Southwest Florida's Marco Island will keep visitors entertained all day and into the wee hours of the morning. Spend a peaceful day on the gorgeous white sandy beach, engaging in some water sports in the clear turquoise shallows, or use your daylight hours sightseeing or shopping. But when the sun begins to dip into the gulf, it's time for a spectacular dinner and some exciting nightlife! This quiet little island really heats up after sunset.

The most popular night spot is Captain Brien's Seafood and Raw Bar, where fresh local seafood is served in a variety of succulent dishes, and lobsters and clams are flown in daily from New England. Choose indoor or outdoor dining in the casual atmosphere. After dinner, check out their wonderful comedy club, with top names like Gallagher, Bobcat Goldthwait, and Mark Curry, or enjoy some great music and dancing.  This place rocks till 2 a.m.!

Bimini's Island Grill is a great place to go for couples with kids. Staff members will take children between the ages of 2 and 10 to the on-site play area at no charge, giving parents the opportunity to dine alone. The restaurant has a beautiful tropical setting, with both indoor and outdoor dining and nightly entertainment.

The Old Marco Lodge Crab House is a local favorite.  This restaurant serves wonderful crab dishes, fresh seafood, and steaks, with Key lime pie for dessert. Or try the scrumptious homemade peanut butter pie! Right on the waterfront, enjoy a drink outside at the tiki bar after dinner.

For upscale dining and shows, head to Blu Fusion. Enjoy dishes like jumbo prawns in lobster brandy sauce or filet mignon in a cabernet mirin reduction, along with a wine from their extensive list.  Dine inside or on the candlelit patio, while listening to soft, relaxing piano music during the week. On Fridays and Saturdays, they bump it up a notch as Barry Newman sings popular songs. On Sundays, enjoy dinner shows paying tribute to music legends.  This is a hip, sophisticated place, with contemporary decor, modern art, and fresh tropical flowers, often referred to as "Fifth Avenue on Marco."

If you prefer to take in a movie, visit the unique Marco Island Theater, where you'll be seated in a private dining cubicle to enjoy a meal while you watch a first-run film. Marco Movie is another good choice. This cinema serves beer, wine, sandwiches, quesadillas, pizza, wraps, spaghetti, salads, and seafood, so you can grab a bite and watch a great movie at the same time.

For an evening of culture, make the short drive to the Philharmonic Center for the Arts, in Naples. The 90,000-square foot facility offers world class entertainment, including classical music, popular musical reviews, and dance.

Marco Island provides the perfect vacation destination. You can spend your daytime hours in the sun, then party till late at night! Come back to your comfy holiday home, catch a few winks, then repeat the process the next day!

This guide to the sizzling nightlife of Marco Island was brought to you by Holle Abee

Is it bad that we will forgo the symphony for a movie where we can eat seafood?  Because we will.  Every time.  If you are like us, be sure to class up the vacation  with your surroundings.  Stay in a beautiful and luxurious home on Marco Island, and you will forgive yourself the bourgeois quesadilla and buddy-cop flick...