Marco Island is a perfect place for families to escape on their Florida vacation. There are many parks, public beaches and family-friendly activities to try. Because Marco Island isn’t crowded, there is no standstill traffic, no rowdy island guests and no fighting for elbow room at the beach. And at the end of the day (or during nap time) families can retire in their homey vacation rentals situated near the beach or overlooking the canals in safe, quiet neighborhoods. Your family is sure to have plenty of space to call their own and plenty of things to do.
1. Where To Eat
Kirk’s Coney Island is a family-friendly restaurant and bar with live music with an emphasis on sports. They have big screen TVs to watch football on Sundays and sports memorabilia hanging on every wall. Families flock to this Marco Island restaurant for the affordable prices and laid-back place to enjoy lunch or dinner. They serve “Detroit-style Coney Island” cuisine such as chili dogs, burgers, and gyros with beer, wine and soda drinks.
Located at 1095 Bald Eagle Drive, Kirk’s Coney Island restaurant is in the Olde Marco historical district not far from the Pelican Pier Marina. They’re open Monday – Saturday 11:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. Bar hours are after 8:30 p.m. on every day except Sunday.
2. Everglades National Park
Your kids will love visiting the Everglades National Park and Wooten’s Animal Sanctuary. The national park is 1.5 million acres including wetlands, mangrove forests, pine forest and swamps. You can choose to hike or drive the paved roads throughout the park, but if you want a unique vacation idea try Wooten’s Eco Tours. They give you options when it comes to experiencing the national park in new and exciting ways.
Choose from an airboat tour through the marshes to a swamp buggy tour to see manatees. Zooming around the 259 acres of nature preserve in an airboat gives you an adventurous experience while exploring the grasslands inhabited by wild alligators. The Swamp Buggy is an elevated platform on wheels that drives you through terrain that the airboat can’t reach, so you see Native American burial grounds, bald eagles and Manatee Pond where manatees can be seen most often in November – April. Both tours offer plenty of beautiful nature, bird spotting and informative captains that inform guests about the local wildlife and area history.
When you are finished with the tours, or choose to skip the excitement, you can walk through the animal sanctuary to see panthers, tigers, lions, bobcats, otters, pythons, and alligators. There is also a live alligator show where you can watch the animals being handled and fed. You can also hold an alligator and pose for a picture.
Everglades Airboat Tour
The Airboat tours last 30-35 minutes and is handicap accessible. All ages are welcome. Tours run 365 days a year with departures between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Tickets for adults (11+) are $32.50 and children between 4 – 10 are $20. Ticket prices don’t include sales taxes.
Everglades Swamp Buggy Tour
The Everglades Swamp Buggy Tours last about 30 minutes and is handicap accessible. All ages are welcome. Tours run 365 days a year with departures between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Tickets for adults (11+) are $27.50 and children between 4 – 10 are $20. Ticket prices don’t include sales taxes.
Wooten’s Everglades Airboat Tours
Wooten’s Everglades Airboat Tours
32330 Tamiami Trail East
Ochopee, FL 34141
3. Movie In Mackle Park
Frank E. Mackle Community Park is run by the City of Marco Island and houses many special events and recreation programs throughout the year including adult softball, sailing center, kids summer camp and farmers’ markets. While on vacation, it is a great place to take the kids and let them play on the outdoor playgorund. In the evenings, on the last Friday of every month they host a movie in the park starting somewhere between 6 – 7:30 p.m. Every movie is free and the movies are family-friendly. You can park at the Marco Island Teen Center overlooking the lake.
Mackle Community Park, located at 1361 Andalusia Terrace, is open from dawn to 9:00 p.m. 7 days a week. It includes a community center, water playground, and a dog park. Check out the parks and rec program calendar for upcoming events.