Ian, Avery, and I made our way down to Florida’s Paradise Coast to start our New Year off the right way. We only spent a few days there, so I do not have a TON of recommendations for you, but like all of my travel guides, I will add to it and update it as I go back and visit the area time and time again (and trust me, I will definitely be back to Naples + Marco Island). For now, this is our Marco Island Travel Guide!
I was THRILLED about this trip because I have always wanted to check out Marco Island and the general Naples area, as well. In addition, it was Avery’s first beach trip and my mama heart was just so, so full seeing her love the water so much.
Side note before jumping into my recommendations: sometimes (most of the time), I really love my job as a full-time blogger/influencer and this was definitely one of those times. I have been creating travel and lifestyle content as a living for years now and it is just such a dream, especially when I get to visit places like this with my family. Truly, I am so thankful that I have been able to make this a career AND I am thankful for all of you because without you, I would not be able to do this and support my family. So, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Now, without further ado, here is my Marco Island Travel Guide:
Marco Island Travel Guide
First of all, if you are a parent, know that Marco Island and Naples, as a whole is extremely kid-friendly. We went to an oyster bar (restaurant) and a steakhouse and we were surrounded by plenty of kids, so we definitely did not feel out of place at all. There were even two or three 2 month old babies, just like Avery! It really is the perfect destination with kids. In addition, the Naples area is ranked the happiest and healthiest city in the U.S. for 4 years in a row. In fact, it is the only destination to have been awarded this consecutively for 4 years! They have TONS of outdoor activities that make the trip extremely fun – no matter how old you are. Here are a few of my recommendations:
Where to Eat
- The Oyster Society: This place was probably our favorite foodie spot of our trip to Marco Island, Florida. It was AMAZING. They had fantastic happy hour specials and we took advantage of their wine deals + oyster deal during that. Also, their scallops were out of this world. The plating was perfect, too!
- Marco Prime Steak & Seafood: This is actually a sister restaurant of The Oyster Society (and they also have another restaurant in that same shopping center that serves Italian). Another place with outdoor seating, a great happy hour menu, and great food + service. HIGHLY recommend! Their side portions are huge, so don’t feel the need to get 4+ sides when splitting a steak and a salad like we did. Or, maybe do, because they were phenomenal.
- Chocolate shop + ice cream shop in that same plaza: If you type in The Oyster Society in your maps, this entire shopping center/plaza will pull up. It’s great because it also has a chocolate shop, ice cream shop, a movie theatre, and a few shops in it, as well. We frequented the ice cream shop and chocolate shop and both were great!
- Nacho Mama’s: Once again, in this same shopping center (I’m telling you – it was great AND within walking distance from our hotel!). This place is super casual, but it has good tex-mex food. Ian got a THREE POUND TACO.
- Wake up Marco: Amazing little coffee shop with the most kind barista. Highly recommend! I wish we would have gone here every single morning.
What to Do
Gosh, there are so many things to do, but here are just a couple:
- Beach: The water is clear, the beach is perfection, and the weather was great (for us). I love this beach because it’s a very still water (vs. tons of waves like the east coast water), so you are able to just relax.
- Quinn’s on The Beach: Awesome entertainment!
- The Naples Pier: You can go to the beach here, walk the pier, watch people fish, take great photos, etc.
- Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary: A boardwalk trail with tons of wildlife! I will say, however, that this is about 30 miles from Naples, so it was a little bit of a drive, but worth it!
- Tons of other outdoor activities like kayaking, paddleboarding, biking, fishing, and the list goes on…
Where to Stay
We loved the area across from the plaza where we had all of our dinners – it was great! I would probably check out the JW Marriott next time: it looked so nice!
There you have it – my short and sweet Marco Island Travel Guide, but I really hope to add to this sooner rather than later. Florida’s Paradise Coast really is such a dream and I was so thrilled to be able to partner with them on my Instagram. If you are looking for a super kid-friendly beach town to visit this year, I HIGHLY recommend visiting Marco Island and/or Naples!
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