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USA Today Names “10 Best Things to Do on Marco Island”

USA Today has announced a list of recommended attractions across Marco Island. From beaches, to wildlife preserves, watersports and more, their comprehensive guide to the top sites to see on Marco Island is useful for both new and returning guests.

“What at first glance might appear a high-rise resort beach destination, Marco Island, just south of Naples, actually widely varies its offerings to vacationers.” -USAToday

  1. Marco Mystery & History Tours

Step back in time and take a ghoulish tour with Martha Horror, actress and personal guide.

Stops include a 340-year-old Indian burial mound, haunted inn and cemetery. Tours run from October through March; private tours are available year round upon request.

  1. Otter Mound Preserve

This shell mound is just one example of the ancient Calusa mounds created by the first native settlers in Southwest Florida. This hidden Calusa archaeological site and its short interpretative trail along a mulch pathway tell the story of the aboriginal Indians who once inhabited this area.

  1. Marco Island Princess

Observe Marco and her beautiful gulf waters from the Marco Island Princess, a 90-foot yacht featuring a narrated sightseeing and luncheon cruises point out the area’s natural and historical assets. Dolphins, birds, sea turtles and manatees often entertain.

  1. Village of Goodland

Located just outside of Marco Island, Goodland is an eclectic fishing community full of food and funky fun. Dine on freshly caught seafood as you watch the fish, shrimp, and world-famous stone crab come in directly from the gulf.

  1. South Marco Beach

Sugary sands await at Marco Island’s most accessible public beach. Enjoy a day under the sun playing volleyball, jet-skiing, parasailing, paddle-boarding, and more!

  1. Tigertail Beach

Teeming with wildlife, Tigertail Beach is a favorite for birdwatchers and animal enthusiasts. The award-winning beach is home to  playgrounds, water sports rentals, a food concession and restrooms.

  1. Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

Home to the Environmental Learning Center explore a gallery that hosts changing exhibits of wildlife art in addition to its gift shop and an impressive, inviting gallery of interactive exhibits that include a 2,000-gallon aquarium built into roots of a recreated mangrove tree, plus a touch tank and other exhibits.

  1. Dolphin Explorer

Functioning as a citizen-science research boat and sightseeing tour, the Dolphin Explorer travel along the waves with the 10,000 Islands Survey Team Dolphin Project. If there’s a tour where you’re going to see dolphins, this is it, because the researchers know the populations by name – and size and the markings on their fins and tails

  1. Paddle Marco

Sitting on the edge of the Ten Thousand Islands, Marco Island is surrounded with scenic waterways that take you deep into nature. The best way to get to know the “natural” side of Marco is from the water on a kayak or paddleboard. Paddle Marco launches its 2.5-hour Mangrove Canopy Paddle from the Paddlecraft Park between the main island and Isles of Capri.

  1. Marco Island Historical Museum

Long famous for its Key Marco Cat — one of the most remarkable and influential discoveries in North American archaeology — the Marco Island Historical Museum explores Southwest Florida’s Calusa Indians and brings this vanished civilization to life with informative displays and an exciting recreated village scene.

 

USA TODAY is a multi-platform news and information media company. Founded in 1982, its mission is to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make the USA truly one nation.