Lovely walk around Jamaica Pond! It was cold and raw and lightly raining but still very serene and…read morebeautiful. Lots of runners and walkers passing by me, it was nice to feel the fresh air and get some exercise. Street parking and not too far from the downtown area of JP.

I'm absolutely obsessed with Jamaica Pond. I've driven by a hundred times and now I've finally gone…read moreout to run it this summer and let me just say - where have I been! It's so big which is great for mid-length walks and runs (I'm still trying to figure out the exact distance of one lap though). There's plenty of benches along the loop to sit down and catch your breath, people-watch, read a book, meet a neighbor, etc. They also have a few outdoor exercise stations during one stretch of the loop and I've seen people use them! A really cool addition to have. There's street parking and I've had no troubles finding a spot. The best part: SHADE. This summer has been the summer of Jamaica Pond and I think a large part is due to how shaded the path is! This heat wave is no joke! Sometimes there's folks playing instruments in the gazebo which is always fun to hear.

I booked a kayak at the Kendall Square location and landed here. I should have gone the other…read moredirection - the most difficult part was near this location, and I was paddling against the wind and current most of the way. Other than that, it was a great trip! It's a nice mix of peaceful trees and city views. I also paddled through a sailing team practice, which was cool. The boats were in great shape. The life jackets were showing their age, but I guess that's what you get with rentals. They estimated 1.5 - 2 hours for this trip, and it took me about an hour. I docked a star from this location, because the workers didn't really seem to know what was going on when I returned the boat. I needed to let them know I came from the other location and the responses were "that's cool" and "okay" and "I don't know what to do with that". Turns out you have to check out in a trailer at the end of the dock and tell them, but no one seemed to know. Still a great trip!

TL;DR - Paddle Boston at Kendall Square is my go-to for kayaking on the Charles. The staff is…read morealways friendly, prices are fair, and the views of Boston and Cambridge are unbeatable. Their season passes and Fourth of July rentals make the experience even better--highly recommend! _______________________________ I love being outdoors, especially on the water, and Paddle Boston has become one of my favorite spots in the city. I discovered them shortly after moving to Boston and working in Cambridge, and it has been a go-to ever since. Their kayak rentals are fairly priced and offer an amazing way to enjoy the Charles River with unbeatable views of both the Boston and Cambridge skylines. The staff is always friendly, helpful, and welcoming. Their kayaks are perfect for the calm waters of the Charles, not overly advanced but not basic either, just right for a relaxing paddle. I also love that they offer season passes for frequent paddlers and special rentals for the Fourth of July Boston Pops Fireworks, which is truly the best way to experience the show. While I typically take the T to get there, parking nearby on Main Street has never been an issue. If you are looking for a fun and easy outdoor activity in the city, I highly recommend Paddle Boston at Kendall Square.

This is a review just for kayaking:…read more On a beautiful Sunday, we wanted to kayak. We first went to another sailing pavilion that was unfortunately closed and then tried Community Boating. The office / guest services area inside is pretty well staffed and they have bathrooms and lockers so seemed promising. Unfortunately after you pay it becomes clear the main intent of this place is sailing. If you want to do anything else, do not come here. I had to chase multiple people down for us to get assistance with getting paddles and we had to go out into the water on our own with little to no direction. In the end, we didn't even get to spend the full 2 hours you pay for out on the water because it took so long to get setup on our own. Don't come here for anything but sailing!

Love this place, and love that Boston supports it. Great time getting out on the water with my wife…read morein a 2-man kayak. It'd be nice to be able to go further than between the bridges, but for a quick spin it was perfect.

We had a good experience with charles river cruise in our recent trip to Boston. The boat dock was…read morenext to a shopping mall with access to restroom, dining options and various shops. The receptionist was friendly. The tour guide was phenomenal. Bearing a great, easygoing and a bit sarcastic personality, she was engaging, knowledgeable, funny and honest about her delivery. I learned a few things about the city and the famous schools from her personal opinion. Very steady and peaceful ride. Clean and well-maintained boat with a bar. Be mindful it's hot inside the boat with the scorching sun in PM so bring water, sun screen and hat, dress lightly. It was our second day in town our bodies still adjusted humidity and heat, I felt I was about to get a heat stroke. It'd be nice if they consider AC operated boat in the future.

We took the 90-minute Charles River Tour Cruise on Friday, August 1st--our first time using Charles…read moreRiver Boat Company. The views were nice, but the experience turned sour quickly due to a lack of passenger care and extremely poor customer service. Halfway through the ride, we were filming the scenery at the front of the boat when, without warning, the captain blasted an incredibly loud horn as a "greeting" to another boat far in the distance. It was completely unnecessary, and the sudden, deafening sound startled everyone around us. I almost dropped my phone into the water. We went inside for the rest of the trip because we no longer felt safe or relaxed. Later that day, we emailed the company with our concerns and offered to send them the video showing exactly what happened. They didn't care. Instead, the Director of Operations, Gibson Cushman, dismissed our complaint, quoted Coast Guard rules (irrelevant in this case), and refused a refund. He offered a credit for another cruise, which felt like a cop-out since we're not local. His response made everything worse--tone-deaf, defensive, and full of excuses. He even tried to blame us, saying passengers should expect loud horns at any time. I had ringing in my ear for 48 hours--if we'd known something like this might happen, we could've worn ear protection. Overall, it was a stressful and disappointing experience. Their focus clearly isn't on guest satisfaction or safety--only on covering themselves. We won't be returning and wouldn't recommend them to others.

Loved, loved, loved this tour! What made the tour was our announcer. Max Marshall Arch provided…read morehistorical information while entertaining us with his humor! If you plan on taking this tour, try to get on his boat - he will not disappoint! Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend if you are visiting Boston.

Wow!! Hot Wheels was absolutely amazing- almost a month later, and my son is still saying Quack…read moreQuack. Hot Wheels was full of trivia, recommendations for the city of Boston, and clearly loves his job. We really appreciated he highlighted veterans and had us sign the top of the boat! My kids had so much fun, and this was worth every penny. A must do if you're in Boston!

The tour was great! The captain and his son were fun and knowledgeable, and very patient with our…read morenine year old's many questions. The boat was very comfortable and I appreciate that there was a roof covering the seating area to keep us out of the sun. Highly recommend this for ages 9-89.

This IS the thing to do when visiting Gloucester! Caught the first boat out Saturday, about 9 of…read moreus onboard. Owner pointed out boats, historical spots, points of interest, lively old salt with lots of stories. $10 paid onboard with 3 stops, hop on/hop off all day. What a way to see the harbor, learn some history of the port, brush up on nautical terms, points of interest on shore, and be entertained!! Such a value! Very fun & don't forget to get a picture with Cathy. Captain Patrick was entertaining with stories and landmarks, slowed down so we could see Wicked Tuna taping a show. Talked about fishermen bringing in their catch to the auction, very informative. First mate, Decklin did a poetry reading, very dramatic, well done. Well worth the $10!!

We had a few groupons to get our kayak on, and with the beautiful weather we had this weekend, it…read morewas the perfect time. Nothing better than being on the open ocean with a paddle. Four of us arrived, filled out a simple waiver, and got our life vests and paddles. After not so gracefully plopping into the kayaks, we were on our way. Once we got the hang of it, we were on our way to the closest island. We were hoping to get to Spectacle, (insert snicker here) but I think we would have passed out first, so we made it to land (I think it was Thompson, which may or may not have had No Tresspassing signs on it. Eh, We weren't exploring, just resting up with a nice picnic lunch. I can't wait to go back, after my aching arm muscles stop killing me!~ Next time I might wrapy my thumbs with tape to see if it will prevent the blisters I got.... Highly recommend for a fun day out!

UMass Boston is right on the ocean, so it's cold of the…read moreYear.... but beautiful. They offer many boating activitIes, and water sports equipment rentals, as well as a running trail along the ocean. The deal: Umass Boston students, with ID's, hey free boat rIdes, kayak lessons and more!

Bought a new Pyranha Scorch small kayak! Order went well with delivery within a few weeks. Jim…read moreanswered all questions and was very knowledgeable about kayaking was buying! Transaction went smoothly! This was a 2nd kayak after 45 years with same brand!

Steve was our guide for white water rafting and he was awesome. Truly an expert on the route and…read moregave perfect instructions. All staff were very friendly. They even accommodated our dietary restrictions. 10/10 recommend!

a BYOB Brews Cruise around Boston Harbor?! Yes, please!…read more Cycleboat Boston, based in Charlestown, is a family-owned company providing both public tours and private charters for up to 20-26 guests. Each boat has a central table with ice-filled coolers that is surrounded by 12 bike seats for passengers to pedal to power the boat but don't worry! You don't have to pedal, there is an outboard motor. And if pedaling isn't your thing at all or there's more than 12 of passengers, each boat has a comfy lounge area in the back that is set up for conversation, sipping on your drink and drinking in the views! All cruises are BYOB (cans only and no hard alcohol - a craft beer lovers dream) and you can also bring food/snacks on board! For our cruise, we enjoyed charcuterie cones from Kured.co and Scuba & I obviously had to bring along some on-theme beers including Cushnoc Brewing's 'Can't Buy Backbone' IPA, Wormtown Brewing's Summer Ale and a pounder of Montauk Brewing's Summer Ale (all purchased at Dion's in Waltham). As someone who is happiest in/on/near the water with a beer in hand and has so much pride in my city; this was a dream! I am actively looking for any excuse to get back out on a Cycleboat!

What an AWESOME experience we had with Cycleboat Boston!!! We did an afternoon cruise on "Rosie the…read moreRiveter" and it was a blast! Our captain and his daughter were great hosts and tour guides for this group of 10 celebrating a bachelorette. BYOB and of course someone from your group gets to be DJ! Highly recommend for a large group outing on the harbor!