Exploring Naples - Tin City

I have lived in Southwest Florida for over 16 years and even though I passed by Tin City several times and always told myself I wanted to go there as it looked so beautiful from afar. Tin City has been an attraction in Naples, Florida ever since the early 1900's and til this day it continues to attract locals and tourists from all over the world.

The waterfront shops consists of about 30 local boutiques, two waterfront restaurants and even a marina where jet skis, boat rentals and sunset cruises can be enjoyed.

As we arrived at Tin city, I noticed there were two parking pavilions: one requires a little more walking and you will know you are there because it says Park & Walk Tin City, and the other pavilion sits exactly where the plaza is and there is even a covered section. They are both free so pick as you wish.

The plaza has an antique beach flair, very colorful just like any Florida beach theme but it is full of character.

It was a beautiful day in Naples and the weather was absolutely perfect, the sun was out, barely any clouds in the sky, 70 degrees and the breeze was light and pleasant. However, We were already hungry when we arrived so we went straight to where the food is.

We ate at Pinchers crab shack and of course, had to sat near the water. The service was great and the

atmosphere was awesome. The kids tagged along and they felt right at home. The restaurant itself is a little loud because of the music and the boats passing by, so no one really noticed when my two year old threw a tantrum because he wanted to explore the area rather than sit down and wait for the food to arrive.

With that being said, we hurried and ordered the smoked grouper fish dip and the conch fritters as appetizers.

The fish dip was good, a bit fishy for my taste but if you are ino that kind of taste you will certainly enjoy it. Keep in mind that it does have a small amount of red peppers so there will be a little spicy kick to it but the dip itself isnt actually spicy. Trust me when I say that as I cannot handle spicy food what so ever! The dip was also accompanied by a bunch of delicious crackers. Now, as for the conch fritters, it was my first time trying it so I don't have anything else to compare it to. My take on them is that they don't have much flavor, the taste was pretty bland. However, I will say that for a fried food item it was not oily, which for me is very important as oil dripping as I eat is a NO GO for me.

We also ordered the famous fish and chips as an entree, which is an Alaskan Pollock, battered and fried served with french fries or Cole slaw. I have to admit the fish batter was the most delicious I have ever had in Southwest Florida. It was crunchy, yet soft, full of flavor and most importantly, not a drop of oil fell from my fish.

As we finished our meal, we were all super stuffed and one of the great things about Tin City is that you can eat and then walk the calories right off by just roaming around and exploring all the little cute stores that call Tin City home. We passed by Jungle Fever, a fashionable boutique full of character featuring unique and interesting items that you most likely won't find it anywhere else. They also have a website which there isn't much to choose from compared to what you can find at the Tin City location, so definitely stop by Jungle Fever if you like to fashion pieces that stand out in the crowd! Another local business that caught my attention was the Naples Soap Co. You can't help but to embrace the aroma of the store as you walk by. Once again, I did not shop for anything as the kids thought the soaps were food and attempted to eat them and even though they are organic, non gmo, gluten-free and probably much better to ingest than any regular fast food meal, we opted to leave for everyone's safety.

Naples soap co also has a great selection of products online that you can order and get it delivered at home which is probably what I will have to do!

After walking around and exploring the entire Tin City, we were ready to replenish our calories! Or maybe we just got really tempted when a young gentleman softly repeated " Free Samples" about four times in a row as we so happened to walk by M&M's Cafe. With 28 flavors to choose from, making a choice was not easy but then again it never is.For some reason, I have been really into caramel flavored stuff lately, so I decided to have a scoop of the salted caramel and crunch homemade ice cream. While the ice cream was really good, the real MVP was the nuts mixed. They were salty and sweet and perfectly toasted, simply delicious!!!!

M&M's Cafe also have a whole menu of hot food items. One of the employees recommended I tried the Gyros, said is one of the best in town and I am definitely going to put them to the test next time I visit. Now, if you are looking for something a little more adventurous, check out Pure Florida for Jet Ski and boat rentals as well as sightseeing tours and sunset cruises. I have heard of people seeing dolphins, manatees and other wild life animals but I have never done a tour in Naples myself so I cannot speak from experience. Honestly, I have only great things to say about Tin City, it's definitely a must see when in Naples. You can spend an entire day there, either as family, a couple and even solo trips can be very fun.

I will probably be going back to catch a sunset and see how it is a night time and maybe this time try it without the kids and do a little shopping! For a full list of all the businesses located at Tin City, click here

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