Collier County beaches reopen with normal hours; Naples beach opens with weekend restrictions

This is the first weekend in Collier County that county beaches and parks are returning back to normal.

There’s been a lot of back and forth on keeping Collier and Naples beaches open since the start of the pandemic.

Saturday Collier beaches are back open sunrise to sunset 7 days a week.

But Naples beaches are still closed 11 a.m.-5 p.m. over the weekend.

Collier County commissioner, Penny Taylor said she thinks it’s a mistake for the county to fully reopen as long as Miami-Dade beaches are still closed.

When asked what her message is to Naples city leaders—who will decide whether or not to drop their restrictions Tuesday, she would advise against it.

“If Miami Dade is still closed, the city of Naples please don’t open your beaches. We went through…We danced that dance. In fact, the folks that didn’t have a beach parking pass were parking illegally and they would just laugh and just tear up the ticket in front of the officer giving it to them. There’s this, in your face disdain for our rules and that carries through to what they do on the beaches,” Taylor said.

Collier County government says those social distancing rules still apply, no less than six feet apart and no groups larger than ten.

They will have patrol units making sure visitors comply.