Marco Island is one of Florida’s most popular vacation destinations, and for good reason! Marco Island offers all of the perks and necessities you would want from an island getaway without ever leaving the country!
Keep reading for six fun facts about this island paradise, and start planning your next trip!
1. Largest of the Ten Thousand Islands
The Ten Thousand Islands are a chain of islands located off the coast of southwest Florida. Marco Island, the largest of the chain, is a beachfront paradise surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and beautiful mangrove estuaries. It is situated just north of the Gulf Coast entrance to Everglades National Park. Surrounding the island are nearly 100 miles of undeveloped islands, bays and beautiful ecosystems.
Marco Island is known for its untouched natural beauty, gorgeous beaches, and breathtaking, unpolluted waters with plenty of wildlife.
2. Diverse (Animal) Inhabitants
Marco Island is home to a myriad of animal species, including bottlenose dolphins, manatees, sea otters, alligators, crocodiles, wood storks, brown and white pelicans, roseate spoonbills, herons, egrets and more.
You can see these locals in their natural habitat by booking a Waverunner or jet ski tour, or renting kayaks for a self-guided tour of Marco Island’s animal population.
3. Key Historic Landmarks
Marco Island is home to one of the most important archeological sites in North America. Priceless artifacts were uncovered on the island, showcasing the beginnings of early American civilization. Most renowned was the unearthing of the Key Marco Cat sculpture, now at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., as well as ancient burial mounds, artifacts dating back to the Calusa Indians, remnants of the Caxambas Clam Colony, an 1883 historic inn, and remains of a witch watchtower.
If you’re a history buff, or just interested in learning new things, Marco Island won’t disappoint.
4. Boating and Fishing Paradise
Marco Island locals and tourists alike enjoy out-of-this-world boating and fishing, reeling in snook, tarpon, redfish, trout, pompano and many other species. Guided experiences are available farther into the Gulf of Mexico for unique catches such as grouper, kingfish and snapper.
Boating, whether in rented rigs or aboard a luxurious cruise ship, offers the best angles and vantage points of Marco Island: the dolphins, the birds, the beaches, the clear water, the sunset, the life onshore, the cityscape.
Amid other attractions (beaches, shopping, golfing, dining, and entertainment), some of the most looked-forward-to enticements of Marco Island happen on the open water.
5. Cape Romano
If you’ve Googled photos of Marco Island, you’ve likely seen images of the infamous Cape Romano domes. As the legend goes, these almost alien-looking structures once belonged to a retired oilman in the 80s as his vacation home. But with erosion and natural disasters, these structures began to slide into open water.
The site is now state-owned, but the future of the unique conglomeration of concrete located just off the coast is unknown, as some locals fear the safety of boaters as it continues to become more and more submerged.
6. Home of WOW Marco Island Jet Ski Tours and Rentals
If Marco Island is on your vacation destination shortlist, then a jet ski tour hosted by our professional, fun, and friendly team needs to be on your itinerary. We will take you on a tour of the entire property of Marco Island that we here call home. You will be able to reach areas that boats are unable to access, and see the beautiful landscape from a new point of view.
WOW gives you a unique opportunity to take an exhilarating ride through the only subtropical mangrove forest in the United States, visit the Goodland Islands and Thousand Islands, cruise the backwater of Marco River, and visit the fascinating architecture of the dome house off Cape Romano. It’s the best of all worlds! We can’t wait to show you Marco Island.