Marco Island, Florida

Marco Island, Florida is a place to go when you don't want to worry about the stresses of daily life. This serene hamlet, the largest in Florida´s "10,000 Islands" area, is a combination of sophistication, historical tradition, and laid back, friendly people.

Marco Island was originally home to the Calusa Indian tribe. It was populated by Spanish explorers in the mid 1500s, who found the island a convenient place to refill their water stores for the return trip to Spain. Originally called La Isla de San Marco (the Island of Saint Mark), Marco Island is named after Saint Mark, the author of the second gospel in the Bible. W.T. Collier is credited with founding San Marco in 1870. He was a wealthy land owner who traded with the Native Americans who inhabited the region.

With miles of white sandy beaches, Marco Island is a perfect place to enjoy the warming rays of the Gulf Coast. While relaxing, be sure to keep an eye out for one of the 200 species of birds, including the American Bald Eagle, that live in the area. Or you can scan the shore for that perfect seashell keepsake.

Along with Naples, its neighbor to the north, Marco Island offers the most golf courses per capita in the entire United States. Loops cater to every skill level. You can find courses designed by Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, and Robert Trent Jones, among others.

With its relatively shallow waters, Marco Island is an ideal spot for deep-sea fishing charters. You can reel in snook, redfish, tarpon, snapper, and trout, to name a few. You can also find numerous other outdoor activities to enhance your vacation. Sailing, scuba diving, parasailing, jet-ski rentals, swimming, and wind surfing are all popular on Marco Island.

If you want to absorb even more of a natural habitat, take a day and drive the roughly 30 miles down to Everglades National Park, the jumping off point of the Everglades, the largest remaining subtropical wilderness in the United States.

Getting to Marco Island is easy. From I-75, take Exit 101 (Marco Island), heading south on Collier Boulevard (formerly County Road 951) for 20 miles. Cross the Jolly Bridge onto Marco Island.