Kayak tours are some of the best things to do in the Florida Keys!
Kayak tours, SUP paddleboarding and other paddling adventures are some of the best ways to explore the Florida Keys.
These activities offer a fun, affordable, easy and convenient way to experience the Florida Keys’ water. Paddling adventures can be much more affordable than expensive water-related activities like snorkeling, scuba diving and offshore fishing.
Many people think they’re more fun than other tours because it feels like a real adventure to be in control of your own boat.
How Long Are Kayak Tours?
Throughout the Florida Keys and Florida Bay, Outfitters offer different lengths of tours. Each option comes with different prices, features and attractions.
Tour guides try their best to estimate the length of time required for a tour or activity. Still, the actual duration of a kayak tour will always depend on specific local conditions, especially wind, current, tide, paddling speed of other members in the party and other factors.
Tours often have a guaranteed minimum time frame, but specific tour durations cannot always be predicted with total accuracy.
Where is the best place to go kayaking in the Florida Keys?
Kayak Outfitters in Florida Bay and the Florida Keys are blessed with hundreds of opportunities for paddling adventures and tours!
The Keys have a wide variety of kayaking and paddling opportunities, ranging from the Everglades and Florida Bay to beaches, estuaries, bays, mangrove tunnels, open-water sea kayaking, and many others.
There are an infinite number of places to paddle in the Florida Keys and throughout Florida Bay! Outfitters can suggest many interesting locations which are accessible via different kayak launch locations.
Did you know there are more than 1,000 islands in the Florida Keys? Each island offers a unique opportunity for exploration.
In some situations shuttles may also be available to drive to different locations, where necessary and/or appropriate.
Some outfitters launch out of Everglades National Park, which offers easy access to the northern section of Florida Bay which is difficult to access from Key Largo. Outfitters may also launch from their own private launch, a public launch area, or from a marina.
Mangrove Tunnel Kayak Adventure Tours
Mangrove tunnel kayak adventure tours usually take anywhere from 2-4 hours.
Visitors are usually excited to experience an up-close view of the clear water of the Florida Keys and learn about the natural environment in the Keys.
Special attention is paid to ecologically important and sensitive areas like seagrass beds, mangrove forests and living shorelines.
Mangroves are an essential part of the ecosystem of the Florida Keys. Many forms of wildlife are commonly found in mangrove habitats, including birds, turtles, and even manatees, depending on the season and temperatures.
Mangroves are also a great place for bird-watchers! Mangroves are an essential roosting and rookery location for migratory birds in the Florida Keys and for native species who live in the Keys year-round.
Eco-Tours
Kayak tours are especially popular for people who love nature, animals and wildlife! Many forms of wildlife are commonly seen on kayak tours in the Florida Keys, including:
- Horseshoe crabs
- Spiny lobsters
- Shrimp
- Sea turtles
- Blue crab
- Nurse sharks
- Rays
- Sharks, including lemon sharks and nurse sharks
- Manatees
- Dolphins
- And countless others!
Many exotic bird species can be found in the Florida Keys, including the famous Roseate Spoonbill and many others. The Florida Keys are one of the only places on Earth to see the shy and rare North American crocodile.
Guided eco-tours can be a great addition to kayak rentals because they come with an experienced and knowledgeable guide who can help identify and spot wildlife.
Many birds, animals and other wildlife are habit-driven and often return to the same spots on a regular basis.
Guides may also know of particular nesting locations which can give a higher probability of finding wildlife on an eco-tour.
Eco-tour guides can also share their knowledge and expertise of the local environment which adds a new dimension of depth to an eco-tour experience.