few clouds in the sky for the sun to play of off, so that’s always good if there’s just a few clouds - and no rain, obviously.”

Click Here for Part 2 of this Story