Naples & 5th Avenue South
Shopping, sidewalk cafés, the pier, and Naples' best evenings.
Within an hour
Best Day Trips from Marco Island
Naples, the Everglades, Goodland, Rookery Bay and the Ten Thousand Islands — eight ways to spice up your beach week.
Quick answer
What are the best day trips from Marco Island?
The best day trips from Marco Island are Naples and 5th Avenue South (30 minutes) for shopping, dining and the pier; an Everglades airboat tour (about an hour) for alligators and sawgrass; Goodland (10 minutes) and Isles of Capri (15 minutes) for Old Florida seafood and live music; and Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary for a boardwalk through old-growth cypress.
- Naples
- 30 minutes north
- Everglades
- ~1 hour east on US-41
- Goodland
- 10 minutes, Old Florida village
- Corkscrew Swamp
- ~1 hour, 2.25-mile boardwalk
Source: The Best of Marco Island — an independent, locally written Marco Island guide.
Best day trips from Marco Island
Goodland & Isles of Capri
Old Florida fishing-village charm — live music, fresh seafood, no rush.
Everglades airboat tour
Alligators, mangroves, and that classic Southwest Florida bucket-list moment.
Ten Thousand Islands
Mangrove maze, hidden sandbars and an ecosystem you can't find anywhere else.
Rookery Bay Reserve
Environmental learning center, boardwalk trails and quiet estuary access.
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
A 2.25-mile boardwalk through old-growth cypress with year-round wildlife.
Collier-Seminole State Park
Hiking, boardwalks, paddling and a quieter way into Old Florida wilderness.
Tamiami Trail scenic drive
Pull-offs, boardwalks and wildlife stops east of Marco — surprisingly great low-cost day.
Read the dedicated guides: Naples · Everglades · Goodland · Ten Thousand Islands
Stringing several of these into a full week? We've been sending readers to Marco Island Vacation Plans for sample itineraries.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Naples from Marco Island?+
About 20 miles, or a 30-minute drive north on Collier Boulevard and Tamiami Trail (US-41).
Can you visit the Everglades from Marco Island in a day?+
Easily. Everglades City and the Gulf Coast Visitor Center are about an hour east, and most airboat or mangrove boat tours take a half day round trip.
What is Goodland known for?+
A tiny Old Florida fishing village 10 minutes from Marco, famous for waterfront seafood, live music and the Sunday afternoon scene at its long-running local bars.
Is a trip to Key West possible from Marco Island?+
Not comfortably as a day trip by car - it's roughly five hours each way. Most visitors fly from Naples or Fort Myers, or make it an overnight.