Marco Island
Seven beach days and countless dolphin sightings – some highlights of our week on Marco Island.
To start, we loved our condo at The Seawinds on Marco Island South Beach, a convenient location for us with the kids along. Recently updated, it has sweeping views of the Gulf Coast of Mexico. The shaded patio overlooked the beach all day, and the sunset was directly in front of us at night. It was hard to decide to leave!
We squeezed in a lot on the day we rented a boat.
First up, the Cape Romano Dome House, which is only accessible by boat. Built in 1980, the house was abandoned in 1992. Hurricane Ian in 2022 collapsed the remaining domes into the sea. Here is what it looked like when we were there.
We anchored in the lagoon at Tigertale Beach to explore the point. Before tying up the boat at Snook Inn to pick up takeout food for lunch. It’s a cool spot to eat even if you don’t pull up on a boat.
While eating lunch, we cruised Port Royal, Naples, to gawk at homes that sell for up to $60 Million. You could drive through the neighborhood as it’s not a gated community.
We finished the day on Keewaydin Island, which you can also only get to by boat. The water is turquoise, like in the Caribbean. If you don’t rent a boat, you can still get to the island by the Hemingway Water Shuttle. We loved watching dolphins swim in our boat’s wake throughout the day.
Everglades and Tigertale
One morning, we took the Wooten’s Everglade Airboat Tour. It’s only a ½ hour away. Truly a highlight for the kids!
Tigertail beach was our favorite, but it took a while to figure it out. Don’t give up! It’s a long walk from the hotels on Marco Island South Beach or you can drive to the public parking lot which is still a long walk to our favorite spot. We saw people walking across the lagoon as a shortcut to the beach. The sand is squishy, and the lagoon is waist-deep for adults. We did not want to do that! Reach out if you plan on going I would be happy to tell you the best way to get to our favorite spot.
If you are looking for more to do, here are some more activities:
Every night at dusk, a fire show on the JW Marriott beach is open to the public
Water rental sports in front of the JW Marriott
Naples is about 40 minutes away. Check out the Botanical Garden and Naples Zoo, and the kids enjoyed shopping for souvenirs at Tin City.
Explore more of the Everglades
Restaurants we enjoyed:
Quinn’s on the Beach at the JW Marriott
Da Vinci Ristorante
Joey’s for takeout – delicious pizza
Doreen’s for breakfast
CJ’s on the Bay – grab dinner on Thursday from 6-9 and listen to live music – it is packed
Remember to stop into the local E&V shop when you vacation to get the local inside scoop. Helen Donaghy, the Marco Island E&V Broker/Owner, was most helpful