Naples waterfront · Seller’s guide
Deep-water canals and peninsulas at the southern tip of the City of Naples. What waterfront estate buyers check before they offer.
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Port Royal is the waterfront neighborhood at the southern tip of the City of Naples, built around deep-water canals and peninsulas that open to Naples Bay, Gordon Pass and the Gulf. Buyers here are often comparing a handful of properties nationally, and the details they care about are specific: water depth and dockage, elevation, construction and the condition of seawalls. This guide covers the neighborhood and what sellers should prepare.
Port Royal was the vision of Glen Sample, a Chicago advertising executive. According to the Port Royal Club, he and his wife Helen arrived in 1939, and starting in 1948 he turned nearly two square miles of marsh and mangrove into a network of peninsulas and deep-water canals. Roads, landscaping and the first model homes by architect Howard Major followed in 1952. Gulfshore Life notes that the dredge-and-fill method used to build it is no longer allowed, which is part of why the neighborhood can’t be replicated.
Port Royal is inside the City of Naples, south of Old Naples, with the Gulf on the west and Naples Bay on the east. Gordon Drive is the main road through the neighborhood. Third Street South, Fifth Avenue South and the Naples Pier are a short drive north, and Gordon Pass gives boaters direct access to the Gulf.
Boating is central here. Many homes have private docks on the canals or the bay, and buyers will ask about water depth, the route out to Gordon Pass, and dock and lift condition. The Port Royal Club, a private club on the Gulf, has been the social center of the neighborhood since its clubhouse opened in 1960. The original clubhouse was lost after Hurricane Ian in September 2022, and the club is rebuilding. Club membership is handled by the club itself, so buyers who care about it should contact the club directly.
The Port Royal Property Owners’ Association works on neighborhood standards and improvement projects, and the neighborhood has long had deed restrictions that shape what gets built.
Public school assignments are set by address and can change from year to year. Rather than rely on a listing description, buyers should check the Collier County Public Schools attendance boundaries and Interactive Zoning Tool, which shows the 2026-2027 zones.
Because Port Royal is in the City of Naples, the city’s rules apply rather than the county’s. The city’s 2024 Flood Insurance Rate Maps are in effect, and the City of Naples floodplain information page links an interactive flood zone tool and the Floodplain Coordinator, who can provide elevation certificates on file. You can also search FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center.
The city also applies the 50% rule: if repairs or improvements cost 50% or more of the structure’s market value, the building must be brought up to current flood rules, which can mean elevating it. The city uses the Collier County Property Appraiser’s structure value unless you submit your own appraisal. Buyers planning a renovation will ask about this, so know where your home stands. See the city’s development in the floodplain page.
Florida law (section 689.302) requires sellers of residential property to give buyers a flood disclosure at or before signing the contract. Since October 1, 2025, it covers flooding you know damaged the home while you owned it, flood insurance claims, and any assistance you received to repair flood damage. Fill it out yourself and accurately; I’ll make sure it’s in the file on time.
For more on the high end of the market, see my Naples luxury homes page.
Yes. Port Royal is in the City of Naples, so city building, zoning and floodplain rules apply.
Glen Sample, a Chicago advertising executive, began turning nearly two square miles of marsh and mangrove into peninsulas and deep-water canals in 1948. The first model homes by architect Howard Major were finished in 1952.
Under City of Naples floodplain rules, if repairs or improvements cost 50% or more of a structure’s market value, the building must meet current flood requirements, which can include elevating it. The city uses the Property Appraiser’s structure value unless an owner submits a qualifying appraisal.
Membership is handled by the Port Royal Club, not through the home sale. Buyers interested in the club should contact it directly.
Use the City of Naples interactive flood tool or call the city’s Floodplain Coordinator, who can also provide elevation certificates on file. FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center works too.
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