J. Kyle Foster | Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News
Old Florida. Dade County pine. Quiet and peaceful. Old oaks and rich vegetation. No roads. No cars. That’s Useppa Island.
Useppa Island also is multi-million-dollar homes – all white with tin roofs; an exclusive society of members; a 100-acre playground for the wealthy who want their privacy.
And Useppa Island is rich in history – from the Calusa Indians to pirates and explorers, fishermen looking for – and finding – giant tarpon – to visits from captains of industry – the Vanderbilts, the Rothchilds, the Rockefellers, John Roach and Barron Collier, both of whom once owned the island at one point. Useppa also was where CIA agents took over in the spring of 1960, and used it as secret training camp for the invasion of Fidel Castro’s Cuba – the Bay of Pigs invasion.
Located in the northern end of Pine Island Sound between Fort Myers in Lee County and Sarasota in Sarasota County, Useppa is special, its homeowners say, and they want to preserve it.
The News-Press/Naples Daily News took a tour Oct. 7 with Useppa Island Partners LLC Chief Executive Officer Steve Mezynieski and Chairman Simon Bound. The company, made up of a group of 10 homeowners, bought the island in September for $16 million. Now, they say, they’ll invest $35 million to restore the infrastructure and make upgrades.
Read the full article on news-press.com.
Mark H. Bickel | Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News
It’s always a good time to hunt for shells in Southwest Florida. But with snowbird and tourist season just underway, we thought it would be a good idea to inspire shelling enthusiasts with a list of rare shells you can find here and around Florida.Every collection needs a “gotta have it” bucket list. Stamps. Coins. Baseball cards. Comic books. Movie posters. Yes, even seashells.
And with seashells, what’s nice is, you already have a bucket so it is just a matter of checking off the shells you really want for your collection and those shells on your bucket list.
Dr. Jose H. Leal. He is the Science Director and Curator for the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum on Sanibel Island. Leal’s love for shells and sea life goes back to his childhood years in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
What are some of the rare seashells you can find on Florida beaches?
Here is a list compiled by Leal that he put together using his knowledge and expertise of shells that can be found on beaches in Florida:
1-Atlantic Morum (Morum oniscus)
2-Fine-cut Nutmeg (Ventrilia tenera)
3-Arrow Dwarf Triton (Tritonoharpa lanceolata)
4-Beau Vitrinella (Cyclostremiscus beauii)
5-Stimpson Chimney Clam (Rocellaria stimponii)
6-Atlantic Paper Mussel (Arcuatula papyria)
7-Scotch Bonnet (Semicassis granulata)
Get the full list of rare shells and see the photos on naplesnews.com.
Looking for a home in Southwest Florida? Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Laura Layden | Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News
Years in the making, the Four Seasons Resort will soon debut in Naples.
It’s replacing the former Naples Beach Hotel, as part of a larger redevelopment project known as Naples Beach Club.
Plans for the new five-star resort, off Gulf Shore Boulevard North, were revealed by The Athens Group, the project’s developer, more than four years ago. It will officially open on Nov. 13, welcoming its first overnight guests.
Resort operations will ramp up from there.
Asked for some “fun facts” about the resort, public relations director Teresa Delaney provided a by-the-numbers look at the one-of-a-kind property, built on a chunk of a 125-acre site.
Here are some of the numbers:
- 220 – Number of hotel rooms and suites
- 8 – Number of dining options (when fully open)
- 1,000-plus – Number of new hospitality jobs (when completed)
- 30,000 – Number of square feet in the Sanctuary Spa
- 13 – Number of spa treatment rooms
- 4 – Number of bowling lanes at the Wager Pub (opening in 2026)
Read on for more fun facts by the numbers and check out the photos of this beautiful resort – naplesnews.com.
Liz Freeman | Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News
Naples Comprehensive Health is working on plans with a Florida company for an osteopathic medical school in Collier County.
The estimated $170-million project that is targeted to open in the fall of 2028 will be built in East Naples near the corner of Rattlesnake Hammock Road and Collier Boulevard.
It is a five-acre site that is “shovel-ready” for the building of just under 110,000 square feet.
Bay College of Osteopathic Medicine LLC is looking for a “sister school” to complement its recently completed Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine, according to county documents.
The Collier County Commission on Nov. 10 unanimously approved $6 million in economic development funds over 10 years for the initiative.
The project is expected to have a $1.7 billion to $2 billion overall economic impact in the region over 25 years, according county officials.
NCH in a statement said that the academic partner would oversee day-to-day operations, construction and faculty.
The Naples College of Osteopathic Medicine will accommodate 400 students on campus and is expected to graduate its first class in 2032, according to Dr. Robert Hasty, dean of the Orlando osteopathic school.
The project will go a long way toward addressing a physician shortage that is ongoing in the region, similarly to a physician shortage statewide and nationally, officials say.
Read the full article on naplesnews.com.
Are you looking for a home in the vibrant Naples, Florida area? Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Mark H. Bickel | Naples Daily News
Once again, Southwest Florida is receiving praise for being one of the best places to retire in the United States.
Three Southwest Florida locations − Naples, Cape Coral and Bonita Springs − are on the U.S. News & World Report Best Places to Retire list for 2026 with all three locations appearing in the Top-25.
Naples, which was No. 1 on the 2025 Best Places to Retire list, fell to No. 18. Cape Coral came in at No. 21 followed at No. 22 by Bonita Springs.
U.S. News & World Report says it is the “global authority in rankings and consumer advice.”
Why did Naples fall in the Best Places to Retire rankings? Read the full article on naplesnews.com. Make sure to view the photo gallery
The Naples-Bonita Springs area is a great place to retire! Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Kendall Little | Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News
Every October, the quiet fishing town of Everglades City comes alive with the cracks of crab claws signaling the start of stone crab season in Southwest Florida. Known as the “Stone Crab Capital of the World,” Everglades City knows how to do stone crab claws right.
Looking for the freshest stone crab claws this season? With insights from Everglades Welcome Center manager Patty Huff, we’ve rounded up five great restaurants and fish markets in Everglades City serving some of the best catches in the region.
Stone crab fun facts
Stone crabs are considered a renewable resource because fishermen don’t need to kill the crabs to harvest their claws. Stone crabs begin regrowing their claws within 30 to 90 days.
Everglades City is known as the Stone Crab Capital of the World.
There are strict harvest rules during stone crab season. Only claws that measure two and three-fourths inches from the joint to the tip may be harvested. The rest of the crab is released unharmed to keep the population healthy. Harvesting can only take place from Oct. 15 until May 1.
Stone crabs are found and harvested in other states, but Florida provides 99% of all stone crabs for the country.
Triad Seafood Market & Cafe… For all the places to get stone crab claws in Everglades City read the full article on naplesnews.com.
