Magical, Mystical and Alluring Marco Island

Marco Island is known as a magical, mystical, and alluring island. It is all of that and more! We are beach lovers, so the beach was the number one attraction for us. We spent a lot of time walking the beach looking for sand dollars and star fish. We also watched the dolphins playing in the water right off shore from the timeshare, The Surf Club.

We found that being so close to the Everglades was a memorable way to spend some of our time. We rode one of the airboats into the Everglade swamps and took a boat ride in the National Park waters, where the fresh water meets the salt water of the gulf.

On Christmas Day we went to the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. What a great place to see all different birds and wildlife of Southern Florida.

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

The best way to get to Marco Island is by car. It is also necessary to have a car on the island.

Best Things Nearby:
Everglade National Park.
Sanibelle Island.
Wildlife Sanctuary.
Great restaurants!
Naples.

Best Things About the Resort:
The Surf Club of Marco is blessed with a prime beachfront location on Marco Island. There was a lovely view of the Gulf of Mexico from the balcony. The pool and whirlpool were warm and also had a gulf view.

Resort Experience:
We stayed on the seventh floor in a two bedroom unit. The unit itself faced the street, but the wrap-around balcony had a gulf view. Each bedroom had its own bathroom and privacy. The master bedroom had a king-size bed with a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom. The second bedroom had two twin-size beds, which we made into a king-size bed for the week. The kitchen was fairly small but had adequate dining area. The living room and each bedroom had a TV. The resort had a small gift shop off the lobby, and we found quite a few souveniors to take home from there.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

The Crabby Lady is way back, laid back and on the water in the small town of Goodland on Marco Island. It is a local small restaurant that has excellent seafood. The restaurant is right on the water and there are many tables available overlooking the water. We found the atmosphere to be unique with the nautical theme done in a rustic way.

We ate there for a lunch and had more food than we had at some restaurants for a dinner. I had a seafood sandwichas as my choice for the day which was delicious. My husband likes to try the unusual so he had the alligator. It was prepared like chicken strips and he said it tasted like chicken strips. I did manage to try a small piece and it was okay. I believe they had other such items on the menu, but didn't try any other "exotic" foods.

There weren't a lot of people there during the lunch hour other than locals. The waitress and hostess were very friendly and service was excellent. If you are looking for an out-of-way place with good seafood, this is the place to go.

The Snook Inn is located on the beautiful Marco River. According to their website they are rated in the top ten restaurants on Marco Island, and top 300 independent restaurants in the country. I would definitely agree with the rating as we frequented the Snook Inn each time we vacation on Marco Island.

They have a large variety on their menu for dinner and lunch. I had a delicious teriyaki Hawaiian chicken sandwich on their lunch menu. Another time I had their salad bar which was a ample meal either for lunch or dinner with a reasonable price of $6.00. If you are a shrimp lover either the Shrimp de Jonghe or Florida Gulf Shrimp are excellent! One time we enjoyed the seafood buffet with a variety of good choices. My husband said they had excellent Alaskan Snow Crab legs.

Being the restaurant is on the river, we enjoyed our dining in a relaxed atmosphere while we watched the boats go by (the restuarant also has boat docks) and pelicans play. If you are lucky you might also see dolphins playing in the water near the restaurant. They now have a garden courtyard in which you may sit among the palm trees and beds of flowers! They also offer live entertainment but I haven't had first hand experience with hearing any of it.

You may take home a memory from The Snook Inn at their gift shop. They have a selection of shirts, hats, mugs and souvenirs.

As a first time visitor we stopped at the Center of Education. There, volunteers explained the background of the refuge and what can be expected to be seen before heading out on the five-mile drive. The refuge is over 7,000 acres of mangrove populated with large flocks of water birds and migrating waterfowl, as well as alligators, otters, raccoons and even an American crocodile! Since we were there in the winter we saw a lot of species of birds, several alligators, and an "old" crocodile.

Volunteer interpreters, were regularly stationed throughout the drive to assist us with our questions about the refuge and its inhabitants.