Captain Nick was very easy to work with. This charter was reasonably priced and customizable…read more Captain Nicks boat YOLO was in immaculate condition. My family had an amazing time.

We had a great day on the water with Captain Nick. Very knowledgeable of the area. We saw manatees,…read morewalked some of the most beautiful beaches and got to do some great shelling, learned the history of some of the islands, and had a great lunch at a local spot. Just a perfect day. We would definitely recommend Captain Nick.

Austin took us to multiple islands in PI sound. We went to the beach at Cayo Costa,checked out…read moreCabbage Key, lunch at Mangos. It was very easy to get on and off the boat. Austin is very knowledgeable about the area and is a fantastic captain! We will be doing this again. Our out of town guests loved it!!

If you're looking for something that's equal parts chill and a little adventurous, this sunset…read morecruise with Beyond Boundaries Excursions is exactly that. Whether you're out with friends or family it feels like the perfect way to wind down. The crew was super friendly and made the whole vibe feel easy with no pressure, no rush, just good energy and a great time. It didn't feel like a tour, more like a relaxed evening out on the water with people who love what they do. Honestly, I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

Captain Jim is a great host and guide. He is so nice and lots of fun. He had a vast knowledge of…read morethe area and the history. We took the fun lunch at Cabbage Key trip. The ride was smooth with several stops along the way to point out wildlife and points of interest. He allowed us enough time on the island to enjoy lunch and thoroughly explore. If we are back in the area we would definitely do another tour with Pine Island Boat Tours.

We had a fantastic time with Captain Jim. He is extremely knowledgeable about all the local…read morebeaches, and history of the area. He knew exactly where to take us and show us where all the dolphins and manatees were. My kids loved Captain Jim. They thought he was very friendly. I would highly recommend this boat ride. The 4 hour trip is the best value , as the day flew. I can't give enough praise . 5 stars isn't enough. This was definitely the highlight of our vacation.

Captain Jason makes every fishing experience fun and memorable. We always catch a good amount of…read morefish, that he cleans for us to take to a near-by restaurant and have a great fresh meal. Jason is so knowledgeable of the area and all the different fish species. He is respectable of sizes and seasons of the fish to keep. We appreciate him and his professionalism.

Jason took my family out on another incredible fishing trip! words cannot describe how good of a…read morefishing captain he is. a very family oriented fishing captain. i highly recommend giving him a call for a fun fishing adventure!!!

Wouldn't recommend! Unprofessional uptight captain who cusses at women and children because he had…read moreto load their stuff that he had been paid to do! Use anyone but them! Dude is suffering from LDS to talk to women and children that way!

A great trip to Cabbage Key with Island Girl. On time, great staff, excellent boats & a friendly…read morefun ride. I hope people tip big, as these guys work hard with Everything people bring....so much stuff. We will use Island Girl again, on our next Cabbage Key Vacation .

Caveat Emptor - Extremely Disappointing Experience with Tropic Star (Pine Island, FL)…read moreIf you're considering booking a "private nature tour" with Tropic Star, I strongly suggest you think twice. On March 23rd, my group paid $350 for what was clearly marketed as a private, multi-hour nature tour experience: lunch at Cabbage Key followed by a relaxing nature cruise with stop at Cayo Costa, wildlife viewing, dolphins, and a scenic return to the dock around 2-2:30 PM. What we got instead felt like a complete bait-and-switch. The ride to Cabbage Key was rushed, and after lunch, we were picked up at 1:00 PM only to be sped straight back to the dock at full throttle--arriving before 1:30 PM. No nature tour. No stops. No wildlife. No relaxation. Just a high-speed return trip where we were bracing ourselves on coolers and folding chairs instead of enjoying anything remotely close to what was promised. Prior to leaving the dock, my friend heard Captain Steve had multiple other groups scheduled and needed to rush back. So much for a "private" experience. It was clear our trip was cut short to accommodate their overbooking and miscommunication from staff. Customer service was just as frustrating. After multiple attempts to get a response from Vincent, the owner, we finally received a generic apology with "We have a great reputation and it's rare that I get confronted with any negativity and I sincerely apologize. We have not been able to run our big boats since Hurricane Ian 3 years ago. We're doing our best to accommodate some passengers with our smaller boats" and a vague offer for "free passage next time." When I asked for clarification--no response. I then requested a full refund to resolve the issue privately and avoid posting a review... and completely ignored. At this point, it's not just about a bad tour--it's about misleading advertising, poor communication, and zero accountability. Save your money and your time. There are plenty of reputable operators in the area who actually deliver what they promise.

What a great crew, what a great experience. The vote was comfortable and easily accessible. Finding…read morethe place was a little bit of a challenge. However, when you make the reservation they do fill you in on the GPS coordinates, and tell you that they are not necessarily correct. I would definitely do this again but I would spend all day at the beach I would not bother to go to the restaurant on the itinerary.

Had a great time with Capt Todd. We rode to Cayo Costa and hung out on a beautiful beach. He made…read moresure we were well taken care of but still with a cool, laid back vibe.

From the owner: Sorry we are temporary closed as we are doing hurricane debris clean for fema read more

it was one of the best local excursions I've experienced. Captain Aldo and his first mate, Damaris…read morewere adorable and so hospitable. Captain Aldo was quite knowledgeable about the area, making sure that we were able to capture pictures of dolphins which were incredible. We also saw sand dollars and a school of sting rays. We beached on the island of Cayo Costa where we relaxed, had our lunch, and went swimming in beautiful calm waters. We couldn't ask for a better day out in the Gulf. Looking forward to experiencing this adventure again! Highly recommended!

Coastal Friends Boat Tours was an absolute highlight of our visit to south west Florida…read more My wife and our friends decided to take a sunset tour on Sunday. The boat was spacious and comfortable, very stable even amid the small swell and wakes of other boats (my wife has gotten seasick in the past, but had absolutely no problem with this trip due to the stability of the boat and the skill of Aldo the Captain/pilot). We enjoyed seeing Dolphins and Pelicans, and even a ray just after sunset.The sunset was amazing and memorable, but not the best part of our tour. What was the best part? Being hosted by the owner and captain Aldo, and his first mate (wife] Demaris. They are happy and friendly, and very skilled at operating their boat. But more than that, they are excellent hosts. We had a lot of laughs, and a very enjoyable afternoon. The opportunity to meet Aldo and Demaris, and enjoy their hospitality shouldn't be missed. You'll be glad you chose this company for your boat tour! TLDR; Relaxing and fun way to spend the afternoon. Aldo and Demaris are great people, enjoyable to be around and skilled in their business I highly recommend them as hosts and tour guides!

Now known as MATLACHA BOATING ADVENTURES - Excursion Date -…read more3/25/2024 Without a doubt... THE BEST TIME I'VE EVER HAD ON THE WATER - Bar None! Captain Will delivered as promised and we had the most enjoyable afternoon at the absolute best value of any excursion in ALL OF FLORIDA! Our family of four went out with the good Captain and his sister boat with Captain Chris and headed over to Coya Costa - Do NOT MISS THE MYSTERY BEACH - There is nothing like being the only souls on miles of beach in the pristine aqua-green waters of the Gulf. We also cruised a secluded bay filled with Manatee and saw nesting Osprey for the first part of the trip. All the time filled with little tid-bits of history and stories about the islands and wildlife. The short walk to the beach reminded you or an episode of Gilligan's Island or Survivor but to dip in the gulf water in early Spring weather with the feeling of secluded luxury was worth every single penny. We then journeyed to Cabbage Key and had a stop at the famous restaurant for some "ON-Point" and fresh Stone Crab followed by an excellent Cheeseburger that may or may not have inspired you-know-who to pen a famous song about such carnivorous habits..... That was topped off by the tangiest frozen Key-Lime pit and a few scoops of ice cream from the local creamery. The trip back to Pine Island and Captain Will's tailgate office found us enjoying the nostalgic views and gorgeous homes of Useppa Island followed by Dolphin views and then twenty minutes of the dolphin pod ridding the wake of our vessel. We could not have imagined how exciting, fun, and memorable this excursion was. Without a doubt, at the prices he charged, no other ferry, tour, or excursion gives you half as much for the money on the Florida coast. This little operation is highly recommended and I'm not easy to please. Another couple of two adults shared he boat with us and they were blown away too with words of praise and plans to repeat the trip again. As a tip, arrive early and check out the fish market. If you're lucky, Uno or Lefty as Captain Will calls him will be begging for fish at the back of the dock by the fish market. The wild dolphin was sheer joy to watch as were were literally inches away from him as he waited on a fish or two from the fleet dropping their catch at the market. We could have watched the huge bottle-nose dolphin for hours. That alone was a high-light worthy of calling it a day but our entire journey defied expectations. I can not recommend Captain Will & Company from Matlacha Boating Adventures. Support a Veteran Owned Business and enjoy an unforgettable trip around Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico. This excursion made our trip a memory to cherish! Thanks Captain Will for an unprecedented time on the water!!! If you book elsewhere, you won't have as much fun and you'll pay too much!

While on vacation my friends and I took the sunset cruise. The Captain and first mate were great…read moreand so knowledgable about the wild life. We saw dolphins, a manatee and a ton of birds. Highly recommend the trip, plus you can bring your own food and drink.

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!