Tigertail Beach in Marco Island, Florida
In Marco Island you’ll find lots of wonderful white sand beaches but the majority of them are private beaches. Actually Tigertail Beach and South Beach are the only public beaches you can visit for free. Tigertail Beach is supposedly a little different from the other beaches you’ll find in Florida, so of cause we had to give it a try.
After being on the lookout for alligators in Big Cypress National Preserve we headed towards Tigertail Beach in the popular Marco Island.
Visit beautiful Tigertail Beach
Tigertail Beach is one of a kind as it consist of both an inner- and outer beach, which offers two very different experiences.
Inner Beach
You’ll get to the first beach (inner beach) if you simply just follow the wooden boardwalk from the parking lot.
It’s a bit more like a lagoon. The water is greenish and more stagnant (still for bathing though) and it’s surrounded by trees. Here you’ll also find a birdwatching tower for you to enjoy the view over the lagoon. It’s possible to rent kayaks and paddleboards if you like water activities.
Outer Beach
If you on the other hand want a bit more traditional beach vibe, you’ll need to go to the outer beach also known as Sand Dollar Beach.
How to get there!
There’re two different ways to get there. Either you can take a long detour around or you can, as we did, throw bags and baby on the shoulders and walk the approx. 100 m through the water to the other side.
The most narrow place to cross the water, is right in front of the birdwatching tower (the one you see in the picture behind us). Depending on the tide, the water is knee- to hip high.
The outer beach is a bit narrow and reminds me a bit of a Danish beach in a cottage area, where you can find lots of seashells.
At the outer beach we relaxed for a couple of hours, enjoyed some donuts, played “Røvhul” (Danish card game), went for a swim and took a little nap. We woke up as a couple were standing right beside us, talking about how cute we were, holding hands all three of us. I love how open and honest Americans are.
As we headed back to the inner beach again, the tide had risen and the water was now hip high.
We found a bench at the inner beach and watched the most beautiful sunset. The only downside, however, was that we were eaten up by small insects, which left itchy marks up to two weeks afterwards. Luckily Ezrah didn’t get a single one.
Parking
We parked right at the beach which costs 10$ for the whole day (sunrise till sunset). Here you’ll find a little café where you can buy fries etc. Tables and benches are available as well as a playground and of cause restrooms.
It can be a bit confusing finding the outer beach if you don’t know how. I really hope this post Tigertail Beach in Marco Island, Florida, was helpful if you’re on your way to this beautiful beach.
That’s all for now
– Anne Mohn
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