Punta Gorda to Naples road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
The best road trip stops on the Punta Gorda to Naples drive are the Prairie Pines Preserve, Fort Myers and Bonita Springs. The distance from Punta Gorda to Naples is 68 miles, with a 1h8m driving time.
Planning a Punta Gorda to Naples road trip itinerary
The Punta Gorda to Naples drive takes you along some of the most impressive stretches of Florida’s west coast.
Punta Gorda lies on the Peace River. Art meets nature at the Punta Gorda Botanical and Sculpture Gardens, while the Peace River Wildlife Center lets visitors meet rescued animals undergoing rehabilitation. In the west of the city, Ponce De Leon Park is a massive green space on Charlotte Harbor. The boardwalk through the wetlands comes with educational signs.
Arguably the best thing to do in Punta Gorda, however, is the night sky stargazing experience.
Marvellous Punta Gorda accommodation picks include the Suites at Fishermen’s Village and the stylish Wyvern Hotel.
Naples, the southernmost city on Florida’s west coast has plenty going for it. You can get some beach time in at Lowdermilk Park, stroll through the Naples Botanical Garden and learn about the heritage of South West Florida inside the Collier Museum at Government Center.
Other Naples experiences include boat tours, sunset cruises, Segway tours and electric trike tours.
Top Naples hotels with consistently excellent reviews include the Escalante and the Bellasera Resort.
Punta Gorda to Naples distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Punta Gorda to Naples is 68 miles. That makes for a driving time of around one hour and eight minutes. The quickest route is largely down the I-75.
The best stops to add to a Punta Gorda to Naples road trip are the Prairie Pines Preserve, Fort Myers and Bonita Springs.
Punta Gorda to Naples FL drive: Prairie Pines Preserve
The Prairie Pines Preserve stretches across 2,654 acres, with a mixture of marsh, wet prairie, flatwood and prairie hammock. There some wildlife to see – keep an eye open for marsh rabbits and wood storks. The main reason to visit the preserve, however, is to go for a walk. There are 17 miles of hiking and equestrian trails.
Best stops between Punta Gorda and Naples FL: Fort Myers
There’s a massive collection of Fort Myers experiences to choose from. Top picks include paddleboarding with dolphins and manatees, sunset sailing cruises and haunted history walks.
For a night out the buzzy bars and restaurants of the River District are full of energy, while the Georgian Revival-style Burroughs Home and Gardens does the grand mansion thing.
The cultural highlights, however, are the Winter Estates of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. Along with lavish gardens, these mansions are full of stories about legendary inventors going on wild adventures.
Great Fort Myers hotel options include the brilliantly-located Luminary Hotel and Margaritaville Beach Resort.
Punta Gorda to Naples road trip attractions: Bonita Springs
Linking Estero Bay and the Gulf of Mexico to the Everglades, Bonita Springs has miles of easy-going hiking and biking trails. You can also glide through the canals in a canoe.
Dune buggy rentals are a fun way to explore, as are guided kayak tours and paddleboard rentals.
Bonita Springs is also a golf paradise, with 23 golf courses within the boundaries. One is beside the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and spa, a lavish property with 26 acres of tropical gardens. It offers a water taxi to its own private beach and a water park with a lazy river.
More Punta Gorda road trips
Cape Coral to Punta Gorda | Fort Myers to Punta Gorda.
More Naples FL road trips
Boca Raton to Naples | Naples to Bonita Springs | Naples to Cape Coral | Fort Lauderdale to Naples | Naples to Fort Myers | Miami to Naples.