I love the west coast of Florida. I have often blogged about my love for Sanibel, Captiva, Naples and Marco Island.  So, when my husband asked me how I wanted to celebrate my birthday last month (given Covid-19 is limiting our options right now) I immediately chose to spend some time at the beach, where I am always happiest! We decided to head over to Marco Island and stayed at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, which is absolutely stunning. We have stayed there in the past but had not been since 2015, and boy has it changed. The property was completely remodeled in 2017 with the addition of a gorgeous new building, new restaurants, event spaces and an arcade for kids. We stayed in a beachfront view room which had amazing views and celebrated my birthday at the hotel’s signature restaurant, Ario, which I highly recommend.

 

 

 

 

We also tried out a few restaurants around the island and one that we really enjoyed was Fin Bistro. We each had the Panko Herb Crusted Yellowtail Snapper over rock shrimp and squash risotto served with coconut brown butter sauce. Delicious! And of course we had to end the meal with a Key Lime flan, which was delectable. Take a look:

 

Next came the cute shops which I always like to peruse. Now I will say, Marco Island doesn’t seem to have that many specialty shops or boutiques, when compared to Sanibel or Naples, however I did manage to find a few interesting places.

Beachworks. Located in the Marco Town Center Mall, Beachworks carries a good selection of Fresh Produce clothing and Big Head t-shirts. They also offer a variety of summery tops, dresses, sandals, a few small souvenirs and SunBum suntan lotions.

Butterfly Beach. Located at the Esplanade Shoppes, (they also have stores in Naples, Sanibel, Fort Meyers and soon Sarasota) this cute boutique carries adorable bathing suits and clothing for kids and adults, as well as jewelry; as their website says, bringing West Coast style to the beaches of Florida.

Blue Mangrove Gallery. Blue Mangrove Gallery is one of my favorite places to visit on the island. Many local and Florida artists are on display, including original oils, photography, stain glass, jewelry, ceramics, notepads, a kid’s section, books, accent furniture & more.

Here are a few more photos from our beautiful weekend trip:

 

 

 

Have you visited Marco Island?  I would love to know what you enjoyed most?