Let’s state this upfront. Chokoloskee is an island with a height above sea level of 20 feet. Located at the northwestern tip of the Everglades, this is a small community with limited land space, but instant access to the limitless sea. And it is protected from direct exposure to the Gulf by the chain of islands and mangrove stands known as “The Ten Thousand Islands”, which gives you a perfect place to do your impression of Gilligan. The nearest large airport is Naples Municipal airport around an hour along route US-41, but there is a small airport a only 8 minutes from the island called Everglades Airport.

Given all that, this is a wondrous place to live, either all year or being a snow-ape and only coming down when the glaciers take over up north. One of the things that the 400 residents enjoy is that they essentially live in a natural place that isn’t over developed, but they have close neighbors to get to know. It’s a balance between nature and ape, and it seems to suit both very well.