Everglades Airboat tours are the most popular attraction for visitors to the Everglades. The Airboat is a flat-bottom vessel with a large engine and propeller mounted on the stern. It is steered with rudders that direct the wind, rather than cut through the water. Airboats can operate in just a few inches of
water, so they’re well-suited to travel
across the marshland. It’s an exhilarating visitor experience. There are dozens of Everglades Airboat rides operating in the area, especially around Everglades City. Some of the largest companies are Jungle Erv’s Airboats, Capt Jack’s Airboat Tours, Everglades City Airboat Tours and Wootens Airboat Tours. Everglades City is a quaint town, established in the late 1800s. While there, take time to explore the Smallwood Store in Chokoloskee on a Capt. Craig's Adventure Tour, and visit some of the down-home eateries where you can sample the local seafood (especially stone crabs). You can also explore the area and view wildlife in its natural environment throughout the Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, and along Jane’s Memorial Scenic Drive, just off Hwy 29. But . . . watch out for the alligators! For a real Florida thrill, head south to the Everglades, perhaps stopping on the way at Collier Seminole State Park to see the “Walking Dredge” that cut the Tamiami Trail across the Everglades. Just south of Collier-Seminole the Port of the Islands Resort, where you can take the Manatee Sight Seeing & Wildlife Adventures tour and get an up close view of the gentle giants. |