FISHING & BOATING
You haven’t really experienced Marco Island until you’ve been out on the water. There are many sightseeing boat tours available, including one, on board the Dolphin Explorer, where passengers get to work alongside naturalists logging information about the resident bottlenose dolphin population. Experienced boaters will find rental boats widely available, with many nearby island beaches just waiting to be explored.

Backcountry fishing is highly popular around Marco Island and reels in plenty of snook, tarpon, redfish, trout, pompano and many more species. Experienced guides are readily available for fishing excursions from Marco Island, Chokoloskee, Everglades City, Goodland and other nearby areas and include backcountry flats fishing and deep-sea charters into the Gulf of Mexico for grouper, kingfish and snapper.

GOLF
Marco Island is an oasis for getaway golfing with several courses located nearby including The Rookery at Marco – the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort’s newly redesigned course that also features the Faldo Golf Institute instruction program. There are many nearby golf courses in Naples easily accessible to Marco Island.

ISLAND EXPLORING
Marco Island is well known in archeological circles as an important center of early American civilization, based on priceless artifacts recovered there dating back to the Calusa Indians. A dozen key historic markers across the island chart Marco Island history, including one the most historically significant archeological excavations in North America. At this site, archeologists have unearthed artifacts found to be more than 3,000 years old, including the priceless Key Marco Cat sculpture, now located at The Smithsonian. Other historic markers placed around the island identify ancient burial mounds, island marinas, an 1883 historic inn, remnants of the Caxambas Clam Colony, the remains of the Marco Island Witch Watchtower and more. Marco Island Trolley tours are hosted by knowledgeable and entertaining guides who not only know the history of Marco Island but also have a pulse on current events and activities explorers can soak up after the tour.

The new Marco Island Historical Museum has a focus on the island’s past from archaic periods through the island’s development in the 1960’s. The museum will continue to be expanded and developed over the next five to ten years.

SHOPPING
Marco Island offers many shopping treasures. Specialty shops and resort boutiques offer everything from bathing suits and island wear to the finest designer fashions and art work. Shopping goes beyond beach wear, with stores that offer artistic items of local flavor and interesting souvenirs. Conveniently located just a few miles off the island is Prime Outlets, with over 40 stores offering designer clothing and shoes, books and house wares at discount prices. The Art League Marco Island Center for the Arts has a free gallery that includes a gift shop selling locally produced art pieces. The Artist Colony at the Esplanade pulses with energy, as artists work on site daily and display their work. This waterfront center is a perfect spot for browsing the art studios and enjoying lunch, dinner or drinks overlooking Smokehouse Bay. Naples is just a short drive away with many shopping destinations including the downtown Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South shopping districts, along with Tin City, The Village on Venetian Bay, Mercato, Coastland Center and Waterside Shops, home to some of the world’s top luxury retailers.

DINING
Chef Alberto Varreto brings the authentic tastes of northern Italy with gourmet flair to Sale e Pepe at Marco Beach Ocean Resort with spectacular Gulf of Mexico views. Kurrents at Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club & Spa features fusion cuisine utilizing outstanding seafood, steaks and more, and an extensive martini menu. Popular area restaurants such as Capt. Brien’s Seafood & Raw Bar, Snook Inn and Café de Marco specialize in fresh Gulf seafood. For laid-back waterfront ambiance, Stan’s Idle Hour in the village of Goodland offers fresh seafood daily and unique entertainment every Sunday afternoon in the winter season. From 1-6 pm, enjoy Stan’s unique humor as he performs many of his locally popular novelty songs, along with a country band, a fashion show from the Island Woman boutique and a casual menu including seafood sandwiches. Nearby the Little Bar Restaurant in Goodland serves up fresh Florida seafood and steaks along with live entertainment in the lounge.

ISLAND ACCOMMODATIONS
Marco Island’s accommodations range from luxurious waterfront resorts to villa resorts, small motels and a historic inn, as well as private condominiums and elegant homes available for short and long term vacation rental. The luxurious Marco Beach Ocean Resort offers 98 newly renovated one and two-bedroom suites, a spa and rooftop swimming pool overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. The Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club & Spa is a destination in itself, with 732 rooms and extensive resort activities, children’s programs and facilities. This resort has just emerged from a $200+ million renovation including a spectacular Balinese-themed spa, a new pool, new meeting facilities, the new lobby bar and Sushi restaurant Korals, and guest room enhancements. The Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort & Spa is a Four Star, Four Diamond, newly renovated resort with several excellent dining options and a new spa that opened in late 2008. The Olde Marco Island Inn & Suites, dating back to 1883, is a historic retreat that is regarded as one of the most romantic in Southwest Florida. The original Inn, located on a former Calusa Indian shell mound, now houses the reception area and restaurant, with both indoor and courtyard garden seating. The Inn features 51 new one and two bedroom, two bath suites decorated with a tropical flair, within walking distance of shops and some of the island’s favorite restaurants and waterfront bars. The pet-friendly Boathouse Motel offers old-Florida ambiance and slips for your boat with direct Gulf of Mexico access and is pet friendly. Marco Island Lakeside Inn, a Superior Small Lodging, features a cozy lakefront atmosphere close to shopping, dining and the beaches. The new Marriott Crystal Shores Vacation Club luxury timeshare has 2 and 3-bedroom villas available on a nightly basis for non-owners.

In addition, hundreds of private condominiums and beautiful homes located from the Gulf beaches to the canal-lined neighborhoods of Marco Island offer a variety of choices for vacationers. These accommodations offer visitors amenities such as family and dining rooms, kitchens, washers and dryers, private balconies with spectacular views, boat docks and all the comforts of home. For a complete listing of accommodations on Marco Island visit www.paradisecoast.com.

GETTING TO MARCO ISLAND
Getting to Marco Island is easy. From I-75, take Exit 101 and head south on Collier Boulevard for 20 miles to Marco Island. The Marco Island Executive Airport offers private jet service and charter flights. Southwest Florida International Airport is located forty-five minutes north in Fort Myers. Marco Island can be reached from Orlando, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach via I-75, also known as Alligator Alley; or from Miami via U.S. Highway 41, also known as the Tamiami Trail. Marco Island is convenient to Naples, with a wealth of shopping, dining and cultural opportunities, as well as Everglades National Park, Everglades City and a number of state and federal nature preserves and parks nearby.

For a free visitors guide, brochure or other information on places to stay and things to do along the Paradise Coast of Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades, visit www.ParadiseCoast.com or call 1-800-688-3600. International visitors may call (239) 225-1013. The Naples Marco Island Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau is the official tourism marketing agency for Collier County, Florida, funded entirely by the Collier County tourist development tax.