Heather’s guidebook
Food scene
This market has many great food vendors selling prepared foods and stalls featuring local fruit and veggies. Most Wednesdays from November to April.
7 locals recommend
Marco Island Farmer's Market - Wednesdays Starting Mid November to Mid April
901 Park AvenueThis market has many great food vendors selling prepared foods and stalls featuring local fruit and veggies. Most Wednesdays from November to April.
This is one of my favorite Happy Hour's on Marco. It is every night from 4:30-6:00 PM. The happy hour is only at the bar and small lounge by the bar, so get there at 4:30 as it fills up quickly. The have discounted drinks and small bites on their happy hour menu. Everything is elegantly presented and tasty. Below is the link to their happy hour menu.
http://theoystersociety.com/wp-content/uploads/TOS-HH-2020-menu.pdf
51 locals recommend
The Oyster Society
599 S Collier BlvdThis is one of my favorite Happy Hour's on Marco. It is every night from 4:30-6:00 PM. The happy hour is only at the bar and small lounge by the bar, so get there at 4:30 as it fills up quickly. The have discounted drinks and small bites on their happy hour menu. Everything is elegantly presented and tasty. Below is the link to their happy hour menu.
http://theoystersociety.com/wp-content/uploads/TOS-HH-2020-menu.pdf
Stone crabs are unique to South Florida and are in season from October 15 - May 15. I think they are delicious and I love that the crab is not killed to eat their claws. The fishermen only remove one claw that regrows. Honestly, they are delicious and Kirk’s has fresh claws with a great sauce to purchase. They are expensive, but worth it at least once a year.
10 locals recommend
Kirk Fish Company
417 Papaya StStone crabs are unique to South Florida and are in season from October 15 - May 15. I think they are delicious and I love that the crab is not killed to eat their claws. The fishermen only remove one claw that regrows. Honestly, they are delicious and Kirk’s has fresh claws with a great sauce to purchase. They are expensive, but worth it at least once a year.
This is a great grocery store that offers many locally grown fruit and vegetables. They also have great prepared foods. I loved their plum pie, but this is seasonal (April). They have many food bars with various cuisines to either eat in the store or to-go. You're able to order a glass of beer or wine and stroll in the store with your drink. Many of the foods are prepared in store and are delicious. This is a fun store to stroll around on a rainy day and the prices can be a little high, but you pay for the great quality.
90 locals recommend
Oakes Farms Seed to Table Market
4835 Immokalee RdThis is a great grocery store that offers many locally grown fruit and vegetables. They also have great prepared foods. I loved their plum pie, but this is seasonal (April). They have many food bars with various cuisines to either eat in the store or to-go. You're able to order a glass of beer or wine and stroll in the store with your drink. Many of the foods are prepared in store and are delicious. This is a fun store to stroll around on a rainy day and the prices can be a little high, but you pay for the great quality.
Sightseeing
This is a short hike on level ground with an observation tower at the end. It is about 15 miles from Marco Island. You can see a variety of birds from Roseate Spoonbills to White Pelicans. Sometimes you may see a lot, sometimes you may see nothing, but it is an easy hike of about a quarter of a mile in the Ten Thousand Islands with a 3 story Observation Tower half way down. I have gone past the observation tower but it is difficult to see over the plants and normally return after the tower. There is an observation viewer on the tower. Bring your bug spray especially in the wet season! This is a free hike.
8 locals recommend
Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge - Marsh Trail
21004 Tamiami Trail EThis is a short hike on level ground with an observation tower at the end. It is about 15 miles from Marco Island. You can see a variety of birds from Roseate Spoonbills to White Pelicans. Sometimes you may see a lot, sometimes you may see nothing, but it is an easy hike of about a quarter of a mile in the Ten Thousand Islands with a 3 story Observation Tower half way down. I have gone past the observation tower but it is difficult to see over the plants and normally return after the tower. There is an observation viewer on the tower. Bring your bug spray especially in the wet season! This is a free hike.
There is a small boardwalk behind the welcome center where you can see alligators or manatees. The manatees are only there in the cold winter months. They clean restrooms and usually there is a ranger that can answer any questions. I always stop when I am driving by because you don't know what you will see and it only takes about 5 minutes. It is a good place to stretch your legs. This is a free hike and they have many brochures and information here about the national parks in this area.
Big Cypress Swamp Welcome Center
33000 Tamiami Trail EThere is a small boardwalk behind the welcome center where you can see alligators or manatees. The manatees are only there in the cold winter months. They clean restrooms and usually there is a ranger that can answer any questions. I always stop when I am driving by because you don't know what you will see and it only takes about 5 minutes. It is a good place to stretch your legs. This is a free hike and they have many brochures and information here about the national parks in this area.
If you want to safely see alligators for free, this is your place. There are always plenty of alligators and you walk along a boardwalk above all the alligators. There are also restrooms here and it is about 48 miles from Marco.
Big Cypress Oasis Visitor Center
52105 Tamiami Trail EIf you want to safely see alligators for free, this is your place. There are always plenty of alligators and you walk along a boardwalk above all the alligators. There are also restrooms here and it is about 48 miles from Marco.
This is another boardwalk hike and I was surprised how much I liked it. It had a lot of interesting information about the cypress trees in Big Cypress National Preserve. You start out this 1 mile hike in the sun and then continue under the cypress canopy in the shade and I believe you end on an alligator pool at the end. Don't worry you are always above on a boardwalk. This is also free.
Kirby Storter Roadside Park
48900 Tamiami Trail EThis is another boardwalk hike and I was surprised how much I liked it. It had a lot of interesting information about the cypress trees in Big Cypress National Preserve. You start out this 1 mile hike in the sun and then continue under the cypress canopy in the shade and I believe you end on an alligator pool at the end. Don't worry you are always above on a boardwalk. This is also free.
This is a boardwalk into the Fakahatchee Strand. It is mostly in the shade and there are a variety of nature you could observe. It is about 1 mile long and I believe they have a $3 suggested donation to place in lock box at the beginning of the trail. I have seen baby alligators, eagles, owls, osprey, roseate spoonbills, ghost orchids. You never know what you will see and every visit will be different.
7 locals recommend
Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve
137 Coast Line DrThis is a boardwalk into the Fakahatchee Strand. It is mostly in the shade and there are a variety of nature you could observe. It is about 1 mile long and I believe they have a $3 suggested donation to place in lock box at the beginning of the trail. I have seen baby alligators, eagles, owls, osprey, roseate spoonbills, ghost orchids. You never know what you will see and every visit will be different.
You can only access Keewaydin Island by boat, either by renting or bringing your own boat or taking the Keewaydin ferry ($) from Rose Marina on Marco Island. Many boats pull up on the inner side and spend the day walking the beach, shelling, grilling, or floating from one end of the island to the other. They often have food boats, especially on the weekends. This Island can often have some big parties as well. There are no facilities on the island, so you must bring everything with you and take it back home when you leave. There is also a nice sand bar developing south of the island where you can anchor your boat.
30 locals recommend
Keewaydin Island
You can only access Keewaydin Island by boat, either by renting or bringing your own boat or taking the Keewaydin ferry ($) from Rose Marina on Marco Island. Many boats pull up on the inner side and spend the day walking the beach, shelling, grilling, or floating from one end of the island to the other. They often have food boats, especially on the weekends. This Island can often have some big parties as well. There are no facilities on the island, so you must bring everything with you and take it back home when you leave. There is also a nice sand bar developing south of the island where you can anchor your boat.
This beach is a Collier County Beach and charges $8 a day for parking. The parking lot leads you to the lagoon side of tigertail and you either have to walk across the calm lagoon to reach the gulf side beach or walk around. I haven't walked through the lagoon in years but it used to come up to about hip height at it's deepest, but this has probably changed as the shoals and sandbars do shift here often in the gulf. The walk around can be a little far if you have little ones or are carrying a lot. There is great shelling on the beach. There is also a restaurant and toilet facilities.
98 locals recommend
Tigertail Beach
430 Hernando DrThis beach is a Collier County Beach and charges $8 a day for parking. The parking lot leads you to the lagoon side of tigertail and you either have to walk across the calm lagoon to reach the gulf side beach or walk around. I haven't walked through the lagoon in years but it used to come up to about hip height at it's deepest, but this has probably changed as the shoals and sandbars do shift here often in the gulf. The walk around can be a little far if you have little ones or are carrying a lot. There is great shelling on the beach. There is also a restaurant and toilet facilities.
This is the other Collier County Beach Access. They also charge $8 a day for parking. This is the shortest walk from parking lot to beach on Marco Island. I would recommend getting there early in the day as the parking lot can fill up quickly in season and on weekends. Marco Island is strict about parking on the streets in this area, so only park in the the designated Collier Beach Parking Lot. There is an adjacent parking lot that is only for Marco Island Residents that are members of MICA, so make sure to use only the Collier Parking lot. The sand is very white and soft on Marco Island and a great walking and shelling beach. The water is usually warm and calm.
41 locals recommend
Marco Island South Public Beach Access
870 County Rd 951This is the other Collier County Beach Access. They also charge $8 a day for parking. This is the shortest walk from parking lot to beach on Marco Island. I would recommend getting there early in the day as the parking lot can fill up quickly in season and on weekends. Marco Island is strict about parking on the streets in this area, so only park in the the designated Collier Beach Parking Lot. There is an adjacent parking lot that is only for Marco Island Residents that are members of MICA, so make sure to use only the Collier Parking lot. The sand is very white and soft on Marco Island and a great walking and shelling beach. The water is usually warm and calm.
This is another popular beach that is reached by boat. This beach is a little more relaxed than Keewaydin and an excellent place to go shelling. Pull your boat onto the beach on the inside of the island, directly across from Hideaway. The inner lagoon is great for paddleboarding as it is always fairly calm. The outer beach has great shelling and in the summer there are nesting birds. I love to take my boat out by this island to watch a great view of the sunset.
Coconut Island
This is another popular beach that is reached by boat. This beach is a little more relaxed than Keewaydin and an excellent place to go shelling. Pull your boat onto the beach on the inside of the island, directly across from Hideaway. The inner lagoon is great for paddleboarding as it is always fairly calm. The outer beach has great shelling and in the summer there are nesting birds. I love to take my boat out by this island to watch a great view of the sunset.