Marco Island is truly a boating and fishing paradise, as this largely underdeveloped area offers breathtaking scenery, thriving protected habitats, and some of the most beautiful waters in all of Florida to venture out in.
Bringing your own boat to Marco Island gives you the ultimate freedom in exploring the Marco Island area and is one of the top things to do for family vacations and getaways to this scenic area.
If you plan on visiting the area soon, it’s a good idea to get familiar with some of the Marco Island boating access points, boat ramps, safety guidelines, and local laws and requirements so that your experience is fun and goes as smoothly as possible. As you plan your next Marco Island boating adventure on this gorgeous barrier island, check out all our weekly rentals.
Boat Launches
There are multiple public boat launches through Marco Island that you can choose from depending on where your lodging is and whatever is most convenient for you.
- Located at 909 South Collier Court, Caxambas Park is a public boat launch with a 2-line boat ramp, concessions with food, drinks, fuel, bait and tackle, restrooms and a picnic area.
- Collier Boulevard Boating Park is located at 3620 Collier Boulevard and offers another public boat launch with ample parking and restrooms. You cannot purchase fuel from this park, but it does have a convenient location on Collier Boulevard directly north of the Marco Island Bridge.
- Calusa Island Marina is located at 385 Angler Dr. and offers a public boat ramp and every marina service you could need including repairs, detailing, painting, rigging, storage and more.
- Moran’s Barge Restaurant Marine and Motel is located at 3200 San Marco Rd. and offers a fully equipped marina as well as a private boat launch for guests.
Recreational Permits to Launch a Boat
You can purchase recreational permits to launch a boat for $120 from January through December and they are prorated according to the month of purchase, or you can choose to pay $3 per boat launch. Boat launching permits can be obtained by calling Collier County Parks and Recreation at (239)-353-0404.
Marco Island Waterway Boating Regulations
Boaters should be familiar with basic Marco Island waterway regulations prior to launching including the following:
- Idle Speed/No Wake in all canals, waterways, bays and within 500 feet of seawalls. Idle speed/No Wake is the minimum speed required to maintain steerage.
- Idle Speed/No Wake within 500 feet of Marco Island beaches. Boating around beaches should be a far distance from swimmers.
- U.S. Coast Guard “Rules of the Road” govern Marco Island navigation channels. Marco Island channels are marked with standard RED markers (triangular) and GREEN markers (square) with the conventional “red-rightreturning” system.
- Boat operators may not drink alcoholic beverages.
- Boats should be properly documented and registered and conform to U.S. Coast Guard regulations.
- Damaging navigational markers or mooring to them is prohibited.
- Interfering with navigation markers in Marco Island channels or anchoring to them is prohibited.
- Discarding untreated sewage in Florida waters is prohibited.
Bridge Clearance
It is also essential for boaters to get information about vertical and horizontal bridge clearance prior to launching their boat, as there are 14 bridges in the city. Specific information can be found in this pamphlet from the City of Marco Island.
Plan Your Visit
We can also answer your questions about lodging options near Marco Island boat access points. Don’t wait to plan your dream vacation with us!
Additional Information on Marco Island Boating
You can get information on safe boating and other details from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary on Marco Island by calling (239)-394-5911 or visiting them at the Caxambas Park Station at 905 South Collier Blvd The U.S. Power Squadron also offers safe boating courses and they can be reached at (239)-393-0150.