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There are so many great things to do in Marco Island that no matter what kind of tropical vacation you’re seeking, you’ll always find it here.

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With its unique location between Naples and the Everglades, there’s a broad range of year round activities in Marco Island to choose from.

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Whether you’re looking for relaxed sunbathing on the beach, great shopping and restaurants, getting to know the natural world, boating, or enjoying some fresh Florida seafood, start packing for your trip to paradise.

You’re also not far from Naples to enjoy the livelier downtown shopping and dining scene. And just 20 minutes away lies the watery wilderness of the Florida Everglades.

Situated in southwest Florida just south of Naples on Florida’s Paradise Coast, Marco Island is the largest of the Ten Thousand Islands (though

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Even so there’s lot to do here — from boating and paddling the 100 plus miles of waterways and combing the six miles of gorgeous sun-drenched beaches, to exploring some of the most well-preserved natural areas in Florida.

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Marco Island is the largest barrier island within the Ten Thousand Islands, the chain of small islets and mangrove islands rising up from oyster beds between Cape Romano and the mouth of Lostman's River.

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If visiting the Everglades is on your Florida bucket list — and it should be — then kayaking Marco Island through the waterways of the Ten Thousand Islands and the Everglades is an absolute dream.

There are remote and deserted barrier islands to explore, interesting local wildlife, and some of the most beautiful beaches in southwest Florida.

Without a doubt, Tigertail Beach and Sand Dollar Island are among the best beaches in southwest Florida and each one is unique.

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According to legend, the beach was named for Tigertail, a nickname given to the native Florida Seminole leader by US Army soldiers because of the long strip of panther skin which hung from his waist.

Tigertail Beach is actually split in two by a tide-driven lagoon. The inner beach features the calm lagoon where you can swim or rent beach shelters, stand-up paddle boards and kayaks.

The outer beach is reached by wading across a shallow part of the lagoon (3-5 feet deep at high tide) and walking a short distance on a narrow path through coastal scrub to Sand Dollar Island.

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There is a sturdy observation tower on this side of the beach that gives a panoramic view of the area and is ideal for birdwatchers.

On the inner beach is parking, a snack bar for lunch, cold drinks, and snacks along with picnic tables, grills, a playground, and restrooms.

— considered one of Marco Island’s most beautiful natural areas. It’s great for shelling, and for birdwatchers the narrow island is a haven for egrets, herons, sandpipers, plovers, terns, and osprey among others.

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If deep water fishing is your thing, a knowledgeable captain can take you to premier spots offshore in the Gulf of Mexico targeting grouper, snapper, cobia, tuna, and king mackerel. Something is always in season around Marco Island.

Rates for a family of 4 can run upwards of $500 for a private trip, or you can book space on a charter or party boat for much less per person.

Maintained by Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, the half-mile long boardwalk loop at Briggs Boardwalk Nature Center showcases seven habitats in the complex local ecosystem and is a bird watcher’s paradise at the right time of year.

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Signs along the boardwalk help to identify and understand the flora and fauna in the different habitats making for an easy self-guided tour.

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Next door and just down the road from the boardwalk is the entrance to the 110, 000 acres of Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, one of only twenty-nine protected reserves in the US and the only remaining intact and undisturbed mangrove habitat in the US.

The best way to experience Rookery Bay is to take a guided nature tour either by kayak or onboard a power boat that will cover a broader area of the reserve.

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We highly recommend a Marco Island boat tour or kayak tour with the local biologists and naturalist guides at Rising Tide Explorers.

Paddling will take you through mangrove tunnels and shallow water to see and hear egrets, herons, ospreys, bald eagles, and a wide variety of other birds.

You’ll find Rising Tide Explorers just after the Marco Island Bridge located off FL 951 (Collier Blvd.) near the end of Shell Island Road.

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To Get There from Marco Island: Drive 8.9 miles (about 15 minutes) on US951, then turn left onto Shell Island Road. In 1 mile the parking area will be on the right.

To reach the boardwalk, park in front of the building and take the path on the right to enter the walk at the back of the building.

When it comes to Marco Island attractions, remember this: Marco Island is the gateway to the Florida Everglades, and you’re only 30 minutes from Everglades National Park, Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve and Big Cypress National Preserve, a huge part of Everglades.

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Although the Glades are remote, there are many opportunities to explore this fantastic wilderness right along Rte. 41, the main road transversing the Glades from west to east.

A visit to the Everglades is like stepping back into a primordial time and there are many ways to experience the natural world.

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Our post on hiking in Naples also includes several trails and boardwalks around Marco Island to places like Big Cypress Preserve, Fakahatchee Strand, Collier-Seminole State Park and other natural areas in and around the Glades.

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Located on the southern tip of Marco Island is the 4-acre Caxambas Pass Park where you can enjoy a fun day with the kids.

Caxambas Pass Park is a popular departure point for fishing boats, sailboats, and day cruisers to get out into the Gulf of Mexico and Ten Thousand Islands.

Paddle across the Pass to Dickman’s Island where you can shell to your heart’s content — one of the most unique things to do in Marco Island!

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You’ll be one of just a few visitors if any on this deserted island, which is fun to explore around the surrounding mangroves and quiet inlets.

NOTE: The current across Caxambas Pass can get very strong. Always wear floatation vests and alert the rental office at Caxambas Park to your departure.

Locally known as ‘Indian Hills’, you can explore this tiny 2.45 acre Preserve on a short trail loop through what is a rare maritime hammock plant community that includes native gumbo limbo trees.

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Dating back to the time of the Calusa natives, the Preserve and this entire area of south Marco has a rich archaeological history.

It’s a very small preserve and not very private but has some interesting placards about the local history and native plants and animals.

Manatees and bottlenose dolphins call the waters surrounding Marco Island home and there are several local boat tours that will take you out for a few hours.

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The Dolphin Explorer is unique from other operators in that they offer eco tours from Marco Island as part of their Ten Thousand Islands Dolphin Project.

Launched in 2006, the Dolphin Project is a long-term study of the numbers, distribution, movements, and behavior of bottlenose dolphins in the waters of southwest Florida.

This is the only eco tour where visitors can participate in sighting and counting dolphins. You’ll become a scientist for a few hours.

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As the sun goes down on SWFL, the beach at the JW Marriott Marco Island comes alive with the beating drums of fire dancers twirling their batons of fire.

Grab a seat or table at Kane’s Tiki Bar & Grill and enjoy a cocktail or two while watching the sun go down.

The barrier island of Keewaydin between Naples and Marco Island is mostly deserted for much of the year except on the 4th of July and New Years when boaters raft-up just off the beach.

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Only accessible by boat, Keewaydin is a beach and nature lover’s paradise, and especially fun for kids as they can run around to their heart’s content without worry.

If you want to explore the waters around the island on your own, definitely rent a boat for a few hours or for the entire day.

You don’t even have to have any boating experience (though it helps). If you’d love to treat your kids to a day on the water — swimming, shelling, fishing — rent a pontoon boat.

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A pontoon boat is stable and you’ll quickly get the hang of it. In no time you’ll be exploring calm inlets and the warm shallow water all around the island.