Marco Island South Public Beach Access — Attraction in Marco Island

South Marco Beach Located on South Collier Boulevard, Marco Island, 70 parking spaces with rest room access. $8.00 Parking Fee payable to the Master Meter, or Beach Parking Permit required. The Beach is open from sunrise to sundown.

Parking on the streets or swales in the South Beach area is prohibited. See Parking Regulations for more information.

Tigertail Beach (County owned and operated) Located on Marco Island, Tigertail Beach offers the public everything from natural resources to beachside amenities that make your visit a rewarding one. Tigertail Beach offers a bath house, five boardwalks leading from the mangrove lined parking area to the white, sandy beach. As you are standing on the beach looking over the Gulf of Mexico, you will see sand Dollar Island. This area is a nesting area for many birds, some that are threatened species. The Least Terns and Black Skimmers nest here in the spring along with various species of Sandpipers. The tidal bay between Tigertail Beach and Sand Dollar Island is generally an area where a variety of birds feed. We see Herons, Egrets, ibis and Many kinds of Terns, Sandpipers, plovers and Gulls. You may even see birds of prey such as the Osprey, gliding overhead.

A trip to Tigertail is not complete without a stroll along the beach for shells and other beach items. Collection of live shells is not permitted within county parks, but should you walk the shorelines, you will find a variety of shells and maybe even a sand dollar.

For your convenience, there are restrooms at the beach. In addition, a concession offers beach equipment rentals, food, and drinks. A handicapped beach wheelchair is available at this site. There are 226 regular parking spaces and 6 handicap parking spaces. Should you have comments, concerns or any questions, please contact a park ranger.

$8.00 Parking Fee payable to the Master Meter, or Beach Parking Permit required. The Beach is open from...

We visited Marco Island in May and researched to find out there are two public beaches.  We went to both and this beach is far better than Tigertail beach.  First, if you get here early (i.e. before 10) there is a decent sized parking lot with a short walk to the beach.  Yes there is a walk but it's maybe 3 minutes.   Any public beach on Marco Island has a walk.  Second, the beach is much nicer than Tigertail.  At Tigertail there are lots of shells and the water isn't as clear.  If you don't get here in time to gey a spot at the South Beach parking and you are with friends, drop your friends and beach supplies off at the lot before you drive to the Turtle Lot.  This lot is a good half mile from the entrance so it's not recommended if you have lots of gear.  Loved this beach and definitely rank it higher than Tigertail.  There are more people, but there's a reason, and even with all the people it's still less packed than most beaches on the East...

There’s two (2) lots for parking, $11 for the whole day and it’s pay by plate so you’ll need a mobile phone to scan and pay. There’s a play ground for the kids, bathrooms but no shower to wash the sand or salt off, that I could find at least. A little bit of a walk to get to the ocean because you park at the inlet/jetty where the fisherman frequent. The walk is about half a mile (.5 mile), if that, and it’s on fluffy white sand so not harsh on bare feet. Spent about 4 hours here, the water was nice and calm. Lots of shells as well. Be sure to pack a lunch and lots of water if you plan to stay a full day as there’s not a gas station or places to eat close by. Enjoy and be sure to pack in pack out! (Leave...