If you're heading to Marco Island, Florida on your next vacation, you're probably expecting to relax, swim, and sit by the seaside. But what about adding a bit of adventure to your trip? Since it's located on the Gulf of Mexico, Marco Island is a one of the best places in the U.S. to enjoy all types of exciting water sports.
Explore Marine Life
Whether you're a seasoned scuba diver or afraid to blow bubbles in the bathtub, you can take your very own trip to the bottom of the ocean for a deep sea dive. Some of the best scuba schools in Marco Island offer diving trips for beginners as well as repeat divers. They'll take you out on a tour of the Gulf's incredible ecosystem, where you'll get up close and personal with tropical fish, schools of bait fish, crustaceans, and even tame nurse sharks. You may also get a chance to see a spotted sea turtle or a sting ray if you're lucky.
Don't be afraid - there's nothing dangerous about scuba diving in these waters. And you'll get to experience nature in a whole new setting.
Go By Boat
Want to explore Marco Island to the fullest? When you travel by kayak, you can reach waterway locales that are impossible to get to by power boat or on foot. Or, take a chartered pontoon boat to discover Florida's Ten Thousand Islands in solitude. You can bring along lunch and bait, and spend the day fishing or swimming on your own personal uninhabited island.
If you'd rather put a captain in charge of your sailing safety, you can take a boat tour all the way to the Everglades, where your guide will introduce you to manatees, alligators, dolphins, and turtles. Or charter a guided fishing boat so you'll have some help reeling in those big ones.
Extreme Action
No matter what your age, don't miss out on an exhilarating power boat adventure. Depending on your level of experience, you can choose from jet skis, tubing, or wakeboarding on the back of a boat driven by a professional instructor. It's hard to beat the feeling of water spraying in your face as you glide on top of the ocean. And if your coordination leaves something to be desired, you can always stick to tubing - so you can focus your energies on holding on tight!
Create Your Own Water Activity
The great thing about Marco Island is that there's water everywhere. So if you're a bit hesitant to commit to water sports, you can create your own underwater activity. Just rent or purchase a snorkeling mask and head to Tigertail Beach for a deeper look at the area's exotic marine life. It's not unusual to find dolphins and manatees frolicking in the island's many waterways, so don't be shy about getting close enough to say hello.
Make sure to include a water activity or two on your next trip to southern Florida. It's nice to swim and build sandcastles, but if you decide to take the plunge into Marco Island water sports, you'll always remember the experience!
This guide to wet and wild Marco Island was brought to you by Susannah Schild.
We like the idea of being up close with Manatees (The Sea Cow, you know), but we LOVE the idea of being up close with a Marco Island luxury home after our under-sea adventures. Book a private beach-front vacation home today and assure your post-sea cow bliss!