My son and I (with my parents) were vacationing in the Southwest region of Florida over Spring Break. While vacationing we wanted to experience all the area has to offer so we decided to explore the Everglades; including taking an Airboat Tour. There are numerous companies that offer these airboat tours in the Everglades, but we wanted a tour that focused on the Everglades, not the silly antics of the tour guide. (Trust me, there are a lot of those). Prices are competitive at about $45 for an adult and $25 for children 10 and under. (Note: be sure to contact the company for accurate prices and tour times).
We decided to book our tour with Everglades City Airboat Tours located in Everglade City, Florida, located about thirty-five miles from Naples. We loved the fact they considered themselves as the “Original” Everglades City Airboat Tours with professional, courteous, and knowledgeable guides providing us the experience of a lifetime! It was also comforting to know their tour guides are USCG licensed and insured; offering the ultimate in personalized Airboat Tours.
The tours fill up fast, so reservations are strongly encouraged. We reserved and early morning tour time so to enjoy the experience before it got too hot for the day. Once we arrived and checked in, we had some time before the tour to use the restrooms, grab a snack and then found a few chairs to relax until our departure for the one-hour airboat adventure. Being that there was four in my party, and the boat holds six passengers plus the tour guide, another young couple visiting the area were with our airboat tour. Also having a maximum of 6 persons allows for the more personable experience as well.
As we meandered through the mangroves, it was like a giant maize where I often wondered if we would ever find out way back. I trusted our guide to carefully and meticulously navigate the narrow water ways to see the Everglades. It was comforting to know the company is locally owned and operated, thus we felt this tour would give us the true Everglades Airboat Experience with safety and ease.
Being that these Airboats can get quite loud on the water, we especially loved the narrated via “Two Way” headphone communication systems. (No other airboat tour company in Everglades City or South Florida uses this technology.) Upon boarding the boat, everyone is provided a headset which allowed for us to talk directly with each other and the airboat captain for the duration of our tour. We could hear him talk about the Mangroves, the marine life and resident reptiles as well the ecosystem of the Everglades.
It was both fun and a little scary to see all the wildlife in the Everglades and experiencing it up close and personal. I think we all loved when the captain sped through the winding waterways as water splashed on us. Upon returning from our tour, we witnessed a family of dolphins playing the bay and shallow waters. It certainly was a treat to end our tour.
Have you been on an Airboat Tour of the Everglades? What was your favorite part?
