Recommended tours for Ten Thousand Islands, Florida
Jan 22, 2020, 11:40 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,108
Recommended tours for Ten Thousand Islands, Florida
Hello,
My folks have an apartment off the A1A Hallandale Beach Blvd in Miami that I've been visiting pretty much annually for 30 plus years. I'm pretty familiar with that whole stretch of coast. I've done a few road trips to the Keys over the years, as well as the northern part of the state. I've also visited the Everglades many times, but I haven't spent a great deal of time in the park. Last trip we visited the Anhinga Trail at the Ernest F. Coe visitor center entrance and spent a few hours exploring that section of the park. This year, we're planning to drive along the historic Tamiami Trail and Loop Rd and explore the Big Cypress wilderness area. We'll probably take the Shark Valley tram as well. We'll be spending 2 nights in Everglades City and I would like to spend at least part of one day exploring the Ten Thousand Islands by kayak. I'd like to find an outfitter that operates small tour groups (no more than 6 people max) and really gets out into nature. I'm really hoping to paddle through dense mangrove canopies and maybe explore some islands and beaches, hopefully see some dolphins, manatee, gators, exotic birds, etc. There are dozens of tour operators in the area and I'm having difficulty narrowing them down. I've been using the NPS website for permitted tours as a guide and so far Everglades Area Tours seems to rank highest but I was hoping to get some local advice & recommendations. Also, is there any reason to book tours of the actual Glades (aside from maybe joining ranger led hikes) in the dry winter season? I'm not interested in airboats operating in the surrounding indian territory/reservations. I've done that a million times as a kid and yeah it's fun but super touristy and feels more like a theme park ride than an eco-adventure. I'd love to get deep into the park where we might see some rare animal sightings (bears, panthers, etc) but a lot of reviews of companies offering day tours or swamp buggy rides seem to suggest that you're better off just driving around the park on your own and getting your feet dirty. We only have a short time in the area and I want to maximize it, so if anyone could suggest the top two or three must do activities in the area (surrounding Everglades City & Chokoloskee) it would be extremely helpful and much appreciated!
My folks have an apartment off the A1A Hallandale Beach Blvd in Miami that I've been visiting pretty much annually for 30 plus years. I'm pretty familiar with that whole stretch of coast. I've done a few road trips to the Keys over the years, as well as the northern part of the state. I've also visited the Everglades many times, but I haven't spent a great deal of time in the park. Last trip we visited the Anhinga Trail at the Ernest F. Coe visitor center entrance and spent a few hours exploring that section of the park. This year, we're planning to drive along the historic Tamiami Trail and Loop Rd and explore the Big Cypress wilderness area. We'll probably take the Shark Valley tram as well. We'll be spending 2 nights in Everglades City and I would like to spend at least part of one day exploring the Ten Thousand Islands by kayak. I'd like to find an outfitter that operates small tour groups (no more than 6 people max) and really gets out into nature. I'm really hoping to paddle through dense mangrove canopies and maybe explore some islands and beaches, hopefully see some dolphins, manatee, gators, exotic birds, etc. There are dozens of tour operators in the area and I'm having difficulty narrowing them down. I've been using the NPS website for permitted tours as a guide and so far Everglades Area Tours seems to rank highest but I was hoping to get some local advice & recommendations. Also, is there any reason to book tours of the actual Glades (aside from maybe joining ranger led hikes) in the dry winter season? I'm not interested in airboats operating in the surrounding indian territory/reservations. I've done that a million times as a kid and yeah it's fun but super touristy and feels more like a theme park ride than an eco-adventure. I'd love to get deep into the park where we might see some rare animal sightings (bears, panthers, etc) but a lot of reviews of companies offering day tours or swamp buggy rides seem to suggest that you're better off just driving around the park on your own and getting your feet dirty. We only have a short time in the area and I want to maximize it, so if anyone could suggest the top two or three must do activities in the area (surrounding Everglades City & Chokoloskee) it would be extremely helpful and much appreciated!
