Marco Island has one of Florida’s most beautiful beach. Florida is known for having some of the world’s greatest beaches. From the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, Florida is surrounded by beautiful beaches. The best part is that you can enjoy these Florida beaches year-round. Florida is known as the sunshine state that has almost 50 weeks of year-round sunshine and warm weather.
To live in Florida was just a dream of mine. Especially after living in New York for 26 years born and raised through the winter months. I knew I wanted warmer days. I was through with the snowstorms and cold nights. I realized that Florida wasn’t just for the snowbirds.
Since living in Florida for the past 3 years, it’s safe to say that we stay at the beach. We travel to the local beaches along the Atlantic Ocean such as Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach, and West Palm Beach. Those are just a few to name. However, we’ve been to many.
Just recently we started to venture out to the Gulf of Mexico. We traveled to Naples and visited Vanderbilt Beach, which was absolutely gorgeous. However, that was until we traveled to Marco Island and stayed directly on the beach for a week. I urge you to check out the amazing resort we’ve stayed at. It was just steps away from this gorgeous beach.
The Most Beautiful Beach
Marco Island is located in the Southwest parts of Florida, close to Florida’s Everglades. Marco Island is just 30 miles south of Naples. Marco Island’s beach is beautifully shaped into a crescent that stretches miles down the whole length of the island. Marco Island’s beach is a great opportunity for swimming, shelling, fishing, walking, and most of all relaxing.
Marco Island is the largest of the 10,000 islands.
Marco Island is surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico which makes for some of the best water sports and tours. To really experience the 10,000 islands, I’d say jump on a jet ski and take a two hour guided tour. Avi’s Water Sports is one of Marco Island’s most experienced jet ski tour guides. You’d get to experience the wildlife at its best.
Marco Island Adventures takes you on an intimate 2-hour boat tour allowing you to experience the beautiful turquoise waters of Florida’s 10,000 islands. You’ll learn about history and culture as well as see a variety of sea life such as dolphins to sea turtles and manatees, depending on the time of year.
Marco Island is filled with parasailing over the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Mexico. What an amazing experience this would be for both children and adults? There’s also a marina boat rental that can take you alongside some of the top island destinations. One of the most popular tours is the Boat Assisted Kayak Eco Tours that take you along the Everglades National Park.
Fishing in Marco Island
Marco Island is known to have some of the best fishing waters when it comes to exploring on the water and charter fishing. Being that Marco is situated in the Northernmost parts of the 10,000 islands, ideally, there’s more of a variety of fish possibilities.
Fishing at the beach is always a good idea to catch snapper, jack, snook, and even some pesky catfish. The rocks at the beach is a popular local fishing spot. This is the exact location my son caught his 1st snook! The experience was magnificent! This was the first time we’ve ever gone fishing at the beach.
The water was clearest turquoise blue I’d ever seen. Literally swimming in the water next to you were fish and even starfish. Our children were able to grab the starfish in their hands. It was definitely a dramatic experience for me as I was telling them to drop the starfishes. However, the smiles on their faces were everything. I could tell that they truly enjoy their experience.
South Beach & Tigertail Beach
We’ve stayed on South Beach in Marco Island which is primarily for residents and guests renting on South Beach. However, just north of there is Tigertail beach which can be reached by either taking Tigertail or Kendall Dr from North Collier Blvd and then turning left onto Hernando. Parking is really tricky because it is only free for residents for Collier County who display a permit. While parking for others is typical $4-$5 for 3 hours and $8 for all-day parking.
Tigertail is broken into two parts: The Lagoon and the Sand Dollar Spit. The Lagoon is awesome for family fun. There’s plenty of restrooms, cabanas, and concessions. There you can rent aqua-tiles, paddleboards, and all kinds of kayaks. Sand Dollar Spit is on the other side of the Lagoon towards the end. It’s a bit of a walk to get to but many say that it’s well worth it. The beach here is absolutely breathtaking and filled with beautiful seashells.
Since the recent hurricane Irma in 2017, Sand Dollar Spit has changed many times. The beach now is so narrow due to the hurricane’s impact. Be aware that it could be fast flowing and the tides may be deeper than expected. Also, be aware that many Florida’s beach shorebirds have been regularly nestled on both Tigertail and Sand Dollar Spit. Therefore, it’s a good idea to keep your distance and do not feed them. We made this mistake and was informed that bird feeding wasn’t allowed.
The Best Shelling Beach
The beach was filled with shells everywhere. We’ve learned that there are over 200 different shell varieties that have been washed up on the shores over the last few years. Our children enjoyed the different shapes and colors of the seashells. They even collected a bunch of shells to take home for their collection. I had to be careful to check what seashells they were collecting because it is highly illegal to collect live shells. After our daughters found the starfish they wanted to take it home and I had some hard time convincing them that the starfish needed to stay alive in its natural habitat.
We later found out that there are unique shelling adventures that are available in the 10,000 islands that have semi-private and private tours. These tours can accommodate groups up to 18 in 3 brand new luxuriously boats. They take you around some of the most shelling areas to collects some of Florida’s unique treasures found at the shore. That tour guide company is called Treasure Seekers Shell Tours.
Marco Island by far was one of our most memorable experiences at the beach. We seriously enjoyed wildlife and sea life. We made a commitment that we will plan a trip to Marco Island every year around this time. I was told that no two experiences in Marco are the same therefore, I am truly looking forward to next year.
If I have left anything out, please leave me a comment and let me know. If you are planning a trip to Marco Island, and have any questions, please feel free to reach out! Also, don’t forget to save this pin!
Thank you again for reading.
