Everglades Wildlife-watching & Sunset Stroll
Meet your guides and fellow travelers at 9am at our designated host hotel in Miami, Florida. A stop at a local fish market sets the tone for our aquatic holiday and provides a mouth-watering glimpse at the boat to table lifestyle. We?ll then swing by Robert is Here, a Florida institution, where we?ll enjoy a delicious picnic lunch. Once in camp our guides provide a tent setup demo. We?ll then get the chance to settle in and create the perfect home-away-from-home.
By late afternoon we?ll hit the trail for an extraordinary wildlife opportunity along the Anhinga trail. Alligators, turtles and countless bird species call this picturesque sawgrass marsh home and a raised boardwalk provides the perfect opportunity for wildlife viewing. We?ll wind down the day with an optional sunset walk before enjoying a scrumptious dinner around the campfire. Lunch & dinner included.
Transfer: 1 hour; Hiking: up to 2 miles; Elevation gain/loss: none
Mangroves Water Safari
We start the day with a canoe journey through the backcountry water ways of Everglades National Park. Mangrove tunnels and islands give way to expanses of sawgrass while the sounds of birds and frogs singing provide a melodious soundtrack for this morning?s adventure. We?ll keep an eye out and cameras ready for a glimpse at the "Nine Mile Giant", an American crocodile who is known to frequent the shores of the area.
Our afternoon will be spent soaking in the remarkable flora and fauna of the park. We?ll start with a boardwalk hike on the Pahayokee trail. Offering one of the best views in the park, the overlook is accessed via the boardwalk and provides sweeping view of what indigenous tribes termed Pa-hay-okee, meaning ?grassy river?. Later we?ll head over to the Gumbo Limbo trail where we?ll walk through a quintessential tropical hammock. All meals included.
Canoeing: up to 5 miles; Walking: 1?2 miles; Elevation gain/loss: none
Tropical Forest Hiking & Manatee Habitat Sea Kayaking
We?ll start the morning hiking under towering slash pine along the Long Pine Key Trail. Known as a pine rockland, Long Pine Key has the distinction of being a complex subtropical ecosystem home to a unique range of plants and animals. We?ll learn more about the importance of fire in keeping the area healthy, and also spend some time identifying the wide array of flora that makes up the forest?s understory.
This afternoon we?ll head out to the open coast, home to Flamingo Visitor Center and our jumping off point for an afternoon of kayaking. Depending on weather and wind conditions we?ll either skirt the edge of the bay or make our way up Buttonwood Canal. Either way, this area provides spectacular opportunities for wildlife sightings, with American alligator, crocodile, manatee, and osprey being regular visitors. All meals included.
Hiking: up to 4 miles; Elevation gain/loss: none; Kayaking: mileage varies depending on route
Snorkeling & Sunshine at a Coral Reef Undersea Park in Key Largo
We?ll start the morning with a hearty breakfast before working together to break down camp. We?re then on our way to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park for a spectacular snorkeling experience. Before hitting the water we?ll gear up and enjoy a beachside lunch. We?ll then hop aboard our boat and start our journey to the country?s first undersea park. Snorkeling within John Pennekamp?s 70 nautical square miles is unmatched and often open water.
We?ll finish the day with a transfer back to Miami, where we?ll say our final goodbyes to new friends and amazing southern Florida. We anticipate arriving back to Miami between 6?7pm. Please note that this time may vary based off numerous factors beyond our control. As a result, we?d highly recommend delaying travel arrangements until the day after your trip concludes. All meals included.
Snorkeling: 2.5 hours; Transfer: up to 2 hours depending on Miami traffic
