Marco Island has two public beaches: Tigertail Beach and South Beach. They are very popular with multiple access points.
Marco Island is 18 miles south of Naples and 31 miles northwest of the Everglades National Park. Tigertail Beach Park is incredibly unique, home to 2 very different swimming areas (the ocean and a lagoon), a bird watching tower, tidal pools, and hourly rowing boat, kayak, paddleboard and beach bike rentals. The only downside is that you need to walk almost half a mile to the water's edge through 2 different options. The lagoon is about 50 meters wide at high tide, however, it is by far a much shorter path to get to the beach.
The second option is to avoid getting wet by walking around the lagoon, which is a minimum of 15 minutes walk from the parking lot to the ocean. 210 paid parking spaces are available. This main part of Tigertail Beach, facing the lagoon, is Sand Dollar Island, also known as Sand Dollar Spit. Hours, parking, and amenities are what is associated with Tigertail Beach Park, as once again, Sand Dollar Spit is part of the Tigertail complex (though you'll only need to walk a little further to get to them).
There is another popular public beach on Marco Island called South Marco Beach. South Marco Beach is ideal for families, as it is clean and has shallow water. There are 70 paid parking spaces available.
. Between Tigertail Beach Park and South Marco Beach is Resident's Beach, bordered by some of the high-rise hotels and luxury resorts.
On Marco Island, Tigertail Beach Park is rated highly among families for offering pleasant amenities in nature. A children's playground, sand volleyball court and picnic area with grills help organize the quintessential beach day with the family. Other essentials include concessions for beach equipment and refreshments, parking, showers, restrooms, and disability access. Many enjoy the lagoon area with nearby play areas and concessions.
Others rent paddleboards to transport their belongings and youth across the shallow lagoon to the long stretch of quiet beach on Barrier Island, one of the best bombing beaches in southwest Florida. Tigertail Beach is known as the best beach for bombing on Marco Island, but again, you can look for shells on any of Marco Island's beaches. Marco Island residents can enjoy this incredible members-only beach, which is also open to you if you rent a property for more than a month in the area. Parking (plus restrooms) is located across the street from the beach on Swallow Avenue, a short walk from South Collier Boulevard.
Marco Island is a beautiful area to explore with lots of great places to stay — full review of where to stay on Marco Island here. In addition, most of Marco's beaches are regularly raked and tilled by tractors and beach equipment. Vanderbilt Beach is open to the public and offers direct access to the Gulf of Mexico, white sands with sea oats, abundant seashells and bird watching.
The tidal lagoon connects Tigertail Beach with the Big Marco Critical wildlife area, known as the Sand Dollar Spit. The types of shells you can find while bombing in Florida on Marco Island beaches include the worm shell, calico shell, lightning snail, moon snail, olive shell, fighting conch, sand dollar, starfish and conch shell. This is done to prevent algae from accumulating, to prevent sand and shells from forming a hard crust, as well as to keep the insect population low, all of which makes conditions more pleasant for beach lovers. Keep reading to find out how to enjoy your Florida vacation at Marco Beach and across the bridge in Naples, FL.
While there was hardly anyone at Tigertail Beach, many beach chairs and umbrellas lined the South Beach shoreline. Marco Island's beautiful beaches, including Tigertail Beach, are ideal for families, with miles of white sand beaches and stunning waters. On the right is where lagoon beach lovers will come to Tigertail Beach, and also where you'll find more shells along with some dead beach trees on Marco Island.
