Beyond belief! Not being much of a "tromp through water" person, I am so grateful we took this tour. Garl's knowledge and experience allowed me to completely relax and enjoy nature in a way I never would have. After the hike through the Everglades, we Kayaked through the mangroves. Even if you're not an 'outdoorsy' type person, I highly recommend Garl! **Go For It** read more

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Garl and his tour were the absolute highlight of our trip to Florida. My partner and I can't stop thinking about our experience--we're already figuring out when we can come back and hit the Everglades with Garl again! Garl is so incredibly knowledgable and affable, as one could expect after almost 30 years of experience. It was an honor to spend a day with him in his "office," as he puts it. We did a full day tour, hiking and kayaking. We were awed by the flora and fauna we saw. The Everglades are far more beautiful and enchanting than I could have dreamed. Truth be told, I was very concerned about hiking through the Everglades... all for naught! I, very new to Florida's wilderness, convinced myself that leeches, bugs, and snakes would be a concern. If you're like me, please rest assured that nothing will bother you on Garl's watch, especially not leeches :) Do yourself a favor and book a tour with Garl! I can guarantee you will NOT regret it. We can't wait until the next time we get to visit the Everglades and see Garl again. Until next time, Garl! read more

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Garl's Coastal Kayaking is the best Everglades guide you will ever find. I am writing to give praise to Garl Harrold, founder and chief guide who will show you around the Park. If you have the time and want to have the ultimate experience, join Garl for one of his all-day kayak and slogging adventures in the park. He will take you to places you would have never imagined, show you things you didn't know existed, and will thoroughly charm even the most experienced and knowledgable visitors. Garl has been guiding in the Everglades for more than 20 years. His trips include salt water and fresh water kayaking suitable for beginners or experts. He will also take you slogging or wading along pathways you never dreamed were there. He will show you animals you would never have found on your own. Garl knows his birds. He knows his plants. He knows the geology. He knows the routes. And he knows what you'd like to see. He is intimately knowledgable about where critters are and knows how to find them. He does the whole job with grace, with wit, and with an expert's practiced eye. Before you think that this review is exaggerated or the words of someone who didn't know any better... let me tell you who I am. I am PhD ecologist who spent 25 years as a naturalist, researcher, and science administrator in six national parks nationwide. I've led hundreds of nature walks myself, evaluated the performance of dozens of Park Service seasonals, and spent years coordinating research of agency and university scientists. I was administrator of an NPS program providing education services to the eight northwest national park areas. As a Park naturalist and scientist I have always felt that I knew "all about" the parks where I've worked. But I have never known any park as well as Garl knows the Everglades. Believe me, Garl is the best you will find. Be aware, I have no conflict of interest nor prior knowledge of Garl or his organization. I had never heard of them before finding them online through Trip Advisor. After my trip all I could say was, "Wow!" read more

Garl's Coastal Kayaking - Tours Near Me - Homestead, Florida

Wonderful adventure with a knowledgeable, kind, calm guide. Even after a day of slogging and kayaking through the Everglades, Garl helped us find snakes on the drive back from the national park. It was an incredible day with stunning light filtering through the canopy. I would do this again, if we're back in Florida. Here's an important note--our flight to Florida turned into a series of delays and set backs. We were prepared to lose our chance to do this adventure--we finally arrived at our rented condo at 4:30 am, and the adventure Garl began at 11 am. There's no way we could have done it. Garl simply rescheduled us without issue.I truly appreciate that because I was really looking forward to this bucket list event. Note also, this is not for the faint of heart. Everyone did really well on this day trip, but it was a physical day, and we were tired and hungry when we arrived at our condo. read more

Had the most incredible trip with Garl on Garl's coastal kayaking! HIGHLY recommend as the best way to see, experience, and learn about the Everglades! We went slogging which was absolutely magical, accompanied by an amazing 6 mile kayak ride. Garl was patient and knowledgeable, answering all of our questions about the ecosystem and animals that lived in the habitat. If you're looking for a great tour, absolutely go with Garl. No questions asked-- you'll have an amazing time!! read more

I went on all day excursion kayaking trip in the Everglades with a friend. Instructions were pretty clear. Highly recommend Tevas and purchasing the 7 day national park pass like the email states to make a smooth transition. We began with stopping by to see an alligator and her babies on the side of the road. I didn't know what else to expect but we treaded through a lot of mud and marshes for maybe an hour? We then kayaked in freshwater and saltwater and were able to see alligators, crocodiles, lots of birds, and shark fins swimming by. Garl was very knowledgeable about the area. He even took photos and gave us wine during sunset after 6+ miles of kayaking! read more

We came mid week in the height of summer, and I wouldn't have traded it for anything. The Everglades were empty and so peaceful. Wild and peaceful all at once. We were the only people with Garl for the day, and he made sure we had a fantastic trip. He is so knowledgeable and has so many options to make up the day, he can tailor your adventure to to your preferences, skill level, weather and animal habits. By the end of the day we were hot and tired, and beyond thrilled. Thanks Garl! read more

The most amazing birthday experience ever! Garl is the most knowledgeable guide I've ever had the opportunity to experience. His passion, patience, and customer centric attitude was an absolute home run. Our slogging adventure exceeded expectations and our kayak ride was surreal. He took us farther than I would've imagined and even towed me back when I ran out of energy. Thank you Garl for the memories! Can't wait to see the photos. (Yes folks, he includes photos he took of us on our adventure on the tour!!) read more

I'm honestly in shock at how I was treated over the phone. I simply called asking for directions how to get to their kayak rental (which they apparently don't have a building/address for) and I was met with complete and unnecessary rudeness by the woman on the phone. I was interrupted by her barking at me saying I needed a reservation and she hung up on my face. I wouldn't recommend renting from these people as they don't know how to be polite with customers simply asking for assistance with kayak rentals. There's plenty of other kayak rental businesses around, so give your business to them instead! read more

We had so much fun today with Mike. He was incredibly knowledgeable and really made it an adventure. Make sure to pack long pants and long shirts for the bugs. You see tons of wildlife. Thanks for the adventure. read more

Great time in the Everglades National Park with our guide Smitty! Very informative and fun. Did things I never knew existed like "slogging", walking around a dome of cypress trees in waist deep water! read more

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We had a great experience with Garl! A true professional. He is THE expert and took us to where he knows the wildlife will be. Lots of water birds, but also sharks, crocodiles, alligators, rays, Mullet (fish), bald eagles also. We were fortunate to be the only two people but he didn't cancel. It was like having a private guide. We kayaked for several hours but he will tailor the trip to your ability level. Water was unusually high for November, so we skipped a second kayak location and went 'slogging' (knee deep wading) in a cypress tree dome. Learned about the ecology as well as the animals. Saw a barred owl and brown snake there as well. He is the only licensed guide for the park and we would do this again for sure. read more

If you want a guided tour of the Everglades or the Florida Coast, Garl is the best there is. We took two tours from Garl last week, including the full-day Everglades tour, and the Kayak & Snorkel trip to a mangrove island. We also took a snorkel trip with another company out by Key West. With Garl we saw 20x as much wildlife, received excellent personal service, and had access to the knowledge of an immensely well traveled and educated staff. Garl is quick to adapt the tour to the needs and level of the customers, and was always pushing our limits without making anyone uncomfortable. We were able to walk right up to Alligators in their native habitat, saw dozens of bird species I have never even heard of, and swam with huge schools of young barracuda, needlefish, and dozens of gorgeous fish and jellyfish species. He was always quick to jump in, grab something particularly neat, and make sure everyone was able to see, touch, and photograph it. When he saw how much fun we were having snorkeling, he even took us to another location and extended the trip! These tours were by far the best part of my trip to Florida, and if I was only doing one thing there, this would be it. Give him a call, tell them what you want to see, and you will have a great time. Be prepared to be outside of your comfort zone, but you will be rewarded with sunset dinners on the water with wine, cheese, & crackers, nighttime walks with alligators, and some of the most amazing photographs and memories you can imagine. read more

We took the full day kayak adventure with Don and Jennifer. There were two other couples in our tour, and they said that was the most they would take on one, which is very nice because you get a more personalized trip. If the guide sees that you're having fun in a particular spot, they don't move on until everyone is ready. We went on a hike through a cypress dome in the Everglades, and came within 10 feet of two alligators, where Don explained why we could do that and answered everyone questions about the gators and many species of plants, birds, fish, and insects we saw. We then went on a kayak tour of a pond in the Everglades where we saw several more gators and fish. Next, we went to the southern tip of the Everglades national park and kayaked into florida bay, where we saw some crocodiles and manatees! Don and Jennifer were very accommodating and made sure to answer any of our questions they could while we were out. This was a great trip, and I would definitely do it again if I come back! read more

Even on a day where weather dictates where we can go...Garl led us on an entertaining and informative trip. Seeing Florida from a kayak and our trek in the swamp was so nice. Will definitely return! read more

As an activity to do with our guests while getting married in the Keys, we rented 8 kayaks from Garl's for a half-day for us all to get out on the water. On the phone and in emails before our visit Suzette was very friendly and easy to get in touch with, and was very accommodating. When we arrived for our excursion, the staff was all very helpful. One of them recommended a few spots for us to check out to get out in a swim amongst the mangroves, and told us where we to look for Manatees. Another let one of our guests borrow a pair of sunglasses for the trip since she forgot to bring some along. They helped everyone in and out of the water, and the advice of where to kayak to was perfect, as we found two Manatees in a channel and were able to pet them! All of our guests raved about the experience, and Suzette even sent us a follow up email to congratulate us and thank us. I've rented kayaks in the Keys in the past from other places, and Garl's definitely is a step above the rest with their guest service. Highly recommended! read more

Amazing, AMAZING experience! Took a tour in October 2015 with my husband on our honeymoon. Garl and his staff are extremely knowledgeable and took the time to make sure everyone in our group had the best trip possible. We are taking another tour this December and this time bringing my parents. Can't wait for our next adventure with Garl! read more

Just wanted to say that my son and I had a fantastic adventure with these guys. The everglades were on my sons bucket list and Garl made it a great learning and discovering adventure...I highly recommend seeing the everglades and the Gulf with Garl! read more