Living in Esplanade by the Islands, Naples, Florida

Living in Esplanade by the Islands

Esplanade by the Islands is a gated, master-planned community built by Taylor Morrison in unincorporated Collier County, on the south side of Tamiami Trail East (US-41) about 4 miles southeast of Collier Boulevard. It sits between Naples and Marco Island, with Rookery Bay to the west and the turnoff to Goodland and the east end of Marco Island a few miles farther down US-41.

The land was planned before the first house went up. Collier County created the Currents Community Development District for it on June 27, 2019, by Ordinance 2019-14, and the district describes the master development as about 516 acres lying within the existing Fiddler's Creek/Marco Shores planned unit development zoning. The district issued its first infrastructure bonds in July 2020, and homes have been built in phases since then; Taylor Morrison was still selling new homes here in November 2026.

It is one of Taylor Morrison's Esplanade-branded communities, built around a large clubhouse, a resort pool, a spa and fitness center, racquet courts and a lifestyle staff. The builder says the clubhouse, the Wellness Center, was named 2025 Best Clubhouse by the Collier Building Industry Association.

Homes come in three forms: single-family homes, twin villas and two-story coach homes. Street names follow an Italian theme, such as Turin Drive, Genova Drive and Cassio Way, where the sales center sits at 15640 Cassio Way.

Home collections and neighbors of Esplanade by the Islands

Esplanade by the Islands is sold by collection, named mostly for lot width, and it borders some of the best-known communities in south Naples. These are the collections and the neighbors a buyer will hear about first.

52 Collection

Single-family homes on the community's narrower lots; the collection name follows the lot width in feet.

62 Collection

Single-family homes on wider lots, with room for larger floor plans.

Twin villas

Attached homes that share one common wall, each with its own entry and outdoor space.

Coach homes

Two-story buildings with several homes each, every home with its own private entrance. Ask how the building is set up legally, since that changes the documents you review.

Fiddler's Creek

The large gated golf community to the north and west. Its Shoppes at Fiddler's Creek, with a Publix, sit at US-41 and Sandpiper Drive next to Esplanade.

Naples Reserve

A gated lake community on the other side of US-41, closer to Collier Boulevard, built around 125-acre Eagle Lake.

Kinds of homes in Esplanade by the Islands

Esplanade by the Islands has single-family homes, twin villas and coach homes, all built by Taylor Morrison, many backing up to a lake or a preserve.

Single-family plans run from one story to two stories. In November 2026 the builder's own listings showed homes with build years of 2026 and 2027, alongside resales of earlier homes. Model names a buyer will see include the Lazio, Pallazio, Ceretti and Beacon plans.

With one builder, the differences between two homes come down to lot width, view, plan and the options the first owner chose, so compare lake, preserve and interior lots separately.

A new or nearly new home still needs checks. Ask for the builder warranty status, confirm the final permit and certificate of occupancy for the address, and look at window and door protection. For a resale, ask what was added after closing, such as a pool, screen enclosure, generator or hurricane shutters, and whether permits were closed.

For a coach home, ask whether it is a condominium. Florida's 2022 condo safety law (SB 4-D) and its later amendments put milestone inspections and structural integrity reserve studies on condominium buildings three stories or taller, so two-story coach homes generally fall outside those rules. Read the budget and reserves either way.

Schools for Esplanade by the Islands addresses

Esplanade by the Islands is served by Collier County Public Schools. In November 2026 we ran 430 addresses on 11 streets in the community (including Turin Drive, Genova Drive, Tolmino Street, Cassio Way and Sacile Street) through the district's address lookup, and every one was zoned for Manatee Elementary, Manatee Middle and Lely High.

Collier redraws zones as new neighborhoods fill in, so check the exact address with the district's Find Your Zoned School tool at zones.collierschools.com before you count on a school. The district's Parental Choice program takes applications for other schools when seats are open.

Manatee Elementary School

1880 Manatee Road, Naples 34114, about 3 miles from the community by road.

Manatee Middle School

1920 Manatee Road, Naples 34114, next to the elementary school.

Lely High School

1 Lely High School Boulevard, Naples 34113.

Beaches and outdoors near Esplanade by the Islands

The closest beaches to Esplanade by the Islands are on Marco Island, about 13 to 15 miles by road, and the Naples city beach at the pier is about 14 miles away. Closer to home, the outdoors is Rookery Bay and the mangrove waters south of US-41.

Collier County residents get a free beach parking sticker with proof of residency. Full-time residents show a Collier County driver's license and vehicle registration; part-time residents who own property show a license, a registration or rental car agreement, and a current Collier County tax bill or a recent deed.

South Marco Beach Access

930 South Collier Boulevard, Marco Island, with parking on Swallow Avenue, restrooms and foot showers. No dogs.

Tigertail Beach

A public beach with parking and amenities on the northwest side of Marco Island, about 13 miles away.

Naples Pier

At 12th Avenue South in Old Naples, about 14 miles by US-41.

Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center

300 Tower Road, about 6 miles away, with exhibits, nature trails and guided boat and kayak tours. The reserve covers about 110,000 acres from Gordon Pass to the western Everglades.

Bark Park

The community's own dog park, inside the gate.

Things to do in and around Esplanade by the Islands

Most days in Esplanade by the Islands start at the clubhouse: the resort pool, the fitness center with group classes and a movement studio, and the tennis, pickleball and bocce courts.

The builder describes a lifestyle staff that plans wine tastings, concerts, spa events and trips, plus a firepit lounge by the pool and a spa with a full-service salon. A culinary center with a teaching kitchen has been described as planned, so ask what is open now.

Off site, Rookery Bay's trails and kayak tours are about 6 miles away, and Marco Island's beaches, shops and the Marco Island Historical Museum, home of the Calusa carving known as the Key Marco Cat, are across the bridges. Naples Botanical Garden, Naples Zoo and Revs Institute are all within a drive of downtown Naples.

Dining and culture near Esplanade by the Islands

On site, the Bahama Bar beside the pool serves drinks and food with fireside seating; the builder opened it in 2024.

For dinner out, Goodland's seafood restaurants on the water are about 12 miles away by US-41 and San Marco Road, and Marco Island's restaurants are a few miles beyond. Downtown Naples, about 13 miles northwest on US-41, has Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South.

The main cultural stops are in Naples: Artis | Naples with The Baker Museum, the Sugden Community Theatre, Naples Botanical Garden and Revs Institute. For sports, Hertz Arena hosts Florida Everblades hockey, and the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins hold spring training in Fort Myers.

Golf, boating and the water near Esplanade by the Islands

Esplanade by the Islands has no golf course or marina of its own. Golf and Gulf boating mean a short drive.

For golf, Lely Resort, up US-41 toward Naples, has three courses: Flamingo Island and Mustang take public play, and The Classics is private. The Golf Club at Fiddler's Creek next door, an Arthur Hills design managed by Troon, is a membership club.

The closest public boat ramps are the two at Collier Boulevard Boating Park, about 9 miles away by the Marco Island bridge, open 6 a.m. to sunset year round and crowded from January through April. Isles of Capri and Goodland, about 11 to 12 miles away, have marinas and charter boats.

Collier Boulevard Boating Park

3620 Collier Boulevard, Naples, near the Jolley Bridge. No fuel sales.

Lely Resort golf

Flamingo Island (Robert Trent Jones Sr.) and Mustang (Lee Trevino) are public; The Classics (Gary Player) is private.

The Golf Club at Fiddler's Creek

An Arthur Hills course next door, open to members.

Goodland

A waterfront village on the east side of Marco Island with charter boat operators, reached by San Marco Road (CR 92).

Getting around from Esplanade by the Islands

Esplanade by the Islands opens onto Tamiami Trail East (US-41), which runs northwest to Collier Boulevard and downtown Naples and southeast toward San Marco Road and the Everglades.

By road from inside the community: about 4 miles to Collier Boulevard, about 11 miles to I-75 at Collier Boulevard, about 13 miles to Fifth Avenue South, about 15 miles to South Marco Beach, about 44 miles to Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) and about 52 miles to downtown Fort Myers. Winter brings much heavier traffic on US-41 and Collier Boulevard, so drive your daily trips at rush hour in season before you buy.

Inside the gate you can walk or bike to the clubhouse; everything else is a drive.

Tamiami Trail East (US-41)

The community's road out: northwest to Collier Boulevard, Lely Resort and downtown Naples, southeast toward San Marco Road and Everglades City.

Collier Boulevard (CR 951)

North to I-75 and the hospital, south over the S.S. Jolley Bridge (opened 1969) onto Marco Island.

San Marco Road (CR 92)

Leaves US-41 about 4 miles southeast of the community and crosses to Goodland and the east side of Marco Island.

I-75

Reached at Collier Boulevard, about 11 miles north, the route to Fort Myers and RSW.

Daily life in Esplanade by the Islands

Everyday errands from Esplanade by the Islands start about a mile away at the Publix at 15050 Sandpiper Lane, in the Shoppes at Fiddler's Creek; bigger shopping is up Collier Boulevard and along US-41 toward Naples.

Utilities: the Currents CDD says the water and sewer lines it built go to other entities to own and maintain, and in unincorporated Collier County that is usually the Collier County Water-Sewer District. Electricity here can come from Florida Power & Light or LCEC depending on the parcel, so ask the seller for recent bills.

Collier County picks up household trash twice a week and recycling and yard waste once a week, and its Find Your Collection Days tool shows the days for an address.

The nearest libraries are the East Naples Branch at 8787 Tamiami Trail East and South Regional at 8065 Lely Cultural Parkway, each about 8 miles away. Inside the gate, the Bark Park, the pool and the courts cover most of the day.

Hospitals near Esplanade by the Islands

The closest hospital to Esplanade by the Islands is Physicians Regional Medical Center on Collier Boulevard, about 8 miles north. NCH Baker Hospital in downtown Naples is about 14 miles away.

Physicians Regional Medical Center, Collier Boulevard

8300 Collier Boulevard, Naples, near I-75.

NCH Baker Hospital

350 Seventh Street North, downtown Naples.

Esplanade by the Islands weather by season

Esplanade by the Islands has the south Naples climate: dry, mild winters and hot, wet summers.

The dry season runs roughly November through April, with warm days, cooler nights, low humidity and the busiest roads.

From about May through October it is hot and humid, with thunderstorms most afternoons that fill the community's stormwater lakes.

Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, so learn the address's evacuation zone and route before it starts.

Flood, storms and rules in Esplanade by the Islands

Every Esplanade by the Islands address we checked is in FEMA Zone AE, the 1 percent annual chance coastal floodplain, with a base flood elevation of 7 feet on the Collier County flood map panel effective February 8, 2024. With a federally backed mortgage, flood insurance is required in Zone AE.

The elevation certificate compares the home's lowest floor with that 7-foot base flood elevation, and it drives the flood insurance price. Get it, and a flood quote, before you make an offer, since the numbers vary from lot to lot.

Location matters in a storm. In Hurricane Ian, on September 28, 2022, the National Weather Service reported significant to major surge flooding across almost all of Collier County south and west of US-41, and this community sits on that side of the road. Ask the seller what happened at the home in Ian and in later storms, and check the county's evacuation zone for the address.

Get a wind mitigation inspection to document the roof shape, roof-to-wall connections and opening protection; Florida insurers give discounts for those features. Citizens Property Insurance now requires flood coverage on most of its homeowner policies, so plan for both policies.

The master homeowners association sets the rules on leasing, pets, vehicles, exterior changes and landscaping, and the district says the master association handles day-to-day maintenance of the CDD's infrastructure. In a community still being built, the developer usually controls the association board until turnover, so ask where that stands. Read the declaration, rules, budget and recent minutes before you commit.

Property taxes and the Currents CDD

An Esplanade by the Islands tax bill has county property taxes plus non-ad valorem assessments from the Currents Community Development District, collected together by the Collier County Tax Collector.

The Collier County Property Appraiser values each home as of January 1, and bills go out in the fall. Florida law gives a 4 percent discount for paying in November, 3 percent in December, 2 percent in January and 1 percent in February.

If the home will be your permanent residence, file for homestead with the Property Appraiser by March 1. Homestead brings the Save Our Homes cap, which limits yearly increases in assessed value to 3 percent or the change in inflation, whichever is lower, and portability can carry part of an earlier Florida homestead benefit to the new home. A second home is non-homestead: its assessed value for non-school taxes can rise up to 10 percent a year, and it resets to market value at each sale.

The Currents CDD was created by Collier County on June 27, 2019, under Chapter 190 of the Florida Statutes. It has a five-member board elected by landowners, and its 2024 audit says all five were affiliated with Taylor Morrison. It issued Series 2020A and 2020B bonds in July 2020 for land, roads, water, sewer, stormwater and recreation infrastructure, and Series 2024 bonds in June 2024. Each lot pays a share of those bonds plus a yearly operating assessment. Ask the district manager for the capital assessment on the exact parcel, since it can often be paid off early.

Buying in Esplanade by the Islands from out of state

You can buy in Esplanade by the Islands without being in Florida. These are the steps that matter most here.

1. Decide between new and resale. A new home comes through Taylor Morrison's sales center with a builder contract and warranty; a resale comes through the MLS with finished landscaping and often extras the first owner added.

2. Before you write an offer, get the elevation certificate, a flood quote and a homeowners quote, and the latest tax bill showing the Currents CDD lines.

3. Ask for the association declaration, rules, budget and minutes, and confirm what amenities are open now and what is planned.

4. Tour by live video, then drive the route from the gate to Collier Boulevard, I-75 and the beach at the hours you would use it, in season if you can.

5. After closing, file for homestead by March 1 if it is your permanent home, get your Collier County beach parking sticker, and set a storm plan for the months you are away.

Jorgie Arndt, a REALTOR® with Premiere Plus Realty Co. in Naples, serves the Naples and Marco Island area and works with buyers who live elsewhere this way: she sends homes before the trip, tours them on video, negotiates while the buyer is away, and stays on after closing.