Houseboat Living in the Florida Everglades

Fly into Miami International Airport – let the brilliant Florida sun warm your heart and soul as you prepare to visit the most beautiful nature reserve in Florida. Your transport will whisk you off to your home for the next 7 days – a fully equipped houseboat anchored at the Flamingo Marina in Homestead, the heart of the Florida Everglades. You will be entertained by the local wildlife, cranes, fish and four-legged friends. Imagine the gentle rocking of the boat as you doze off to sleep after a full day of Everglade adventure! Your personal floating home.
Meet your local guide for a familiarization tour, a shopping trip to stock up on rashers and a houseboat safety review. Then unplug, relax on the deck and enjoy the houseboat life – no cares in the world.

After breakfast on the boat, meet your guide to begin your Everglades adventure! Today’s journey begins with a boat ride up the Crystal River. Stop to refresh at great swimming and snorkeling spots known for their populations of the West Indian Manatee. Float along with these gentle giants while you relax in the cool Everglades water.

Enjoy a picnic lunch as you cruise to your next destination, the Homosassa River. Be prepared for the thrill of your life — riding on an airboat while you tour the Homosassa River. Your guide will point out sun basking gators, marsh birds, and wildlife on the shore line as the natural beauty of the everglades whiz by.

Tour Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park where you will see black bears, red wolves, panthers, bobcats, deer, flamingos and alligators in their natural habitat. Your docent will highlight Florida’s native animal inhabitants and how you can protect Florida’s Everglades.
Walk the Underwater Observatory beneath the water surface. Here you will have a great view local fish – red snapper, silver snook and others.

Enjoy dinner in Homosassa Springs then head back to your cozy, houseboat for a relaxing evening star gazing.

Your local guide will pick you up after breakfast on the boat. Travel overland to your kayak departure point, Everglades National Park. Your certified naturalist and kayaking guide is an expert in the fragility of the Everglades ecology and its inhabitants. After kiting out and reviewing kayaking safety tips, you will set off to explore the exotic beauty of the Mangrove Forest. Tours are appropriate for both the beginner and experienced kayakers.

The Mangrove jungle canopy covers you in a leafy ceiling and you glide silently through the fascinating vegetative tunnels these trees form. Ever so quietly, as not to wake the forest, your guide brings the history of the Everglades alive.

It is such a marvel to search for manatees, dolphins and sea turtles in the tranquil water. Then switch gears and with eyes to the shoreline, search for marsh birds like osprey, bald eagles, herons and egrets. Of course the most exciting attraction is the sun basking alligators, and the most terrifying is seeing just gator eyes emerge just barely above the waterline.

Search the shore for land animals, including black bears, red wolves, panthers, bobcats, deer, flamingos and alligators in their natural habitat. When you haul up your kayak on one of the many land outcroppings, take a walk through the marsh while learning about the land animals that live there. Stop for a picnic lunch while you listen to the soft buzzing sounds echoing off the water.

A return trip to your houseboat at the end of the day to enjoy a quiet dinner and rest up for tomorrow’s adventures

On your private Ten Thousand Islands fishing charter, your captain and crew will guide you to some of the best fishing spots in Florida. The experienced crew knows where the fish are biting! Try your hand at snagging trout, flounder, snook, redfish and others. Your crew are experienced anglers and will teach beginners the fine art of casting a line and reeling one in, or advanced techniques for more experienced fishers.

The backwater boats are fully equipped; enhancing your fishing experience. The coves, grass flats, canals, and bays are teeming with fish varieties.

If you are a catch and release angler, the crew will assist you in returning your catch to the water. If you are interested in reeling in dinner, you can keep your catch on ice and they will clean and ready your fish when you dock.

End the day with your private chef cooking up a banquet from your catch, adding in some additional local specialties while you relax on the pier and hone your “the big one that got away” story!

Today we are back on land and looking up! Make sure to pack your binoculars. Your guide will pick you up at your houseboat and deliver you to Anastasia State Park. Spend the morning with an expert ornithologist who will teach you how to listen for the birds. Every bird species has a unique warble making it easy to identify. A diverse bird community inhabits the Everglades. You will hear and see many varieties of marsh and shore birds as you wander through the park with your guide.

No trip to the Everglades is complete without a trip to Gator Park! This tour will have you on the edge of your seat as your guide takes you up close and personal to these native residents. You might even get to pet a gator!

Learn to sail or just sit back and relax while the crew takes over and enjoy the beauty of the bay. Today is your day to soak in the magical and zen-like feeling of sailing. Sit back, soak up the warm Florida sun, and reflect on a wonderful, nature-focused vacation.

Cook up a leisurely breakfast on your houseboat and dine alfresco as you take in the beauty of the Florida Everglades. Your overland transport will take you to Miami International Airport where you will head home with great memories and fantastic stories about your journey.