Getaway to Goodland Like a Trip Back in Time 

It always amazes me when I meet a fellow Marco Islander who has never been to Goodland by car, let alone by bicycle. The good news is that a bicycle ride to Goodland is a very safe and enjoyable bicycle ride from virtually anywhere on the island. 

Just for fun, we’ll start the Goodland Getaway from another great bicycling destination, Residents’ Beach. Of course, you can start your version of the Goodland Getaway from your home on Marco and ride on a shared-use path, in-road lane, or a low-traffic street. Not many in the U.S. have such a complete bicycling infrastructure at their beck and call as we do here on beautiful Marco Island. 

If you start your ride from Residents’ Beach, you will enjoy a stress-free 5.2-mile ride down the shared-use path on San Marco Road. It’s a virtual straight shot all the way to Goodland. Now you will have to cross San Marco Road twice, but both times you will have a crosswalk to aid you. You'll start on the south side of San Marco Road at the intersection of Collier Boulevard and San Marco Rd. You'll cross over to the north side of San Marco at the Tommie Barfield Elementary crosswalk at Cushing Lane, then again at the Marco Island Academy crosswalk. It’s a small price to pay to have the peace of mind of riding on a very safe path for over five straight miles. 

Marco Island does have hills, but you won’t run into any on the Goodland Getaway. What you might run into, however, is a strong headwind. So, it may behoove you to check your weather app to see if you have an easterly or westerly wind in excess of 10 miles per hour. A strong headwind can make the Goodland Getaway less than appealing. 

Once you reach Goodland Drive, you will turn right and ride along the beautiful path that was replaced in 2021 when Goodland Drive was raised two feet and repaved. The winding roadwas originally built by Harry Pettit during World War II by connecting the high-ground areas through the mangroves from mainland Goodland to San Marco Road. It is a beautiful ride through the mangroves.Culverts were installed during the Goodland Road rehabilitation project, creating great spots for sightseeing. You may even see a fisherman or two during your ride. 

With October quickly approaching, you will soon have Goodland’s restaurant collection at your disposal. So why not plan to enjoy a breakfast or lunch stop in the charming fishing village of Goodland?  

Riding around Goodland, where the pace of life is even slower than on Marco Island, is a true pleasure. Make sure you hop on the shared-use path that runs from Papaya Street (across from the small post office) and past Margood Harbor Park. The path takes you past Margood Museum and winds along a beautifully shaded path beside the harbor. Eventually, you’ll be able to enjoy the renovated fishing cottages that the county is currently working on at the east end of the park. 

Riding up and down the road of Goodland allows you to immerse yourself in some of the history of the island. It’s pretty easy to pick out the small fishing cottages that were moved from Marco's Caxambas settlement to Goodland in 1949. Barron Collier, the founder of Collier County, was ready to develop the Caxambas area and offered to move the fishing cottages there to Goodland, where they have remained ever since. With every real estate boom, Goodland seems to lose some of its charm, so enjoy the area’s unpretentious beauty while you can. 

If you’re one who enjoys a picnic, you can always bring along your breakfast or lunch and eat at Margood Harbor Park or take a ride down to the county boat ramp at the end of Goodland Drive, where you can dine while watching the boats go to and fro. 

If you want to add some miles or effort to your ride, you can always take a few rides up and down the Stan Gober Memorial Bridge. Talk about amazing views! Another option would be to duck into Key Marco, where for $5, you can pedal around the exclusive, barely developed gated community that is located next to Marco Island Academy. It is a glimpse of what the island looked like in the 1970s. The remains of Captain Horr’s house is a highlight of your ride through Key Marco. You also get to ride a few of Marco Island’s hills during your six-mile tour of Key Marco. 

As you can see, you can easily rack up 20 miles or more on this simple bike ride. Just remember to plan for those headwinds! 

Scott H. Shook is a graduate of the University of Florida who retired after a long career in resort management on Marco Beach. An avid cyclist, Scott founded the Tour de Marco and has served as a member of the city’s Bike Paths Volunteer Committee since its inception. His writing and photography appear weekly in the Coastal Breeze News.