Marco Island is one of the best places to live or vacation in Florida's Ten Thousand Islands, featuring a beautiful combination of dining, shopping, golf, resorts, beaches, and necessities. If you love spending time in the great outdoors, you will love checking out these 5 ways to enjoy nature on Marco Island.

1. Explore on a Kayak

Exploring the Everglades, the Ten Thousand Islands, and around Marco Island by kayak will allow you an up close and personal look at some of the intricate natural beauty of the area. Whether you take your own self guided exploration or work with a guide, there is always something beautiful to discover.

Kayak Marco is a great choice for those looking for a tour, led by a tour guide who is a biologist and naturalist. You can relax, knowing you don't have to keep track of the map, and just enjoy the sightings of dolphins, tree crabs, birds and more!

2. Tigertail Beach and Sand Dollar Island

Tigertail Beach is one of the favorites on Marco Island. The main part of Tigertail Beach is called Sand Dollar Island or Sand Dollar Spit, a haven for egrets, herons, sandpipers, plovers, terns, and osprey. The beach is divided in two by a tide-driven lagoon, and is one of the most beautiful and popular spots to enjoy the coastline on the island.

Many people enjoy the calm waters of the lagoon for peaceful paddle boarding or a shallow place for kids to play in the water. The beach features an observation tower offering panoramic views, as well as parking, a snack bar, picnic tables, grills, a playground, and restrooms.

3. Go fishing

Marco Island is a great place to call home or vacation if you enjoy fishing. Many serious anglers travel to Marco Island just because of the world class fishing, where it is common to find tarpon, snook, sea trout, redfish, grouper, snapper, cobia, tuna, and king mackerel. There is always some kind of fishing in season near Marco Island.

Head out on your own or hire a fishing guide, with plenty to choose from in the area. A short trip into the Gulf of Mexico is one of the favorite ways to fish, with a guide who can show you just where to go.

4. Visit the Briggs Boardwalk Nature Center

This half mile long boardwalk loop features 7 diverse ecosystems to observe, carefully maintained by the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. You may enjoy wildlife sightings of a variety of birds in what many call a bird watcher's paradise.

Just down the way from the boardwalk, you will find the entrance to the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, an 110,000 acre protected area that is home to the only remaining undisturbed mangrove in the US. Enjoy a truly special look into this pristine, intact ecosystem by kayak or on a boat tour.

5. Explore the Everglades

While not technically on Marco Island, the Everglades are just 30 minutes away and are a must-see. Everglades National Park is a 1.5 million acre wetlands preserve, the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, that protects some of the most unique and special natural treasure in the nation.

Learn all about the unique wildlife and ecosystem through an education program or take a guided tour. You can even visit with your own boat and explore the vast expanse of subtropical wetlands. You may even catch a glimpse of endangered species like the manatee,  American crocodile, and the Florida panther.

To learn more about what it's like to live on Marco Island, contact us any time. We would love to help you find your ideal Marco Island property.