Naples Waterfront Luxury Homes, High Rise Condominiums, Estate Homes and more

“It was my thirtieth year to heaven,

Woke to my hearing from harbour and neighbour wood,

And the mussel pooled and the heron,

Priested shore,

The morning beckon.”

- Dylan Thomas, poet, 1914 - 1953, from Poem in October

Few places are as peaceful as an ocean pier at dawn. For over 100 years, the Naples Pier has

been a landmark, a local treasure. Before there were cars, airports, or telephones in Naples, there was the Pier. Generations of Neapolitans have dropped a fishing line there at dawn, have meditated to the movement of the clear blue tide waters, have stolen a first kiss at sunset.

The Naples Pier was built in 1888 as a freight and passenger dock. Prior to a fire in 1922, there was a Post Office there. Wooden tracks wandered from the Pier to the Naples Hotel, taking wealthy northern tourists, captains of industry, and celebrities to their accommodations.

Like the earliest settlers to the area, the Naples Pier is resilient. The Pier had to be rebuilt after

hurricanes struck in 1910, 1926, and 1960. For years, Naples was simply a sleepy fishing village along the Southwest Florida coast, largely unknown to the rest of the country - except to the patrons of the Naples Hotel. Naples did not even have electrical power until 1926. During World War II, many servicemen were stationed in the Naples area, and got their first taste of the fabulous beaches and subtropical weather here. The Naples airport area was a training area for pilots during the war. After the war, many GI’s returned, bought property, and spread the word about the natural beauty and remote, white sand beaches in Naples.

The Naples Pier is a holy grail of sorts to local photographers. Immortalized in postcards since the early 1900's, the Pier is the signature landmark of Naples. A reminder to all that the appeal of Naples will always be in its “Old Florida” roots – relaxed, causal living in an unspoiled natural setting. “Old Naples” is a vibe and lifestyle as much as it is a neighborhood or architectural style. Nothing is as “old Naples” as the Pier.

Sunsets from the Naples Pier are, unquestionably, as spectacular as can be viewed from anywhere on the planet. The

famous blazing orange “fireball” sunsets, framed in technicolor explosions, are created as an optical effect due to the high concentration of salt particles in the air. Colors of red, orange, yellow, and purple paint the sky. Sunsets are the real star here - and the Naples Pier is the perfect stage to drink them in from.

Perhaps the princes of the Naples Pier are the ever present Brown Pelicans that surround it, looking for “fast food” from those fishing there, or a watchtower perch to scope out fish from in the clear, warm waters

below. These pelicans are highly entertaining, whether bobbing in the water, flying and landing right next to pier dwellers, or dive bombing for their dinner. While the pelicans do provide comic relief and are fun to watch, they can weigh up to 12 pounds and have wingspans of between 6 to 8 feet, and are tremendously skilled hunters. It is mesmerizing to watch them soar just over the surface of the water, and suddenly dive into the Gulf, and uncannily come up with fish - tilting their heads back as a victory salute to swallow their prize.

Many who fish at the Pier appear not to care too much whether they catch much of anything or not - a local form of ‘zen fishing.’ Native fish that are found inshore and favor areas near pilings include Cobia. Cobia range in size from 5 to 30 pounds, and the best time to catch them is in September

and October. Snook populate inshore areas near seawalls and bridges, and the odds of catching snook are best from March to October. Yellowtail Snapper also favor inshore areas, and are most plentiful from April to September.

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