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Tour The Glades - Private Wildlife Tours

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TOUR THE GLADES - PRIVATE WILDLIFE TOURS (Everglades City) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Tour The Glades - Private Wildlife Tours

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Tour The Glades - Private Wildlife Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Tour The Glades - Private Wildlife Tours

Review Highlights

“ Tod was super friendly and knowledgable about the ecosystem of the Everglades and so much fun to hang out with. ” in 4 reviews

“ We even saw some manatees at the end and Josh stayed later with us until dark just so we'd have more time to see everything. ” in 3 reviews

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104 Buckner Ave S

Everglades City, FL 34139

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Business Owner

Tour The Glades - Private Wildlife Tours is the Only all inclusive Private tour operator in the Everglades. Quality instead of quantity is our goal...which means our guests receive 100% of our attention. We can only do one (maybe two) trips per day which makes each one very special. This approach is better for the environment and hands down the best way to explore the Everglades & 10,000 Islands....just you and your own personal guide. Come with us in search of Alligator, Manatee, Black Bear, playful Dolphin and even the elusive Florida Panther. The Everglades is also a Birder's Paradise and we'll help you get your target species. We provide tours year round and all excursions are led by Local Naturalist Guides that provide EVERYTHING you'll need. …

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Kayaking the Everglades was so beautiful and serene! And not nearly as buggy as I expected. Our tour guide Tod was very knowledgeable about local flora and fauna, and provided very thoughtful touches like extra bug spray, sunblock, and yummy snacks. Plus he had a great calm, level energy and a good sense of humor, and great stories! We'll join him again next year for another adventure, at a different location.

Christian took me out, teaching me to kayak at the start. This was a thrilling way to explore the Everglades ecosystem, and Christian was an outstanding tour guide. We saw only a small area, but it was precisely the area one needed to see to understand the Everglades generally. I was low to the water, experiencing the water, the plants, and the creatures living in and around these plants in an intimate way. This company is great. Enthusiastically recommended.

We took the combo kayak/boat tour and had a fantastic time. Todd and Louis were great guides that were very knowledgeable of the local area and history. The trip was beyond our expectations.

Our family had a wonderful experience touring the Everglades with Tour The Glades. Tod is an excellent guide, he is extremely knowledgeable about the area. We took our three granddaughters, ages 5,7 and 9. Tod made the adventure so much fun for the girls.

What a fantastic experience!! Tod was the absolute best. Book a tour with him, and ask him how he saved my life! :)

I would highly recommend the private kayak tour through the Everglades, preferably with Josh although I'm sure the other guides are as equally amazing. When they say private, they mean you and only you on this trip. As a single woman looking for an adventure, I imagined kayaking through the Everglades as the most adventurous a person could get. I was pleasantly surprised with not only the once in a life time adventure of seeing wildlife, fish, birds and alligators, Josh taught me so much about this precious ecosystem and tugged my heart strings describing the beauty, lifecycle, history and current challenges the Everglades face. I will be visiting again very soon- there is so much to see and learn around every turn! Rest assured you will marvel at the wilderness around you while in the care of this confident, enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide. Thanks again Josh! Aimee

My husband and I went on a fantastic kayaking tour with Tod! Booking with him was extremely easy. I was very nervous about kayaking around alligators, but Tod really put me at ease and had a variety of solutions to make me more comfortable. We started kayaking in a pretty wide open lake area, so I felt very comfortable and decided to kayak solo (instead of share one) and I'm so glad that I did. I'm not a kayaker by any means and Tod explained that the kayaks are virtually untipable - my husband and Tod even stood up in them. The water the whole time is very shallow, maybe 2-3 feet deep max, so if you were to tip your kayak, you can easily stand up and get right back in. The alligators won't approach you, they're trying to stay away from you as much as you are trying to stay away from them. We only saw 1 alligator while kayaking, but we heard more (they talk to eachother)! The trip is fun regardless if you see a lot of alligators or only 1. The scenery was so beautiful and serene. Tod was extremely knowledgeable and taught us a lot about the fish, birds, insects, plant life, history, geography...you name it! He was fun, laid back, attentive, and an all around wonderful guide. He even gave us snacks, water, and took pictures! We can't say enough good things about Tod and would recommend him to anyone!

Initially I couldn't calm my nerves when Kayaking in waters swarming with gators. Our guide Josh calmed us throughout the tour, it seems we have watched too much Discovery nature documentaries and YouTube vids (according to Josh). Visited a hidden lake through connected water tunnels. Saw multiple gators (from a distance). Would recommend this tour to anyone who is not catatonic in front of gators

This was such an awesome tour! We did the combination kayak and boat for a full day and it was amazing. We saw tons of alligators and on the boat we saw dolphins less than 10 feet who stayed and played with us and we got to watch them fish! We even saw some manatees at the end and Josh stayed later with us until dark just so we'd have more time to see everything. 10/10 would recommend.

If you decide to do anything on your trip to FL, do this! Tod was super friendly and knowledgable about the ecosystem of the Everglades and so much fun to hang out with. We saw all kinds of birds and alligators and 4 hours flew by. It was super peaceful out on the water and we never saw anyone else the entire time. Tod knows what he is doing, is super safe around the alligators and respects their boundries. You have to do this trip! We had a blast!!! Bring bug spray though.

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Tour The Glades - Private Wildlife Tours

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Tour The Glades - Private Wildlife Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

create unforgettable Everglades memories at captain jack's!

Zip through Everglades City on airboat tours

Venture through a cypress forest on a swamp buggy

Get a chance to see wild alligators, birds & more

Stay safe and comfortable 

See alligators & animals up close

Hold a baby alligator

Take home gifts and memories

Everglades National Park Boat Tour

Ten Thousand Islands Boat Tour

Boardwalk (Included)

Mangrove maze airboat tours.

Race through a maze of Everglades mangroves on an airboat, away from other traffic.

• Mangrove Maze Ultimate Combo

• Mangrove Maze Airboat Tour

Mangrove Tunnel Airboat Combos

• Total Everglades Combo

Mangrove Tunnel & Grassland Combo

Mangrove Tunnel & Buggy Combo

Private Mangrove Tunnel & Buggy Combo

Mangrove tunnel airboat tours.

Take a high-speed tour of Everglades City's signature mangrove tunnels!

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Grassland airboat Tours

Grassland & Buggy Combo

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4 Attractions Included with All Our Tours

When you book direct.

Animal Sanctuary

Alligator Show

Hug an Alligator

Why Choose Captain Jack’s?

Local Roots

Safety & Experience

Two-Way Headsets

Alligators & Animals

Quietest & Comfiest

Personal & Popular

Refreshments & Gifts

Guests love us.

“There is something about flying down narrow alleys of mangrove trees that is just a rush. I could never get tired of it. The guides always give more than just a ride. You learn so much about the Everglades and the total ecosystem that it is. We most certainly will be back!

—C. from Florida

“The mangrove tour was so much fun! We saw a family of dolphins swimming along the boat, several alligators, and a few fish jumping out of the water. Riding through the mangroves was beautiful and a fun way to see the Everglades. I would recommend to anyone.”

—J. from Massachusetts

“We really enjoyed seeing the alligators. The captain of the airboat gave a lot of information about the Everglades and habitat. The addition of the two-way headsets let us all communicate during the tour. This was really a highlight of having friends down visiting us new Florida residents. Plan to bring other guests."

—K. from Florida

“We did the combo package and it was amazing! Great way to experience all 3 ways to 'see' the Everglades! Would highly recommend. All the captains for each segment were fantastic! Had a great time!"

—J.T.

• Mangrove Tunnel & Grassland Combo
• Mangrove Tunnel & Buggy Combo
• Private Mangrove Tunnel & Buggy Combo
• Grassland & Buggy Combo
• Lodging Nearby
• Total Everglades Stay & Play
• Animals & Alligator Show
• Everglades City Boardwalk

Puerto Rico’s southern coast is the island’s best-kept secret

Take it from a guayama native: the caribbean coast is worth exploring from end to end.

The scenery starts to change when you leave the tall hotels and tapón (traffic jam) of San Juan behind.

Head south on Route 52, and you will start seeing the lush green mountains of Cordillera Central. As you approach the southern coast, the dense vegetation transforms into clusters of cactuses and shrubs, painting an arid landscape against the distant view of the Caribbean Sea.

Ranging east to west from the town of Yabucoa to Cabo Rojo, the southern coast of Puerto Rico is rich in culture, food, beaches and nature. But beyond all the tangible attractions, locals say the spirit of hospitality makes the place unique. “Our greatest asset is the people, who make people feel at home,” says Milexys Rosado Romero, the owner of Hacienda Tres Casitas , a farm stay in Cabo Rojo.

I learned this growing up in Guayama, where neighbors traded mangoes for papayas. My parents were always inviting people for coffee, or my dad might arrive home with a bagful of fresh seafood he got from a friend he ran into at the beach.

Unfortunately, no reliable public transport options exist, so renting a car is the best bet to reach the smaller towns and unspoiled beaches. Highway 52 traverses the island from north to south, taking you from San Juan to Guayama in around 90 minutes, depending on traffic, and to Ponce in two hours or less. Highway 2 takes you west to Cabo Rojo and up the western coast, and Route 3 takes you along the eastern coast with scenic ocean views of Patillas and Maunabo.

If traveling during the fall, you may catch surfers in Guardarraya Beach in Patillas. It’s hard to get lost as you can easily find lesser-known beaches via Google Maps, with good cell coverage throughout the region.

Many of the lodgings offered on the southern coast, from the luxury Copamarina Beach Resort to the kid-friendly Combate Beach Resort , have been owned by local families for generations. Farm stays, small inns known as paradors and vacation rentals dominate the accommodations, making for a relaxed scene.

I recommend visiting from Wednesdays to Sundays for a livelier scene and more dining options; earlier in the week is perfect for having the beaches all to yourself.

Low-key beaches in Cabo Rojo

Even the Caribbean Sea beaches on the southern coast of Puerto Rico are in chill mode, more relaxed than their choppy Atlantic Ocean counterparts in the north.

With small waves and shallow waters, Combate Beach, on the southwest corner, is ideal for families. Make it a day-long affair with a passion fruit mojito at Annie’s Place with picturesque sunset views.

For a more rustic beach experience, go to Playa Sucia, one of Puerto Rico’s southernmost beaches. While there, hike the trails leading to El Faro de Cabo Rojo and Puente de Piedra for 360-degree views of a colorful mix of Caribbean blues, sandy-colored rocky enclaves and green mangroves along the coast. Walk a mile and a half north of Playa Sucia, and you will encounter the Salinas de Cabo Rojo, with colorful yellow-shouldered blackbirds flying over the pink salt flats.

Boquerón is a neighborhood known for its stands of local fish, oysters and clams. You can also take a dip at its small sandy strip. The neighborhood is vibrant, with music blaring throughout the many kiosks and beachside restaurants, most specializing in seafood. You don’t have to go far inland to find roasted pork at Camino Los Charros. Rosado also recommends La Catumba Lechonera among the many restaurants that specialize in pork.

Restaurants on the rise in Guayama

“Guayama esta pegao” — in style, according to what I’ve heard from many friends across the island.

A coastal city on the southeastern side, it is known for having a charming plaza (town square) with homes and buildings dating from the 1800s. One of these historical homes houses Gallo Pinto , a restaurant by chef Ángel David Moreno Zayas that has become a destination with dishes like grilled oysters, bone marrow with beef tartare, and fried red snapper.

“I’ve worked in many kitchens in San Juan and the mainland United States, but I wanted to open my restaurant in Guayama,” says Moreno Zayas of his hometown. “It started as a casual place because we were recovering from the pandemic, but now we’ve incorporated more fine-dining elements, and the reception has been spectacular.”

After a feast at Gallo Pinto, one must save room for ice cream at one of Guayama’s classic spots, Rex Cream. Owned by Chinese-Cuban immigrants, the Louke Chang family, it’s a mandatory stop. A scoop of salty-sweet corn ice cream with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon is perfect for a walk along the plaza.

At Pozuelo, a fishermen’s neighborhood beyond the city center, go to El Arcoiris for one of my childhood favorites, the octopus salad with a side of tostones. Or bite into a crispy alcapurria — a fritter made of banana and root vegetables — at El Fogón de Susa as you stroll along the beach.

You can find one of the most impressive wine lists in the south at Prime Market , where local couple Laury Cordero Sabater and Antonio Palau transformed an old home along Route 3 into an ample outdoor patio with a menu specializing in steaks.

Art and culture in Ponce

It’s hard to find Puerto Ricans prouder of their hometown than Ponceños. I’m not disputing their pride, because the city has so much to offer, especially in terms of arts and culture.

“Start with a walking tour of the city center of Ponce to learn about the history of Ponce and gain an orientation of the city,” says Melina Aguilar Colón, the founder of Isla Caribe tours. “One of the sights not to be missed is the Parque de Bombas de Ponce,” she said. Initially built in 1882 for the Exhibition Trade Fair, the Ponce firehouse is a symbol of the city; the distinct red-and-black-striped facade was an inspiration for the Ponce flag.

After walking through the city center, go for cocktails along Paseo de la Salsa Cheo Feliciano, named after the pioneering salsa singer José Feliciano. At El Marlin 107, William Collazo, a big name in Puerto Rico’s cocktail community, mixes drinks with tropical infusions like coconut water, guava and mangoes. On the weekends, expect live music along the street where you can test your salsa skills. For dinner, head to Chef’s Creations, where you catch chef Jorge Rivera cooking over a wood-fired grill in his restaurant’s patio.

Although the city has suffered structural damage during Hurricane Maria in 2017, followed by an earthquake in 2020, Ponce has focused on reconstruction and updates to many of its cultural institutions. The Teatro La Perla, a cultural hub for performance art, is set to reopen in 2025 with plays and musical performances. The Art Museum of Ponce , home of the iconic “Flaming June” by Sir Frederic Leighton (which is currently on loan to the Royal Academy of Arts in London), recently reopened its doors after extensive repairs.

Ponce is also considered the birthplace of plena music, one of the traditional sounds of Puerto Rico. Deeply infused with African beats, plena tells the story of the Puerto Rican people from the early 1900s. You can learn more about plena and other Puerto Rican music like bomba and danza at the Museo de la Música Puertorriqueña, a small museum in the city center.

El Bosque dry forest and bioluminescent bays

According to Aguilar Colón, “everybody knows about El Yunque rainforest, but nobody talks about El Bosque Seco de Guánica, the dry forest on the island’s southwest coast.” I agree.

One of the things that makes Puerto Rico unique is the contrast of ecosystems in a relatively small island. Walking along the trails, you will notice the different varieties of cactuses, Guayacán trees and mangroves as you get closer to the shoreline. Birdwatchers will rejoice with the sights of sparrow hawks, hummingbirds and brown pelicans. The dry forest is one of the island’s hottest places, so ensure you bring plenty of water and sun protection.

Next to Guánica, in the neighboring town of Lajas, there’s another natural phenomenon. La Parguera is home to one of the three bioluminescent bays of Puerto Rico. Because of overpopulation, it’s not as bright as in Vieques, but it’s still worth a trip if you’re in the area.

The local dock offers boat rides, and you can also find kayak tours taking you deeper into the bay for better views. Beyond the bay, the Parguera is known for its bustling scene on the weekends with plenty of bars, restaurants and bands.

Jessica van Dop DeJesus is a travel and food writer, digital content creator and the author of “ The Dining Traveler Guide to Puerto Rico .” She divides her time between Brussels, D.C. and western New York. Follow her on Instagram @diningtraveler .

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