South Marco Beach Access

Tigertail Beach

This beach is Marco Island’s most popular. It features a lot of amenities that people have come to expect from Florida beaches and a couple of surprises. There are restrooms right by the parking lot and a snack bar where you can find lots of tasty treats. To reach the beautiful sand and the refreshing water, you go across the pristine white boardwalk. Found on a lagoon, instead of the Gulf, the water’s fairly shallow which means it’s great for kids. Some lifeguards are watching out for swimmers during particular hours, and umbrellas and beach chairs are available for rent. You can also enjoy the fun playground and beautiful butterfly gardens. If you want to have a picnic, there are picnic tables and BBQ grills. Something that people love about Tigertail is that there are a lot of birds that can be seen there, such as spoonbills, plovers, osprey, red knots and others.

Sand Dollar Island

If you’re looking for another place that you can see the birds in Florida, another great place to go is Sand Dollar. This lagoon isn’t deep, but there may be muddy areas, so it’s a good idea to wear water shoes. You also want to shuffle your feet around to warn stingrays that are resting on the floor of the lagoon. You can find a lot of nesting birds on The Sand Dollar Island. You will want to check for signs since sometimes there are areas that will close in order to protect the nests. There are wide, flat beaches here and clear, shallow water.