As you might guess, we're going to be in Naples, Florida for a week
and are hoping to find a good place to snorkel.  We've been spoiled by
visits to the Cayman Islands, Anguilla and Cozumel where the reef is
near enough to the beach and shallow enough that you just wade in.  If
that's not possible in Florida, we'll settle for a reasonably-priced
full or half-day boat excursion.

The only place I'm familiar with in Florida is Pennecamp in Key Largo,
but according to Mapblast that's a 3 hour drive.

What's the best snorkel spot within 1 1/2 or so hours of Naples?

Richard-ga

Hi Richard!

Mmm, snorkeling!  Such fun!  I've only ever done it once, but I
thought it was an amazing thing to get so close to the beautiful fish
and corals!

I've found several places for you to try out for snorkeling trips:

Day Star Charters is based in Naples, and offers 3 to 8 hour
excursions for $220 - $420 all year long, no matter how many people
are in your party (price based on length of excursion):

Day Star Charters - Shelling and Snorkeling
http://www.daystarcharters.com/page9.htm

Stops Marine Charters, in Naples, offers a variety of chater packages,
including snorkeling.  Party limit is 6, and you have to contact them
directly for reservations and pricing:

Stops Marine Charters
http://www.stopsmarinecharters.com/

Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Recreation Area, also in Naples, offers a
boat ramp, boating, fishing, picnic areas, snorkeling and swimming.

Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Recreation Area
11100 Gulfshore Drive North
Naples, FL 34108
863-597-6196
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/parks/district4/delnor-wiggins/index.asp

John U. Lloyd State Park, in Hollywood, is just slightly over your 90
minute barrier.

MapsOnUs.com clocks the trip at 2 hours, but a call to my Aunt, who
has lived in Sarasota for 25 years, reveals that the Naples to
Hollywood run is actually closer to an hour and 45 minutes or less,
depending on traffic (she also notes that this is true for the Naples
to Sarasota run, and has informed me I should send you to pretty
Sarasota, too.)

John U Lloyd State Park
6503 N. Ocean Drive
Dania, FL 33004
(954) 923-2833 
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/parks/district5/johnulloydbeach/index.asp

Let's see what's going on in Auntie Ruth's neck of the woods:

Sarasota Bay Explorers offer private charters aboard their "Miss
Explorer" for any purpose - maximum party size of 6.

Miss Explorer
http://www.sarasotabayexplorers.com/Miss_Explorer/miss_explorer.html

Not an official page, but someplace I've visited myself, Point of
Rocks, on Sarasota's pretty Siesta Key.  The page owner includes
photos and a map of PoR's location:

Snorkel This!
http://kwhite65.home.mindspring.com/kevin/diving.htm

I hope these will give you enough places to try out, Richard!  Have a
terrific trip, and do let me know if I can be of further assistance!

--Missy

Search terms included: [ snorkeling Naples ]  The tip from Auntie
didn't hurt either!

Thanks Missy.
Point of Rocks sounds like our best bet--those charters are expensive!
 I found directions to Point of Rocks (the link on the page you cited
didn't work):
http://bestbeaches.org/siestakeymap/

But it's a pleasure to give you 5 stars anyway.
Your fellow Google Answers researcher, richard-ga

While Pennekamp is a 3 hour drive from Naples, using Alligator Alley,
it's probably worth the drive for you. The west coast of Florida,
between Naples and the Florida Keys, is comprised of the Everglades.
Not the place to snorkel! Alligators and swamp things make snorkeling
fairly miserable. If you drive across Florida to the east coast,
Hollywood, etc... you'll have lots of traffic, both automobile, and
people traffic in the water. While the Keys are a little bit further
than you wanted to be, there are many places where you could spend an
easy overnight stay. From the resort atmostphere of Cheeca Lodge
(www.cheeca.com) to less expensive motels on Key Largo. I spent three
years living in the Keys, so I just had to give you my two cents
worth.

Good luck, and have a great trip!

If you go just a little north of Naples, to Bonita Beach Road, turn
left and go to the last traffic light (3rd I think) you will see a
sign for Barefoot Beach on the left. Turn left into the housing
complex and keep driving (about 3 miles) and you will arrive at a
state park with beautiful beaches and good snorkling. There are
toilets at parking lot 1, but no shop or other facilities so take camp
chairs etc. with you. Its one of the best beaches around Naples as it
never gets very crowded, and you will see all kinds of fish and lots
of dolphins. Park entrance is about $3 per car unless you have a
Collier county resident sticker in the car and then you can go in for
nothing. Although you get there through Bonita it is actually in
Naples.

For bird watching you cannot beat the Naples Conservancy boat rides
into the everglades at dusk, when you will see thousands of birds
returning to their nests for the night.  The conservancy has two
offices, one in downtown Naples and one near the Everglades. Here is
the web address where you can read about them.

. http://www.naples.net/travel/conservancy.html

Another interesting, although not snorkling, place is Corkscrew Swamp
Sanctuary where you will see alligators and thousands of birds in the
wild. We were lucky enough to see two brown bears but that is
apparently a rare event.
http://www.audubon.org/local/sanctuary/corkscrew/

There is also good snorkeling off Sanibel Island, which is about 30
miles from Naples
http://www.sanibel-captiva.org/outdoor-activities/scuba.html

and where you can visit the Ding Darling Sanctuary which is really
worth seeing

Have a great trip