Choose Your Own Eco Adventure on Marco Island

In Florida's southwestern reaches lies Marco Island. From this area, you're within easy reach of some of Florida's most beautiful and utterly wild beach and mangrove landscapes — notably the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, a vast area of wilderness that continues south into Everglades National Park.

Exploring these nature areas through eco tours is an ideal way to soak up the incredible views, see unique wildlife living, and better understand why this fragile environment is vital to such a remarkable range of life.

Here are some top eco-minded experiences to seek out during your next vacation on Marco Island.

Courtesy Paradise Advertising/© Naples Marco Island Everglades CVB

Travel by Boat Into the Everglades' Inner Reaches

There's so much happening beneath the surface in the Everglades that the park is best discovered during boat tours with a naturalist guide. Most tours leave from Everglades City — a remote fishing village east of Marco Island that's the closest launching point within Everglades National Park from Florida's Gulf Coast.

You're very likely to see dolphins, manatees, all manner of wading birds and raptors, and many other animals endemic to these waters. You'll also learn about some of the lesser-known inhabitants and invasive species living within this part of wild Florida, too. Cruising aboard a pontoon boat provides some good cover from the sun — especially important on a hot Florida day.

Courtesy Naples Marco Island Everglades CVB

Explore Big Cypress National Preserve on Foot

Located just over 25 miles east of Marco Island, Big Cypress National Preserve is a surprisingly accessible wilderness area adjacent to the Everglades. During a walking tour, you might get to see Florida's rare ghost orchid, found high up in trees. These amazing flowers are as delicate a jewel and as translucent as a cloud. You’ll also spot  other plants, trees, and animals that only exist in this North American "Amazon."

Courtesy JoNell Modys/Naples Marco Island Everglades CVB

Paddle a Kayak Through a Mangrove Maze

In the brackish waters where mangroves thrive, lush tunnels often form from their twisting branches. It makes for a wondrous, watery pathway that's best explored during kayak tours timed perfectly with the tides. Along the way, guides will point out night herons and great blue herons, as well as other wading birds that stalk the shallows. It's fascinating to see juvenile fish hiding in the mangrove roots and, if you're lucky, even baby bull sharks that call these protected waters home.

Courtesy Dolphin Explorer

Go Shelling, Birding, and Dolphin-Spotting All at Once

Communing with nature comes easy on combined dolphin and shelling trips that depart Marco Island. The tours are bound for the pristine barrier island beaches that lie within the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge.

As you cruise along, your captain will scout the water for dolphins, which often like to play in the boat's wake. Keep an eye out for their fins slicing the water around you — they'll sometimes even leap entirely out of the water, putting on quite the show.

Serious shell-collectors love the chance to stroll on totally undeveloped islands to look for nature's treasures. They’ll collect lace murex shells, lightning whelks, and many other varieties. The water is shallow and warm for dipping, too, should you fancy cooling off with a swim.

Where to Stay:

Take a family-friendly vacation to Marco Island and experience everything Florida has to offer. Marriott’s Crystal Shores is a beachside resort that puts you right on the sand for a relaxing ocean getaway. Or visit Florida’s natural side with a day-trip to the Florida Everglades. This natural waterway is home to unique species of birds, reptiles, snakes, and more.