A Sand Dollar tour boat cruising the Ten Thousand Islands near Marco Island, Florida

Near Your Stay

Boat Tours Near the JW Marriott Marco Island

You’re staying on one of the finest beaches on the Gulf — and you’re a short drive from the wildest water in Southwest Florida. Our Goodland dock is about 15–20 minutes from the JW Marriott, and it’s the head start into the Ten Thousand Islands.

Departs San Marco Marina, Goodland
1.5–2 hour cruises
All ages welcome
USCG Master Captains

Check Availability & Book (239) 301-8913

Nearest dockSan Marco Marina, Goodland

From the propertyabout a 15–20 min drive

WaterTen Thousand Islands & the Gulf

You may seeDolphins, wild islands & shells — no guarantees

Your Marco Island Launch

The wild side of Marco, minutes from your room

The JW Marriott Marco Island sits right on the wide Gulf beach along S Collier Blvd, the big beachfront resort at the heart of one of the prettiest crescents of sand in Southwest Florida. It’s a beautiful place to wake up, and the beach out front is a genuine draw all on its own. But it’s also the doorstep to something the beach itself can’t hand you: the wild, island-braided backwater that begins just south and east of the resort. Our boats don’t leave from the property — there’s no dock at the hotel for a tour like ours — so trips run from a working marina down in Goodland, a short drive away. Drop San Marco Marina into your map app and you’re looking at roughly a 15 to 20 minute ride from the resort, depending on the day and the traffic on Collier Blvd.

Goodland is a tiny stone-crab village on the southeast tip of Marco, and it’s the fastest head start into the Ten Thousand Islands — the maze of mangrove keys and boat-only beaches strung between Marco and Everglades National Park. This is where the shelling turns serious. Quiet barrier islands like Keewaydin and Kice get their wrack lines restocked by the tide every single day, and on a good negative low tide it’s not unusual to find a horse conch — Florida’s state shell — or a chunky fighting conch lying in the shell hash with no footprints anywhere near it. After a big offshore storm, even a junonia, the deep-water shelling holy grail, can wash in. Bottlenose dolphins work these passes all year, ospreys and roseate spoonbills patrol the shallows, and when the water cools in winter, manatees drift up the warmer back creeks toward Rookery Bay. None of it comes with a promise — it’s wild water — but out here the odds are honestly in your favor.

A trip with us is small, personal and captain-led. Our USCG Master Captains grew up reading this water, so you’re not just along for a boat ride — you’re getting the running commentary on which island is shelling best today, why the dolphins are stacked up in that particular pass, what that wading bird actually is, and the story behind the half-sunken dome ruins off Cape Romano that Hurricane Ian toppled back in 2022. Most cruises run about an hour and a half to two hours, everyone from toddlers to grandparents is welcome aboard, and we keep the groups small enough that it never feels like a packed tour boat. Whether you want a calm shelling morning, a dolphin loop, a golden sunset or your own private charter, we’ll match you to the right tide and the right light. Pick the trip that fits your crew below — you just bring sunscreen and a sense of adventure.

Roughly a 15–20 minute drive or rideshare to our Goodland dock
Shelling, dolphin, sunset, family tiki, island and private trips
USCG Master Captains who grew up on this water
Empty shells only — Collier County keeps its beaches stocked

Check Availability

Hands holding seashells collected on a Ten Thousand Islands beach near Marco Island — ⚓ A morning’s finds from the barrier islands off Marco.

Pick Your Trip

The tours that fit a JW Marriott stay

Every one of these leaves from our Goodland dock, a short drive from the resort.

Shelling ToursRun to the barrier-island beaches the tide just restocked — horse conchs, fighting conchs and sand dollars, empty shells only. Dolphin & WildlifeBottlenose dolphins work these passes all year, with ospreys, wading birds and wild mangrove keys along the way. Sunset CruisesEnd your Marco day with the sky on fire over the Gulf and the islands going gold — the easy evening win. Private ChartersJust your crew, your captain and your own route — ideal for a JW family reunion or a special occasion. Family Tiki CruisesOur family-first tiki boat: shade, shelling and sandbar time for all ages — never a party boat. Island & Beach TripsGet dropped into shelling, swimming and beachcombing on a wild boat-only island off Marco.

Dock to Deck

Getting from the JW Marriott to the water

Here’s exactly how you get from your room on S Collier Blvd to lines-off in the islands.

Start on S Collier Blvd

Everything kicks off at the resort on Marco’s Gulf beach. There’s no tour boat leaving from the property itself — the island water we run is on the bay side, a short drive south in Goodland — so plan to hop in the car or grab a quick rideshare before your trip. It’s an easy trade: ten-odd minutes of driving in exchange for a couple of hours in backcountry that most Marco visitors never lay eyes on. If you’re coordinating a group, agree on a departure time from the lobby so everyone rolls out together.

The drive to Goodland

Point yourself toward Goodland, the little fishing village on the southeast tip of the island. From the JW Marriott, figure on roughly 15 to 20 minutes, though we’d always tell you to check your own map app the morning of — in-season traffic on Collier Blvd and the bridge into Goodland can nudge that number in either direction. Leave a little cushion and the drive itself becomes a pretty, low-key warm-up: mangroves, water views and a slow-down into old-Florida pace before you ever step on the boat.

San Marco Marina

Your dock is San Marco Marina at 604 E Palm Ave in Goodland. It’s a relaxed, old-Florida working marina — no sprawling resort complex to get lost in. When you pull in, look for your Sand Dollar captain and boat, and you’re only moments from casting off into the islands. If you’ve never been down to Goodland, the marina and the village around it are a fun slice of the real, unpolished Marco Island — stone-crab boats, pelicans on the pilings and all.

What to bring

Sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, water and a light layer for the breeze on the water. Bring a bag or small bucket for shells if you’re on a shelling run, and a dry spot or pouch for your phone if you want photos. Reef-safe sunscreen is the neighborly choice out here among the seagrass and wildlife. Leave the cooler-sized gear back at the hotel — you want to travel light. We’ll supply the local knowledge, the safety gear and the best light the day has to offer.

Parking & arrival

There’s parking right at the marina — give yourself a couple of minutes to tuck in and walk to the dock. Aim to arrive about 15 minutes before your scheduled departure so the boat can push off on time and nobody feels rushed. Arriving a touch early also gives the kids a minute to watch the boats and the pelicans, and gives you time for a quick restroom stop and a hello with your captain before the lines come off.

Lines off, into the islands

Once you’re aboard and the lines come off, the mangroves open up fast. Within minutes you’re idling past wild keys, watching the wake for dolphins and scanning empty beaches for the next shell. This is the payoff — the version of Marco Island that never shows up from a beach chair, delivered by a captain who knows exactly where today’s tide is dropping the good stuff and which little beach will be yours more or less alone.

Who It Suits

A great fit if you’re staying at the JW

The JW draws every kind of traveler — here’s the trip for yours.

Families with kids

All ages are welcome aboard, and the sheltered island water tends to be calm and forgiving for little ones. The family tiki and shelling trips turn a beach vacation into a treasure hunt — most kids love nothing more than filling a bag with shells on a beach only a boat can reach.

Shell hunters

If a wrack line with no footprints is your idea of heaven, the boat-only beaches off Goodland are your spot. You might turn up a horse conch, a fighting conch, a lightning whelk or even a storm-washed junonia — and it’s empty shells only in Collier County, which is exactly why they stay so good.

Couples chasing sunset

Trade the crowded beach for the bow of a boat as the Gulf lights up. A sunset cruise from Goodland is a quiet, golden way to cap a Marco day together, and a private sunset charter makes an easy anniversary night, proposal or just-the-two-of-you escape.

Groups who want their own boat

Traveling with the whole family or a group of friends? A private charter gives you your own captain, your own pace and a route built around exactly what your crew wants to do — perfect for a JW family reunion, a milestone birthday or a bachelorette day on the water.

On the Water

What your trip looks like

Real water, real islands, a short drive from the JW Marriott.

An overview of the Ten Thousand Islands backwater near Marco Island, Florida — The island maze that starts just south of the resort.

A low, empty white sand island across shallow green Gulf water under a big cloudy sky near Marco Island, Florida — Wrack lines the tide restocks daily — empty shells only.

A group enjoying a sandbar in the Ten Thousand Islands near Marco Island — Sandbar time in the islands off Goodland.

Keep Planning

More ways to plan your Marco trip

Two more Marco stays we serve, the full list, and the Marco Island tour lineup.

Hilton Marco IslandBoat tours for guests at the Hilton on Marco’s Gulf beach. Marriott’s Crystal ShoresGetting on the water from the Crystal Shores resort. All Stays We ServeEvery Marco Island and Naples hotel we run trips for. Marco Island Boat ToursThe full lineup of tours from Marco Island and Goodland.

Good to Know

JW Marriott boat tour questions

The practical stuff about getting from the resort onto the water with us.

How far is your dock from the JW Marriott Marco Island?

Our dock is San Marco Marina in Goodland, on the southeast tip of the island. From the resort on S Collier Blvd, it’s roughly a 15 to 20 minute drive. Think of that as an honest range rather than a promise — the exact time depends on the season, the traffic on Collier Blvd and exactly where on the property you’re starting from — so we’d always suggest dropping San Marco Marina into your own map app the morning of your trip for the real number from your door. Build in a few extra minutes and you’ll arrive relaxed.

Do you pick up at the resort?

No — we’re a boat-tour company rather than a shuttle service, so every trip departs from the marina in Goodland instead of the hotel lobby. Most guests simply drive over and park at the marina, or grab a quick rideshare from the resort and have it drop them at the dock. To be completely clear, we’re an independent, locally owned operator and we’re not affiliated with the JW Marriott in any way — we just genuinely love helping the people who stay there get out onto the water.

What will we actually see out there?

On a typical trip you might spot dolphins working the passes, wild boat-only beaches, ospreys and wading birds, and in the cooler winter months a real chance at manatees up in the warm creeks. These are wild animals living on their own schedule, so we never guarantee a sighting of anything — that wouldn’t be honest. What we can tell you is that the Ten Thousand Islands are about as alive as water gets in Florida, and our captains know from long experience where the odds are best on any given tide and season.

Is this a good trip for kids?

Very much so. Every trip is all-ages, and the protected island water is usually calm and easy on younger passengers. Our family tiki cruise is family-first by design — think shelling stops, dolphin-spotting and time on a sandbar, never a party boat. The tiki also has child-height rails for peace of mind. Honestly, the little shell collectors tend to have the best day of anyone aboard, and there’s room for grandparents to come along and enjoy the ride too.

When is the best time to go shelling?

Good news: shelling is a year-round thing here, not a single season. Winter tends to bring negative low tides in the morning and summer brings the low tides in the evening, so we simply time your trip to whenever the tide is pulling back and exposing the bars and beaches. One rule to always remember — it’s empty shells only in Collier County, so anything still alive, including live sand dollars and sea stars, goes right back where we found it. That’s a big part of why these beaches stay so productive.

How do we book a trip?

Tap any Book button on this page to see live availability and reserve through our booking system, or give us a call at (239) 301-8913 if you’d rather talk it through first. Let us know roughly when you’re free during your stay, how many are in your party and what you’re most hoping to see or do, and we’ll steer you toward the trip, the departure time and the tide that fit your Marco Island vacation best. Booking ahead is smart in the busy winter and spring stretch.

Reserve Your Seats

Ready to trade the beach chair for the bow?

Check live availability and lock in the tide that fits your Marco Island stay.

Or call (239) 301-8913

Your Marco Island Adventure

The wild side is a short drive away

You came for the beach — stay for the islands just beyond it. Book a trip from our Goodland dock and let our captains show you the Marco most visitors never reach.

Book a Boat Tour (239) 301-8913

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