Marco Island, the largest of the Ten Thousand Islands, is located at southern tip of Southwest Florida’s Paradise Coast. A beachfront paradise located just north of the Gulf Coast entrance to Everglades National Park and 15 miles south of Naples, the island is surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico on one side and pristine mangrove estuaries on the other.

Marco Island is home to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches and offers world-class golf courses nearby, shopping and dining on Marco Island and in nearby Naples, the world famous Everglades National Park immediately adjacent, and immediate access to both the Gulf of Mexico and the mangrove-lined estuaries of the Ten Thousand Islands for shelling, fishing, boating, bird and wildlife watching, kayaking and canoeing.

NATURAL CHOICE FOR RELAXATION AND ADVENTURE - The natural environment in and around Marco Island provides the perfect backdrop for both relaxing and adventurous activities. Marco Island’s beach and surrounding sand bars offer some of the best shelling in the world. A casual stroll along Marco Island beaches will reward the shell seeker with a wide variety of shells including whelks, olive shells, scallops and hundreds of other gems of the sea. A number of island tour operators provide short trips by boat to deserted sand bars and nearby islands that are covered in keepsake shells.

The Ten Thousand Islands stretch endlessly from Marco Island’s southern edge, winding past Everglades City and Chokoloskee all the way down to Flamingo at the southern tip of Florida’s mainland. A large percentage of the Ten Thousand Islands is located within the boundaries of either the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge or Everglades National Park, providing a haven for numerous rare and endangered animal and bird species.

Bird watchers and adventurers can easily access this water wonderland from Marco Island in a variety of ways. Canoes and kayaks are readily available for rent, with both short and extended tour routes available. The Paradise Coast Blueway’s Phase I - Ten Thousand Islands section provides GPS points for paddling routes between Goodland on Marco Island and Everglades City. Routes are available at www.paradisecoastblueway.com. Beachfront water sports operators provide guided Waverunner tours through nearby mangrove islands with information on the mangrove estuary and its inhabitants, including bottlenose dolphin, manatee, sea otter, alligator, crocodile, wood stork, brown and white pelicans, roseate spoonbill, herons, egrets and more.

Marco Island is flanked by nearly 100 miles of islands, bays and estuaries that will never be developed. Access to this nearby wilderness is possible through the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Collier-Seminole State Park, Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve, Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park. These conditions provide a paradise for nature photographers, anglers and outdoor adventurers.

FISHING - Backcountry fishing 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, kingish 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 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 Marco Island Historical Society has two free museum locations on the island. One, in the Shops at Olde Marco, features items documenting the Calusa Indian settlements on the island, and the other, located within the Marco Island Area Board of Realtors office, showcases both ancient history and the modern day settlers who made Marco Island what it is today. In late 2008, the historical society will debut the welcome center portion of the new Marco Island Historical Museum, which will continue to be expanded and developed over the next five to ten years.