Marco Island Nightlife and People Watching Locations
August 13, 2018 | Paddle Marco
Tourists and visitors on Marco Island wonder where they can go besides the beach to have a good time. Most are looking for dancing, nightlife and people watching. Believe it or not, there’s more than just a beach on Marco Island. Here are the top 5 places to visit on Marco Island if you need some time away from the beach.
1) Caxambas Park and Marina
Located at the southern and most quiet area of Marco Island lies a bustling and entertaining boat launch called Caxambas Park and Marina. Grab a seat on one of the picnic tables or benches under the gumbo limo tree and watch the action unfold before your eyes. What’s so special about a boat ramp? When you see 40+ trucks and trailers go in and out in a matter of hours on a busy Saturday mixed in with Jet Skiers and Kayakers trying to launch on a single boat ramp that is barely wide enough to 2 trucks, you know something could go wrong. Often times you’ll see boaters trying to launch while a person from Miami in their sedan with a single jet ski holds up the entire ramp for 20 minutes. Screaming matches and yelling are a common sight here which is why so many locals will visit the park every morning and gather in the “grandstands,” just to watch some quality entertainment.
Aside from jet skiers and boaters screaming back and forth each other for ramp space… you may also witness some of the local police chasing down speeding boats and jet skiers in the bay that don’t abide by the ‘idle speed only’ signs. Fisherman that fish off the docks and canal walls are always pulling up interesting catches like Snapper, Pompano and Catfish. Kayakers also try to launch their kayaks in between all the trucks and trailers loading their boats. Did we mention there lots of birds too? Tons of birds flock here to try and steal shrimp from the bait tank at the marina and the pelicans are so used to people that you can practically pet them. 100 yards from the marina away lies an island that the staff and locals call “Bird Sh*t” island where white pelicans flock to every year and make quite a mess. These white pelicans are twice the size of regular brown pelicans. If you want, you can paddleboard or kayak out to the other sand bars near by and do some shelling. Sand dollars are usually all over the place on some of these sand bars. So come down to Caxambas Park, especially on a Saturday, buy an ice cream and watch the action. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable inside the Ship Store and it’s our favorite place to spend a few hours on Marco Island.
Kayak Rentals: Paddle Marco
Jet Ski Tours: Avi’s Watersports, Captain Ron’s Jet Ski Tours
Jet Ski Rentals: Splittin Waves
909 Collier Ct, Marco Island, FL 34145
2) The Esplanade
Located in the middle of Marco Island, across from the Wynn Dixie Grocery Store lies an upscale Italian style shopping plaza. Several restaurants, including CHOP 239, Mangos and CJ’s by the Bay. You can also grab an Ice Cream at Coldstone Creamery. In the center of it all is an outdoor bar owned by CJ’s and it’s a great place to hang out and listen to music. Walk down by the pier and you can gaze at the million dollar boats and houses in the distance. Watch the sun set as you look west and keep your eyes peeled for dolphins and manatees and they swim around smokehouse bay. The best time to visit the Esplanade is on Thursday nights between 6-9 PM as CJ’s puts on live music outside. You can expect to hear all the classics like Stayin’ Alive by the BeeGees and YMCA. Be sure to arrive early to find parking, especially during season.
Restaurants: CJ’s on the bay, CHOP 239, Mangos.
760 N Collier Blvd, Marco Island, FL 34145
3) Marco Walk Plaza
Towards the southern end of Marco, across from the Hilton Beach Resort and Spa is a large plaza that holds 4-5 restaurants including DaVinci’s, Pinchers, Marco Prime and a few ice cream shops. Parking is hard to find up top, but you may find some parking in the parking garage below the restaurants or simply valet your car. Every Friday and Saturday, DaVinci’s restaurant and bar turns into a dance club. A younger crowd can be found here often dancing to hip-hop, pop and techno music. Across the street is a very fun mini-golf course with 18 holes.
Restaurants: Pinchers, DaVinci’s, Marco Prime
Mini Golf: Marco Island Mini Golf and Gardens
599 S Collier Blvd, Marco Island, FL 34145
4) The Shops of Olde Marco
The Shops of Olde Marco is a quaint French style village with a few shops and restaurants, including LeeBe Fish. LeeBe fish serves fish tacos caught almost every day from the gulf of Mexico. The staff go 60 miles out and catch the fish and bring it back and make fish tacos and salads out of them. Their motto is: “Fresh seafood isn’t cheap and cheap seafood isn’t fresh.” Across from LeeBe fish you can do a bit of shopping in the clothing stores or walk up the block to the Snook Inn – Marco Island’s oldest and most popular restaurant. During season, you can wait 2 hours to be seated and they don’t take reservations. Ask for a window seat so you can watch dolphins swim down the Marco river as you eat fresh caught grouper for dinner.
Restaurants: LeeBe Fish, Snook Inn
350 Royal Palm Dr, Marco Island, FL 34145
5) Stan’s Idle Hour
A few miles away from Marco Island lies a little town called Goodland. It’s often referred to as “A drinking town with a fishing problem.” Every Sunday afternoon you can visit a restaurant and bar called Stan’s Idle Hour and enjoy live music, sip on a beer and enjoy a great cheeseburger. Stan’s is a long standing tradition with locals and snowbirds alike. Crowds gather here in the thousands during season, so arrive early and bring sunscreen. Several empty house lots turn into $5 and $10 parking and people will often park miles away and walk to Stans just to get in. Some of the great bands you will hear are Furguson and Rogers and the Ben Allen band.
221 Goodland Dr, Goodland, FL 34140
So to sum it up, there’s lots to do on Marco Island besides the beach and watersports. If you’re looking for more things to do, please check out the Marco Review Magazine.