Marco Island City Map Poster

About Marco Island

The wet season is punctuated by the occasional tropical storm or hurricane. Marco Island was named for the son of a Spanish Don, who was known as Marcos de Aysa. The name Marco has been given to many places in Florida and elsewhere; it is derived from "Mark", meaning "son of". This name can be traced back to its origin in Ancient Rome, where it meant 'warrior'. In 1539 Juan Ponce de León landed on what he called Isla del Martires (Island of the Martyred Saints). It may have been this island that he renamed Isle of Sables after seeing so many sandbanks off shore. Later maps show a cluster of islands with various names: San Martín (Saint Martin), Santa Catalina (Saint Catherine) and La Tortuga Island were all used at one time or another before they settled on Marco Island around 1845-1855 when Henry Flagler built his railroad through Naples into Key West.