We’re a UK family living in NYC and we love it. But the cold winters feel eternal to us. To escape brutal February, we jetted with our two kids and my parents to Marco Island, the largest of Florida’s Ten Thousand Islands along the well-named Paradise Coast.
We all loved the relaxed vibe of the Paradise Coast. And I especially loved that my parents were happy hanging out with the kids by the pool (which means I actually got some reading in).
It’s the ideal destination for a chilled-out beach vacation with kids over winter break or spring break. And it was the perfect antidote to juggling work and kids in a New York winter.
Here’s an itinerary that gave us a mix of relaxation timeand opportunities to see some of Florida’s unique attractions.
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Where to Stay On Marco Island With Kids
Marco Island is a destination where vacation rentals are more common than hotels. Since we were three generations, we knew we’d need space both for all of us to hang out together and to have some privacy. So we went that route and rented a villa with a heated pool. This was a brilliant decision on our part, because Florida is chilly in February.
We rented from Marco Escapes, where the helpful staff tipped us off to good beach locations and family-friendly restaurants for those days when we didn’t want to cook.
If you do want a beach resort experience, opt for a stay at the JW Marriott Marco Island or the Hilton Marco Island. Both are on the beach with a pool, water ports, a spa, onsite restaurants and at least some kids’ activities and fitness classes.
The Marriott is the larger of the two. It has its own golf course and three pools, including a family pool with a water slide. One of its five restaurants is a taproom with indoor mini-golf, bowling and arcade games.
5 Can’t-Miss Things To Do With Kids On & Around Marco Island
Sitting on the Gulf of Mexico, Marco Island is full of pretty water inlets and some amazing sandy beaches. It’s on the fringes of the Everglades, too, so you can see a whole variety of wildlife that my kids, 4 and 6 years old, just loved. It’s close to the pretty town of Naples and an easy drive to Fort Myers, too.
See wildlife From Tigertail Beach
We hired Kayaks to explore Tigertail Beach. Everywhere we looked, fish were literally jumping out of the water. It was incredible to kayak past them as they leaped up. There were also pelicans and all kinds of wading birds everywhere; it was a truly unique nature experience for us.
There’s a little café by a playground where we cooled off with a well-deserved beer while we watched the kids run around. Half-way through my beer it seemed to me the people at Marco Island have thought of everything parents need for a relaxing and fun family getaway.
Go wild at the Naples Zoo
I had to wonder what the small Naples Zoo could offer us that would be unique, But my kids were absolutely taken with the Florida Panthers.
The zoo was a manageable size for a quick morning excursion. It’s just a 40-minute drive from Marco Island and a good excuse to explore Naples. Time your visit to stay for lunch.
Spend a rainy day at the children’s mMuseum
My 4YO loved everything at The Children’s Museum of Naples. There was lots of imaginary play, a tree house, an area about the seasons, a fantastic space exhibition and a fun maze.
If we lived in Naples it would be our go-to rainy day destination. But it’s also handy if you need something indoors to get a break from the Florida heat.
Take the quintessential Everglades tour
The highlight of the week for every one of us was a 30-minute tour through the Everglades on one of those famous airboats. It had the right combination of speed and fun and was over before the kids started to get fidgety.
I highly recommend Jungle Erv’s Tours. Our ticket included a boardwalk walk where we got to hold baby alligators (!!) and learn about them in detail. It was a great day out and an easy car ride from Marco Island.
Have breakfast at a local favorite
The island was jam-packed with family-friendly places to eat, and our personal favorite was Doreen’s Cup of Joe. The breakfasts in this place were awesome – so good we went twice. Crunchy French toast with strawberries and whipped cream was the order of the day as far as both parents and kids were concerned. They have pancakes and plenty of egg dishes, too.
They source their ingredients locally wherever possible and it rivaled anything New York has to offer.
Getting to Marco Island:
Fort Myers has the closest airport, but you can fly into Miami or Tampa, too. Regardless of where you land you’ll want to rent a car, so don’t be afraid to fly into whichever airport has the best fares.
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