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    Carmen's Kayaks

    5.0 (15 reviews)
    Open Open 24 hours

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    Linda M.

    Picked Carmen's kayak without much research and boy was I so pleasantly surprised with how helpful and thoughtful Carmen herself was to my questions and situation! She followed through completely and her assistant Ellis delivered and picked up the excellent condition kayaks for me as well. You will not be disappointed renting from Carmen! She is a gem!

    Brittney S.

    Such a great experience. Kayaked on a windy day which could've made our trip less enjoyable but the team provided us with a map and customized trip recommendation to ensure we had a safe, enjoyable trip, especially through the mangroves (which was our goal)! Would definitely rent from this company again.

    Lee D.

    From our first contact with Carmen via text, we were confident that our kayak tour would be a good one and we were not disappointed. Communication was excellent; she watches the wind and weather, and confirmed the day before. Upon meeting her, it was immediately obvious that Carmen loves her town (Matlacha, pronounced Mat-la-shay), the wildlife, and the environment. She enthusiastically shared her knowledge of all of these things on our tour. You can also rent kayaks and go out on your own but not only did we think we might get lost in the mangroves but it was so much more interesting to learn about the area from Carmen. If you schedule a private tour, you can pick the time you want to go and we were very happy with our afternoon tour. There are multiple outfitters in the area and I cannot speak for them but I highly recommend Carmen!

    Christina D.

    What an incredible day. You know you have struck gold when you arrive and your first impression of your guide is "wow!" Not only is Carmen a resident expert of the mangroves and the wildlife that lives there, she is a delightful person. Her laugh is infectious, her knowledge is vast, and her patience is perfection. My family has explored this area with her 3 times in the last month, kayaking and fishing. We have kayaked with other guides over the many years we visit the area and NO ONE comes close to the experience you get with Carmen. This work is truly a passion project for her and it shows in ever way. 5 stars isn't enough to reflect our amazing adventure with her! She is definitely worth a perfect 10!

    Trish F.

    Had a great experience today, Carmen took my reservation yesterday evening and I was out on the water this morning. Her place is easy to get to, with free parking right at Matlacha park. She was friendly, helpful and you can tell she enjoys meeting people and making their experience the best. I spent 4 hours on the water, enjoying nature, birds, mangroves and sealife. She will have my repeat business.

    Kayaking in Matlacha
    Shannon W.

    My husband and I had such a great time. We rented kayaks and kayaked all around Matlacha. Mike was very helpful and was very knowledgeable about the area. We ended up being out longer than planned, so we called him and he said it would be no problem to stay out longer. We are hoping to have the opportunity to go out again, if so we will be returning. Mike came and picked up the kayaks just as we were pulling into the canal. Very easy and so much fun. Highly recommend!

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    Photo of PJ C.
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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    They had everything we needed for our 2 hour rental including a map! Super nice friendly people too!

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    3 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Carmen is super knowledgeable and passionate about eco-preservation. We learned so much, had fun, and would highly recommend it.

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Highly recommend! A great way to see the man groves and wildlife. Both Carmen and Mike are great to work with. Highlight of our trip.

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    6 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Carmen's Kayaks

    Review Highlights - Carmen's Kayaks

    Upon meeting her, it was immediately obvious that Carmen loves her town (Matlacha, pronounced Mat-la-shay), the wildlife, and the environment.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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    Bokeelia Fishing Pier

    Bokeelia Fishing Pier

    3.4(8 reviews)
    1.0 mi

    I was hoping there was some resemblance of what once existed here but that's not the case as of…read moreIndependence Day 2025. Although the rebuilding process continues there's not much left here after the devastating hurricanes, the public access fishing pier has been totally destroyed and the sea wall has been mostly destroyed, the sandy shell road is riddled with potholes and standing water and the businesses that were on the point are severely damaged, close and abandoned. There are signs that this place will recover, the sea wall sheet pilings are being installed from barges and land based cranes before the sand can be hauled in to fill the voids. It's apparent that the entire island has taken a beating with the collapsing buildings and uprooted trees scattered about but there's no doubt about the resiliency of the people that call this island home so the restoration will continue. There is still a small parking area that allows you to fish from the concrete sea wall that remains intact and enjoy the beautiful sunsets, hopefully the fishing pier construction will begin soon so the area can return even bigger and better than before. I hope to return here when everything is restored to give the 5 star review it deserves...

    So sad to see the conditions of Matlacha and Bokeelia after these last two storms. I don't think…read morethe quaint little islands will ever be the same after Helene and Milton. Things were trying to get back to some sort of normalcy since Ian, but all the piers that were just rebuilt were destroyed. We love to go there and have breakfast at the Perfect Cup and the Getaway Place. A lot of cleaning up was going on, but the quaint little stores that made it through Ian are pretty much gone. This makes me really sad!

    Photos
    Bokeelia Fishing Pier - Rebuilding the Pier

    Rebuilding the Pier

    Bokeelia Fishing Pier
    Bokeelia Fishing Pier - Lots of pelicans, ibis and sea birds!

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    Lots of pelicans, ibis and sea birds!

    Diamond Fishing Charters - Our catch!

    Diamond Fishing Charters

    5.0(2 reviews)
    0.4 mi

    My brothers and I fish a lot. We wanted to book a charter to learn the fishing way, way offshore…read more We booked John for an offshore charter and could not have been happier. John is incredibly knowledgeable of the area and the fishing. As good a fisherman as my brothers and I are, our experience and knowledge paled compared to John. He is a true professional. He has excellent equipment and knows how to use it. He will tailor the trip to what you and your party want to do, and their capabilities. He is also very willing to teach you how to fish the area. He was very free with advice on how to fish and what to do. The other thing about John is that he is a gentleman and a conservationist. He knows that the well being of the area is very dependent on the health of the ocean and the fishery. He plays by the rules. He cares. I highly recommend if you want a charter-anything from a 1/2 day of easy inshore fishing-or a full day rugged offshore trip, book with John. You will be very pleased.

    This was an incredible experience. I would recommend Diamond Fishing Charter to anyone looking for…read morea fantastic off shore fishing adventure in south western Florida. We left from the Four Winds Pine Island Marina. The boat was clean, fast, and comfortable for the trip out to deeper waters. We had un unlimited supply of water and access to a cooler. But the best part of the deal is the Captain. John Diamond, owner/operator and third generation native. He knows his stuff. I had never fished off shore and he had me catching fish within minutes. My fiancé has fished with more crowded commercial tourist charters before and he had the best experience of his life! He was able to land two huge Goliath Grouper (which after numerous pics we returned to the sea) and loved it. Between us we caught 20 yellow tail snapper and a couple of Almaco Jacks. The captain cleaned, skinned, and filleted our catch and bagged them up for us. We will so be back. Best 6 hours of our VaCa!

    Photos
    Diamond Fishing Charters - From the jaws of a barracuda! No really, I reeled my heart out for this fish!

    From the jaws of a barracuda! No really, I reeled my heart out for this fish!

    Diamond Fishing Charters - A Goliath Grouper!

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    A Goliath Grouper!

    Matlacha Bat House Park - Restrooms at Bat House Park, Matlacha

    Matlacha Bat House Park

    5.0(2 reviews)
    6.9 mi

    I agree with Karen T - this is an itty bitty park but it more than makes up for that with the…read morelocation that is adjacent to the Matlacha draw bridge. The view from here of the Matlacha Pass is fantastic. Because of the causeway, the fishing here looks to be pretty darned awesome since the fish are just going right past and you can pull 'em right out. There are only a small number of parking spaces and if they're full, you're SOL. Serious bummer because this is a pretty solid view. The park has some shady spots for fishing, restrooms and easy level ground that is completely wheelchair accessible. And no, I didn't see any bats today. [Review 16752 overall - 1479 in Florida - 265 of 2022.]

    This park is TINY. Located just past Matlacha Bridge on Pine Island Road. You'll find the park…read moreentrance on the south side. I counted 7 regular, 1 handicapped and 1 staff parking slot. Despite the size, this gem of a park has some great amenities and features. It's fully ADA accessible. It's location along Matlacha Pass makes it great for fishing. Of course, it's adjacent to the bridge, which is known as one of the world's most fishingest bridges. The park has restrooms with a covered porch and two benches. The big draw for me was the bat house. I wanted to learn more about the bats. The park has a great informational sign. I discovered: 1. The bats here are Brazilian Free-Tailed Bats and are found throughout most areas of Florida and 2: A single bat can eat up to 3000 insects a night.

    Photos
    Matlacha Bat House Park - Park sign and entrance located just past the bridge.

    Park sign and entrance located just past the bridge.

    Matlacha Bat House Park - Bat House Park:  tiny but awesome.

    Bat House Park: tiny but awesome.

    Matlacha Bat House Park - Bat House Park, Matlacha

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    Bat House Park, Matlacha

    Carmen's Kayaks - fishing - Updated May 2026

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