This was our first time to take the Babcock Ranch Eco tour and it won't be our last. We went in…read morelate March, which is the FL dry season. Our knowledgeable guide Brad told us if you go in the late summer (wet season), 2' or so of water is flowing through it. So, what you see in the two seasons is different. They also have a nice gift shop, small museum and a restaurant. We saw all sorts of birds and animals. Even though they aren't necessarily exotic or rare, you are seeing them in their habitat. The ranch property really represents FL, more so than some other types of tours. And, it is for all ages and reasonably priced. Our visiting late teenage aged grandsons and friend enjoyed the tour every bit as much as we did. Highly recommend!

My kids (8 & 5) absolutely adored this. The tour guide was so patient with kids and very…read moreknowledgeable. I came away with some cool facts, a ton of great pictures and video and two very happy kids. I highly recommended this tour!

Let me tell you about the time my wife casually turned a normal "drop our daughter off at college"…read moretrip into what felt like a deleted scene from a survival movie... destination: Solomon's Castle in the absolute middle of nowhere. And when I say nowhere, I mean NOWHERE. I'm driving waiting for streetlights... nothing. Gas stations? Nope. People? Questionable. Cows? Plenty. Motorcycles flying by like we accidentally entered a post-apocalyptic biker convention? Oh yeah. At this point, I'm looking at my wife like, Babé are we visiting a castle or auditioning for The Walking Dead: Florida Edition?" Then suddenly... BOOM. Out of nowhere... like a mirage built by a very creative pirate appears this shiny, aluminum-covered CASTLE. Now I'm confused. Because one minute I'm dodging cows... and the next minute I'm like: Did we just teleport to medieval times sponsored by Home Depot? But here's the thing this place is AMAZING. Inside? Pure genius. Art everywhere. Sculptures made out of stuff you probably threw away last week. It's like if creativity, humor, and a junkyard had a baby and that baby became a castle. And then there's the restaurant. Yes. A restaurant. Inside a boat. Inside a castle. In the middle of nowhere. At this point, I've stopped asking questions and just accepted that I'm in someone else's dream. If you want the backstory, go ahead and Google it because it's wild. But honestly, just go. Don't overthink it. Would I have ever planned this stop? Absolutely not. Did my wife once again prove she's the CEO of random but incredible detours? 100%. Final verdict: Unexpected Slightly suspicious drive in Completely worth it If you're ever near Ona, Florida--or even if you're not take the detour. Just make sure your gas tank is full... and maybe say a quick prayer once the streetlights disappear

On our drive from St Augustine to Tampa, we made reservations to see Solomon's Castle in the middle…read moreof nowhere on beautiful land here in Florida. This castle was built by Howard Solomon, a high school dropout, with his bare hands and his own designs with whatever scraps of metal he could find or that were donated to him by others. He had friends and neighbors who helped him build. He built vertically because his land was more narrow than wide. So there are stairs to climb. Everything including his unusual artwork inside the Castle was donated or built by Solomon. He also had a 1930s collection of cars and trucks that are displayed at the Castle. His personal story is very interesting which will be told during the tour. Visitors are not allowed to photograph the auto collection nor anything inside the Castle. There is no cell service/wifi there on the property. They do not use computers so everything is paid by cash: the tickets (we paid about $40 in cash for the castle tour and the classic car tour), the food, and souvenirs. They are dog-on-leash friendly, which is nice. The staff is very welcoming and fun to interact with! The tour is very interesting with funny jokes thrown in. Food is served on the boat and reviewers have been favorable about the meals offered. Remember, it is cash only. Parking is free and at the entrance before you get to the Castle. Wear comfortable shoes. I was happy that we got to do the tour. I don't know that I would go back because it is so out of the way but it was worth the trip.

Captain Al is great guy. We really enjoyed our cruise with him. It was a lovely 2 plus hour ride…read morealong the beautiful Peace River.We saw alligators and a variety birds. If you're looking for a pleasant boating adventure with a very nice gentleman, this is your cruise.

Had a beautiful day touring with Captian Al! Great ride and…read moreeven better conversation. Capital was knowledgeable about the area and the wildlife! We loved the dolphins and ALL of the birds in the mangroves! Thank you thank you! This is definitely a recommended excursion for your trip! Thanks from the PA ladies and our sleepy baby girl

Lots of fun for a work outing. Worth the $$ Captain Mike was…read morefunny & informative. Boat ride lasted about an hour & we saw over a dozen alligators. Definitely have food at restaurant before you leave !

Mike was an awesome tour guide ! Funny and informative - it was a chilly day but we still saw more…read morethan a dozen gators and some really neat birds . We would definitely go again !

This was one of the highlights of our trip. Even though we were here during the high water season…read more(fewer alligators) we still saw a ton of smaller gators. Our airboat captain was a creole guy with a great personality and very accommodating. He was very laid back and we were allowed to take our own cooler and drinks (including alcoholic drinks). It was a little pricy but still worth it. I want to go back and hope to see some huge gators sunning, but even if you're here during the summer it's still worth it. They also have a little "zoo" area that you can walk through and see their alligators, and they have one in the office that you can hold.

What an amazing experience with my family. The kids (10 & 14) enjoyed the boat and buggy tour…read more Being able to see alligators in their natural environment is worth very penny spent.

had a great time, wish we saw more wild life we did see 2…read moredolphins which was fun our granddaughter and son came with us this time everyone had fun

Captain Jack's Airboat Tours was a really fun experience overall! The airboat rides were a blast,…read moreespecially the second one we went on -- I believe our driver's name was Ricky. He went FAST and made the ride really exciting. The Swamp Buggy tour was also very cool and worth doing. A helpful tip for anyone going: there really isn't any signage for the swamp buggy. It's located across the main road and you wait under a shelter. The swamp buggy rides leave at the bottom of the hour, and the animal shows start at the top of the hour. They also had on-site parking, restrooms, and a gift shop which was nice and convenient. I would've given this place 5/5, but the lack of directions/signage for the buggy tour had us wandering around for quite a while trying to figure it out.

Had the BEST Day o. The water with Neecha! Great boat - loved our stops and just a great experience.read more

Everything was perfect! A beautiful sunset cruise sipping beverages while we saw dolphins,…read moremangroves filled with birds, and passed favorite spots that we have only seen from land before. Captain Neecha was gracious, kind and provided a wonderful experience for me, my daughter and a few of her bridesmaids. I highly recommend this unique experience.

Our experience was absolute perfection. Jenni is phenomenal in every way! She was unbelievably…read morekind, informative, patient, explorative, caring and compassionate. She is a wealth of knowledge and knew when to be hands-on helpful and when we were content to just take in the beauty around us. We had four adults and two kids and she was a pro with us all! We saw several pods of dolphins, manatees, and birds galore! She is a gem and booking a charter with her is an absolute must!

We had a great trip with Jenni a couple weeks ago! Everything as expected, and she knows the area…read moreso well.

Thank you Capt. Mike for an amazing tour of beautiful Sarasota…read more-kids were blown away and we all just really enjoyed our time spend with you. Say "Hi" to the many Dolphins next time you run into Debra, Susanne and Piper as my daughter named them ;-)

From the owner: SpeedBoat Tours offers VIP-style tours, both fully private and semi-private small groups (maxiumum…read more6 guests) for a more personal and special experience! We provide dolphin and sightseeing tours, sandbar boat charters as well as beautiful sunset cruises!

So impressive from the moment you called to make a reservation, clear instructions on where to…read moremeet. The captain of the Airboat showed up on time very pleasant great since of humor and filled with knowledge. I have for years been going all the way to the Everglades and only to see maybe one alligator if you're lucky however, on this one there were plentiful we saw at least five. Plus learned so much about the ecosystem and the lifestyles of the alligators. Absolutely amazing company and and highly recommend.

We had a great time on the Peace River and saw an abundance of alligators. Captain Henry was a…read moreknowledgeable guide.