I've seen the signs on Alligator Alley many times so I finally decided to stop. Smallwoods is an…read moreold Florida store and museum. It is an old Indian trading post with original fixtures and a huge amount of items from books, newspapers, sewing goods, dishes and everything else imaginable. There is a great water view out the back door of the store. It is built up on stilts. There is a $5 entry. The store sells all sorts of souvenirs. We spent under an hour browsing the museum.

Tony and I went to Chokoloskee Island to the Historical Smallwood Store! It's now a museum adults…read moreonly $5. The water has a brackish reddish brown tint from the Red Mangrove. It also has a sulphury smell! It's very pretty down here! We also stopped in Everglade City FL.

We had a lovely trip on the water on a beautiful sunny day with Captain Dave. The place was packed…read moreand crowded and we ended up starting our tour late because there was only one working bathroom with a long line. We did let the front desk know, but they were not very helpful. It also took us a while to find parking as the sites were not well marked. We went to see the white pelicans, and unfortunately there were only two on the island during our trip as our guide said that fisherman had recently scared them away. The area was beautiful and we learned a lot about mangroves and the local birds. Pro tip: get there early and try to pee somewhere else before you go to make the most out of your one and a half hour trip! They schedule the trips back to back so there's not a lot of room for error - as soon as we docked, the next group was waiting to jump right on the boat - we barely had time to give our captain his well deserved tip. *The three stars is not reflective of the boat trip itself, which was amazing and our captain was wonderful. It reflects the disorganization of the company in general. We originally had 1 PM reservations and were coming from Naples, almost an hour away. At 11:15 pm they asked if we could arrive by 12:30 pm - not clarifying this meant they wanted us to hop on the boat right at 12:30. We left Naples right away, but given the previously described parking and bathroom situation we ended up starting the trip about 10 minutes late, which was unfortunate and created issues at the end that took away from the overall experience.

Did the Watson tour which was informative and fun. Corey the guide was excellent. We had so much…read morefun we booked a night tour that same day. The night boat tour was unbelievable. Everyone should take the tour!

I have done numerous boat trips in my lifetime, so I had something to compare this to. We took the…read more3.5 hour morning trip, which went around the islands and stopped at one for a brief walk. The boat was comfortable, and the ride was smooth. We were at low tide, so our captain had to be very cautious where he went. The mangroves are pretty, but once you saw 10 islands, it was probably enough. We got to see a few dolphins, and he got two of them to surf the boat waves which was fun. Our little stroll on the one island turned up a few interesting shells. Overall, I think the trip is too long as you just keep seeing the same things, island after island. There weren't really as many birds as I anticipated.

Great trip, got what we were looking for: photographs! boat was vey stable and smooth, and Jerry…read morefollowed the dolphins so we could get more shots. Also saw a diverse rookery, osprey's nest, royal tern and much more. Wonderful outing!

We had 2 great days of fishing with Capt. Rodney. 11 species…read more I am looking forward to my next trip to Chokoloskee and fishing with Capt. Rodney again. A+ person.... along with being a great fishing guide.

Went on the Sunset tour with Capt. Rodney. Could not have had a better time, Dolphins surfing in…read morethe boat's wake, beautiful views of the bird rookeries, and gorgeous sunset views. Capt. Rodney is a sixth generation local, and a true gentleman, very knowledgeable about the local area. We'd do this again in a heartbeat. I plan on going fishing with him next time we are in the Everglades.

Jenny was fantastic. From the minute we met her she made us feel comfortable and even more excited…read morefor the kayak tour. She's been giving tours a long time, and it shows in the best way possible. She's incredibly knowledgeable about the area, and her love of the Everglades shows. Each mangrove cave we went in she pointed out unique attributes including plants and birds. Every animal she saw she not only pointed it out but helped us get great photos too. It was so special to see a crocodile! Jenny also brought us water and chocolate + came incredibly prepared with heavy-duty bug spray. Use it. And book with Jenny! It will be a top Everglades experience.

Jenny's kayak tours are fun and she will educate you with facts about birds, reptiles, fish and…read moreecology of the Everglades. We've done two other kayak tours in the past 3 years and Jenny's is by far the best! You'll learn so much about the Everglades and conservation efforts to protect this beautiful and delicate natural resource.

Had an amazing day on the water with Austin and his First Mate Ari! He went above and beyond as a…read morecaptain and his knowledge about the area was great, if you're in area please book with him

We had an absolutely amazing experience with Austin and Banyan Carters. Not only did we see…read moredolphin, we were able to experience additional bonus sea life and nature! Austin was extremely informative, answering all of our questions and provided us with facts and information about the ocean around us. What was so special about Austin was his dedication and respect to the ocean life. He couldn't have been more compassionate to the surrounding boaters, surrounding fishermen/women, and wildlife. He went slow around the manatees and really appreciated all that was around us. Absolutely amazing man and company - I wouldn't choose anyone else on the island!

If I could give this business 6 stars I would!!! What an amazing experience to wrap up my birthday…read morecelebration this past Saturday. The booking process was simple and quick and this experience is worth every penny. You get to take a beautiful ride through Naples bay while being serenaded and enjoying beautiful views. We had the 8pm time slot and I thought it was absolutely perfect to take in the sunset and enjoy the cooler weather. Highly recommend!!!!!

The last time i rode a Gondola was June 2009 in Venice, Italy so it was really great to have done…read morethis again on April 2025 in Naples, FL. Both are peninsulas, ha, LoL. This was an enjoyable experience, i went with a sister and nieces of mine! We brought on Spumante and sang it's A'More while munching on other goodies and went the Tin City route as onlookers were filming us on the ancient Gondola built in 1995! They definitely need to get an armada and fleet going and turn this into Venice, Italy around here! :)

Such a fun outing! Our captain was very knowledgeable and somehow navigated skillfully through open…read morewaters and twisting trails thru the mangroves. We saw plenty of gators and bird life plus even got a brief history lesson. At the end there is an alligator "show". It's kind of honky-tonk but impressive nevertheless, with an option to pose holding a small alligator - perfectly positioned to capture their sign in the background. You know, I really don't mind helping promote worthy businesses and this was well worth our time & money!

Very informational trip and lots of fun! A quick afternoon trip that proved to be a lot of fun!read more

We had an amazing experience with Captain Nate. We booked a private tour, and in our booking we…read moreindicated that our priority was to see manatees and then dolphins. When we arrived Captain Nate told us he would try, but that January is not the best time to see manatees around Marco Island. About 5 minutes later, he found one. The manatee was friendly and curious, so we got to spend a long time watching him as he swam near the boat. We were all ecstatic. We then went out and eventually found a pod of dolphins, including a baby, who had fun swimming in the wake of the boat. Captain Nate was incredibly nice, helpful, and knowledgeable. We had a really great experience that we will remember for the rest of our lives. I highly recommend this company and tour!

Booked our second trip with Captain John - great tour of Marco and shelling on the outer island…read more Thanks!!!