Marco Island, Florida

[cara1]

Has anyone been there?

[mom_hanna]

Yes! DH and I went there before we were married for a couple of days. We loved it! I don't remember which hotel we stayed at, but it was a nice one, not very expensive, and had its own HUGE beach and pool. We were there in May, and it was so quiet, it felt like we had the place to ourselves. we found some good restaurants to eat at, but if you like night life and lots of restaurants, you might find it a little too low key. oh, and the water was calm and clean and beautiful. HTH

[Momof3Labs]

Yes, DH's parents live there year-round. What kind of info do you want?

[trentsmom]

We (DH, DS, and I) were there for a week this summer. Did you need to know about places to stay?

[cara1]

Our favorite hotel on Key Biscayne is closing. We're looking into Marco Island because we hear it may be similar. Any info you guys have would be fabulous!

We usually do our vacation when daycare is closed over Christmas vacation, so I'm hoping Marco Island is far enough South that it will still be swimming weather in December (We lucked out Last week in Key Biscayne with 75-80 degree weather). Looking for a nice hotel on a nice quite beach. Hoping for soft sand (not rocky or too shelly), kid friendly place, nice pool. Other stuff for kids to do nearby when we're too beached out (e.g., zoo, children's museum, playgrounds, etc.). I hear Marriott is nice. What's the restaurant situation like? Really, any other info would be fabulous.

[ohiomom]

I'm headed to the Marriott at the end of the week for a business trip. Don't like to travel and be away from DD, but can't say I'm dreading this one! :)

I'll post on what I find out while there. I'm particularly curious how the area has bounced back from Hurricane Wilma at this point. If anyone has any info, I'd love to hear it!

Nicole's Mom 7/03
Joshua ^|^ 5/05

[jenmcadams]

I live in Naples, FL and while I've only been here a year and haven't spent much time on Marco, it's only 10 minutes away and I can answer some of the kid-activity questions. As a resident, I find kid stuff pretty limited, but as a tourist, it would probably be adequate. There's a small, but nice, zoo in Naples that's worth 1/2 day and has plenty of playgrounds for kids. There's a local gymnastics gym in Naples (Gymnastics World) that has an open gym for Toddlers once or twice a week in winter ($9...it's filled with bounce houses, trampolines, etc.). The local library system in Collier County is amazing (and there's a branch on Marco) -- there are frequent story times and they are very used to tourists joining in. Otherwise, the beaches are amazing and should fit the bill. The weather should be very similar to Key Biscayne, but it's definitely hit or miss. You can end up with daytime temps as low as the high 60s, low 70s this time of year or you could get lucky and get low 80s.

Feel free to post or PM with other questions,

[Momof3Labs]

We really liked the Marriott on Marco Island, but the beach was packed so hard that it wasn't comfy to walk on without shoes. Weather can be hit or miss at that time of December (true for any part of Florida, honestly). There isn't much for kids to do on the Island; it's more of a kick back and relax and swim type of place. But if you have a car and are willing to drive, it opens up your options.

Check out Sanibel Island, too. They have a resort that is geared towards families and the most amazing beaches - shells galore!

[kozachka]

DH and I just spend a day there last week. The weather was nice but not hot enough to swim in the gulf IMO. Heated pool was more than adequate as soon as the sun peaked out (around 10-10:30 AM). We stayed at Hilton Resort as it offered the best rate for that night and loved it. DH still remembers their breakfast. We felt like we were on a resort in Caribbean :).

I would not think of Marco island as a kid-friendly location though more like a couple one. We had to wear shoes on the beach, it was kind of uncomfortable without them other than by the water edge. Lots of shells to pick. It'd be great for older kids who can appreciate that kind of thing. HTH.

[cara1]

Hmm, that's what I was afraid of. So, no playing in sand and building sand castles?

[sugarsnappea]

We just got back from a vacation in that area. I think Sanibel Island is better for the kid situation that you are looking for. My girls loved the shelling, and we took them to Darling Nature Preserve. It was great, we saw a ton of wildlife. We also were in Naples, and Miami beach. There were a ton of families in both these places. I know there are a couple of great kid-friendly resorts in these locales too! We did Marco a couple years back and were surprised at the lack of children, and young adults. Last week the gulf side was a little to chilly to swim in, but DH and I went swimming at S. Beach. Have a great trip! A warm winter vacation is great for all.

[Oct. 04 mom]

We went there over Thanksgiving for a wedding.

It's a beautiful place, but there wasn't much for DS to do. He was 13 months at the time and refused to walk on the sand.

The Marriott seems very nice -- it has a great kid pool -- but packed and expensive.

Skip the Raddison. It was in shambles.

Arturo's Italian Restaurant is good. Not very kid friendly.

If you go, check out Little Bar Restaurant, 205 Harbor Dr.
Goodland, Fl., (239) 394-5663.

It's great food with a deck that looks over a small bay. It's not fancy by any means, but DS was mesmerized watching the birds. (BTW: They don't have a kids menu.)

Carey