Vacation On Marco Island
The accommodation that is located upon the island of Marco is called V.O.I, which is short for Vacation on Marco. This particular resort has a lot of the facilities that any tourist would expect to see with little to no effort or worry about anything. Marco Island Vacation can best be described as a paradise-like resort in the middle of the state with its lush green woods surrounding almost everywhere and white sandy beaches that are very easy on the eye. This resort is definitely a place to be.
When it comes to taking vacations, most people think they’re pretty good at doing it right. But there are a lot of things that people don’t realize that can make or break their vacation. This is especially true when vacationing on Marco Island. It’s so easy to overlook some of the things that you should consider when going on vacation and because of this, your vacation can be ruined even if you have a great time in the process. The following list is my advice on how to be prepared for vacations on Marco Island
There is no better place than Marco Island to experience a Florida vacation. The length of your stay and the activities you choose are all up to you, but during your respite from busyness and stress, the gentle lapping of ocean water against the beaches and docks awaits you.
Marco Island is an island located in the Gulf of Mexico in an isolated part of Florida’s west coast. It is a very popular tourist destination and is a place you will want to relax on vacation.
There are many ways to enjoy Marco Island vacations, but perhaps the most pleasant way is to take advantage of the year-round tropical climate, variety of recreational activities, and natural surroundings on Marco Island.
Vacation On Marco Island
Want a getaway that has white sand beaches, plenty of activities, and is easy to get to? Let me introduce you to Marco Island, Florida.
Surprisingly, I hadn’t heard much about Marco Island before a few years ago. The farthest south I’d ever been on the Gulf Coast of Florida was Sanibel and my family usually spent more time up around Longboat Key and Anna Maria Island. But I’ve been there twice now and I love it!
Just south of Naples on the Gulf Coast (the southwest part of Florida), Marco Island is known for its laid back vibe, beautiful beaches (excellent shelling), and close proximity to the Everglades. To get to Marco Island, you’ll most likely fly into Fort Myers (RSW), rent a car, and make the hour or so drive south.
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So why do I think Marco Island is such a great Florida beach destination? Here are a few reasons:
- Marco Island has white sand beaches, relatively calm water (it’s on the gulf) and it’s just about 45 minutes south of Fort Myers (love the airport-it’s fairly small and new).
- There’s an incredible JW Marriott that sits right on the beach. I don’t know about you, but having a great place to stay (or not) can really make or break a destination for me. There aren’t a ton of great beach resorts on Florida’s Gulf Coast so this is definitely a gem.
- The shelling is fantastic. Like-better than Sanibel.
- It’s close to the Everglades. Everglades City (the gateway to the Ten Thousand Islands and the gulf entrance to Everglades National Park) is just about 45 minutes south of Marco Island and there are a ton of outfits that offer airboat tours.
In this post I’ll let you know some of my favorite things to do on Marco Island, share some of the best restaurants, and breakdown where to stay on Marco Island.
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Things to Do on Marco Island, Florida
Shelling
Go Shelling in the Ten Thousand Islands: Though not as well known as Sanibel Island to the north, the shelling around Marco Island is hands down the best in Florida. The Ten Thousand Islands is an ecosystem of mostly mangrove islands between Marco Island and the Everglades, but there are a few islands with sandy beaches that are absolute treasure troves. You can only get to these islands by boat, and I think the best way is to go on a tour with Treasure Seekers. Their four hour tours leave from the Goodland Boat Ramp and only have six people per boat. They’re experts at knowing where to go depending on the time of day, time of year, tides, weather, etc. I did a tour with them and found about 30 sand dollars and a bucket of other impressive shells. One lady on our boat found a super rare junonia!
Take a Kayak Shelling Tour: If you want to add a little adventure to your shelling expedition, book a kayak shelling tour with Southwest Florida Shell Guide. Ali will take you to one of the best shelling spots near Marco Island where you’re sure to find some treasures.
Take the Ferry to Keewaydin Island: If you’d rather shell on your own, take the Hemingway Water Shuttle over to Keewaydin Island and spend a few hours shelling on the near deserted barrier island. The shelling isn’t as good as it is as the places the two tours I mentioned above will take you to, but it’s decent and a more affordable option. I would recommend going on a weekday as it turns into a bit of a party island on the weekends.
Tigertail Beach & Sand Dollar Spit: Tigertail Beach is by far the most popular beach on Marco Island (although the whole island is really one long stretch of sand) and it’s mostly because of the public access and the phenomenal shelling. Now I’ll be honest…it’s nowhere on the same level as the Ten Thousand Islands, but it’s a steady shelling spot and if I hadn’t been shelling on a tour, I would have been over the moon impressed (I found three sand dollars which I would consider a pretty big success normally).
It’s $8/car to park and there’s quite a bit of public parking, a cute cafe and rentals for paddle boards and kayaks.
But here’s the deal…the area where you park your car (where all of the amenities are), there’s a small white sand beach which is technically Tigertail Beach. That little beach sits on some brackish brown water surrounded by some mangroves and you either have to wade through it or walk around it to get to the main beach (on the ocean) also sometimes called Sand Dollar Spit.
RELATED: Where to Stay on Marco Island
See the graphics here to understand what I’m talking about.
The quickest way to get to the beach/ocean (where the shells are) is to wade across the “lagoon” and trek through a brushy trail. The water is usually 2-3 feet deep and I’m not going to lie…it’s pretty gross. It’s a sandy/muddy bottom so you can’t see what’s in the water ; ) but in the shallow parts there were a lot of little jellies. They didn’t bother me, but I would definitely recommend wearing shoes.
Now if the thought of wading through the swamp grosses you out, you can walk around it. From the main parking lot (by the cafe) around the lagoon and to the start of the beach it’s close to a mile and took me a solid 15 minutes (moderately paced walk). There is no shade, it’s VERY hot and I would NOT want to do this with kids. Tip: when you’re parking, park as far south as possible and take that entrance. It will save you a fair amount of time (it’s still a big walk though!).
The last thing I’ll say about logistics…if you’re staying on the beach on Marco Island, you may seriously consider walking down to Tigertail Beach. From the JW Marriott it’s about 1.5 miles and all things considered with where we parked and how long the walk was, we would have been better off walking especially since we just went for shelling (we weren’t there to set up camp for the day). Also, you can’t get into the parking lot until 8AM so if you walk you can get an early start on it, avoid the blazing heat, and get the best dibs on shells.
Now about the beach itself…it’s a beautiful beach and the farther you go down the “spit” the more remote it gets. The shelling was really good (better than anywhere I’ve been except for the Ten Thousand Islands) and it’s pretty picturesque too.
Boating & Water Sports
Take a Dolphin Eco Tour: This is probably the most popular thing to do on Marco. Dozens of companies run boat tours through the 10,000 islands to spot dolphins and manatees and many make stops at uninhabited islands for world class shelling.