Plan a Date Night Locally

Plan a Date Night Locally

We don’t need to wait until Valentine’s Day or even the weekend to woo our partners. And we definitely don’t need to go very far either! Here are a couple of ways to plan a date night locally here in Southwest Florida.

Treat yourself to a shopping spree

Treat your partner and yourself to a shopping spree with the area’s local boutiques at Best of Everything. Here, you will be amazed at the openness and seemingly endless tables and trays of jewelry. You can also check out the Promenade at Bonita Bay which is home to a variety of shopping centers and retail stores. Don’t let the retail therapy end there and stop by Evelyn & Arthur.

Go on an adventure

Get the heart pumping with your partner on a new adventure! Start by taking an airboat tour with Airboats & Alligators. You’ll view Florida’s creatures in their natural habitat while experiencing the thrill of an airboat. Birds and alligators flourish in the mangroves, making it a birders' heaven and a photographer’s paradise.

If you’re looking to get a little wild, then spend the day at the Naples Zoo. In Naples Zoo, you'll find exotic animals surrounded by the mature trees and exotic plants of a historic tropical garden founded in 1919. You will be very close to the animals - often just three or four steps away!

Try something new

There’s more to do in Southwest Florida than spend the day at the beach… so let’s try something new on our date night or day! Perhaps you go and explore ECHO Global Farm. Here, history is being made as it teaches small-scale, sustainable farming methods to combat world hunger. Here, you’ll experience farming at its most creative, with unique demonstrations, plants and techniques being used to help farmers and urban gardeners in developing countries.

If you’re impressed with history, then visit Edison & Ford Winter Estates. The estate dates to 1885 when Thomas Edison first visited Southwest Florida and purchased the property to build a vacation home. You can explore the property’s twenty acres of gardens with more than 1,700 plants and over 400 species from six continents.

And if the flora and fauna at the estate impressed you and makes you want to bring some of that beauty into your own home, stop by Driftwood Garden Center. Their Estero and Naples stores boast over an acre of shade houses with thousands of green and colorful interior and outdoor plants and over 10,000 pottery containers to choose from!

Test out a new restaurant

A classic date night is a fancy – and delicious -- dinner. If that’s on your agenda, Ruth Chris’s Steak House and Roy’s Restaurant are just the place to enjoy a memorable evening. But perhaps something more laid back is your vibe, then The Fish House of Bonita Beach, Pinchers, Mel’s Diner, Johnny Malloy’s Sports Pub, Doc’s Beach House and Blackjack Pizza & Salads have got you covered.

Wherever you go, don’t forget to enjoy dessert! Royal Scoop Homemade Ice Cream is the perfect place and has been making Southwest Floridians smile on date nights for over 40 years.

Cook at home

And if you’re looking to avoid the crowds and plan a romantic date night at home, you can trust local stores like Innovative Food Holdings, Inc., Publix Store #0843, Publix Store #0604 or Costco-Estero to help you get the date night right.

Explore the arts

Did you know Southwest Florida’s art galleries and the art and artists they represent has led our area to be voted the #1 art market in the United States? Try something new on your date night and explore our local arts. Stop by Centers for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, Prado Stadium 12 and Artis—Naples to indulge in the artistic beauty that’s a hidden gem in our community.

Play 18

If your partner loves golf, then you can make their date night by joining them for a round. The area is home to 130 public and private courses, and some favorites to locals and tourists alike include Worthington Country Club, Spanish Wells Golf and Country Club, Pelican’s Nest Golf Club at Pelican Landing, Estero Country Club at The Vines, The Colony Golf & Country Club and Raptor Bay Golf Club.

Offering 18-holes of golf on a miniature level, Golf Safari Mini Golf is where millions of adventures have enjoyed playing putt-putt for over 30 years. Give it your best shot!

If you’re really one for competition, make things interesting with a custom, unique award made by Trophy Center of SW Florida.

Test your luck

Test your luck on date night at the Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee and the Bonita Springs Poker Room. Here you’ll have a can’t-miss gaming experience and try your luck as you enjoy some delicious eats and watch the local sports teams play.

Watch the sunset

The sun sets all over beautiful Southwest Florida, but there are a couple of places to enjoy it that are more beautiful than most, like on the Naples Princess. Spend your date night with a sunset cruise on the Naples Princess or Pure Florida. As you watch the dolphins play in the boat’s wake and take in the multi-million-dollar homes that line Port Royal, it’ll be the perfect end – or beginning – of a romantic evening.

Yogi Berra once said, “Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too.” That’s why another gorgeous place to watch the sunset is at the Minnesota Twins Baseball Club – CenturyLink Sports Complex. The sun sets right over the outfield and in the summer during the Mighty Mussels game, the sky lights up in stunning shades of orange, pink and yellow. Your date night is sure to be a home run here!

About SWFL Inc.

At SWFL Inc., we help businesses in Lee, Collier and Charlotte Counties promote their services, build strong relationships in the community and connect with new customers. For more information, contact us.