Spend 3 Idyllic Days on Marco Island, a Tropical Escape Along Florida’s Paradise Coast

The biggest of Florida’s Ten Thousand Island archipelago, Marco Island may be accessible by causeway, but it still has the feel of a tropical escape. Measuring four-by-six miles, you can easily park your car for the weekend and rent a cruiser bike to get around. Or you could go full-on beach mode and have the most walking you do be the 500 or so feet between your oceanfront hotel room and the shore.

But if you really want to see why they call it the Paradise Coast, explore all corners of the island, experience the Everglades and venture out of the water to see a mysterious mansion lost to rising tides.

As always, check for travel restrictions and closures before planning your trip.

Friday: Hit the Beach

Start your vacation off on a high note with breakfast at Doreen’s Cup of Joe.

Ask for a table on the shabby-chic covered porch and order some morning apps, such as nachos topped with scrambled eggs or homemade doughnut holes. Served in mason jars, the Cereal Killer Cocktails are a house favorite, so why not get a round for the table? As Florida’s unofficial patron saint Jimmy Buffett would say, “It’s five o’clock somewhere.”

After breakfast, make a bee-line for the beach. Set up shop at Tigertail Beach on the island’s northwest side. With three miles of white sand and year-round warm water thanks to its gulfside location, you’ll soon understand why this area is called Paradise Coast.

Take a cat nap under your umbrella or scour the shoreline for the washed-up former homes of clams, limpets and lion’s paws. As a barrier island, Marco is known for its exceptional shell game.

Once your crew is beached out, head inland to Marco Island Center for the Arts to see paintings, sculptures and pottery made by local artists. The center’s gift shop and the Keep in Touch Store, housed in a working post office, are good spots to grab a tropical-themed souvenir.

Make your way to Old Marco for lunch at Lee Be Fish. Try the local special stone crab if it’s in season or choose the catch of the day, blackened, grilled and served on a pile of fries.

In the evening, it’s back to the shore. Facing west, Marco Island has some epic sunsets.

Watch the sun drop behind the water at Marco Beach before strolling over to JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort. The sprawling resort is fun for guests and outside visitors, too.

Visit the Balinese-inspired Kane Tiki Bar & Grill for rum-based cocktails and a nightly fire show. Enjoy dinner at 10K Alley before getting in a few rounds of bowling on the restaurant’s lanes

Saturday: Experience the Everglades

The Florida Everglades, the largest tropical wilderness in the United States, sits just a 45-minute drive from Marco Island and provides a fascinating contrast to the breezy beach.

Order coffee from Wake Up Marco on your way out of town and head south to Everglades City, a popular getaway in the northwestern corner of the park.

Visit Clyde Butcher Big Cypress Gallery to embark on a two-hour walking tour through what locals call “real Florida.” Wear an athletic outfit and pack a change of clothes. Depending on the season, you’ll walk through water that can get up to waist deep. Along the way, the guide will point out orchids, ferns, irises and other prehistoric flora the area is known for.

Dry off and drive back on Highway 41 through Everglades City to Chokoloskee Island. Dig into Cuban staples like media noche — similar to a Cuban sandwich, but with a sweet egg loaf bread — and shrimp tostones, served under the festive thatched roofs at Havana Café.

Before you depart the park, experience the Everglades from a different vantage point. Sign up for one of the many airboat rides out of Everglades City.

The flat-bottomed watercraft skids across the water at remarkable speeds. Fly through mangroves tunnels, just large enough for the large propeler. Question the sanity of the morning’s swamp walk with up-close-and-personal experiences with a few of the 200,000 alligators who call the Everglades home.

Gentler waters are calling, so head on back to home base. Finish your evening at The SpeakEasy. Located at the end of a small quiet canal in Marco Island, the dockside restaurant charms with pub food, water views and craft cocktails.

Sunday: Oysters and Offshore Adventure

Ease your way into the last day of your trip — after all, you’re still on island time for another 24 hours — and head to Mango’s Dockside Bistro for a leisurely breakfast. Any kids in tow will be mesmerized by the 750-gallon saltwater fish tank and man-made waterfall. Adults will appreciate the dreamy views and seasonal fresh fruit.

About 12-square miles in size, Marco might feel small but it’s actually the largest of the Ten Thousand Island archipelago.

Take the opportunity to visit a few of its smaller sisters. Rent a motorboat (or hire a guide) and set sail from one of the many marinas, keeping the shoreline to your left. You’ll hit a string of little islands where you can drop anchor and swim to the shore. Many of these miniature isles offer beaches piled with light pink shells.

The ocean’s most fascinating spectacle is located off of the southern tip of Cape Romano Island.

Known as the Cape Romano Dome House, you won’t be able to miss the igloo-shaped structures protruding from the surf. The waterlogged mansion was once the 1980s home of a wealthy oil producer, but rising water levels forced the family to abandon the beach home in 1992.

Refuel on the mainland at Crabby Lady with peel-and-eat shrimp and some blue crab dip.

Spend the afternoon relaxing on the sand or visit Calusa Park Butterfly Garden. The 105-acre property is dedicated to the preservation of Florida wildlife. Watch native species flutter in the butterfly conservatory and visit the museum to see iguanas, snakes, turtles and a red fox.

Pack your board shorts away and get gussied up for a sophisticated dinner at The Oyster Society. Start dinner with a classic cocktail and a cool dozen and finish with a slice of house-made Key West Key Lime Pie.

If you want to keep the party going just a bit longer, visit the Snook Inn for a sudsy nightcap under the stars.