7 Awesome Punta Gorda Boat Tours Everyone Will Love

The Gulf Coast town of Punta Gorda, Florida is bursting with things to do, especially when it comes to enjoying all the natural wonders of southwest Florida.

You can say hello to the animals at Peace River Wildlife Center, take a stroll on the Harborwalk, and admire the art pieces at the Peace River Botanical and Sculpture Gardens to name just a few.

But even with all of these land activities, you’ll inevitably make your way back to the water.

One of the coolest ways to experience the region’s warm Gulf water, stunning beaches, and the coastal barrier islands around southwest Florida is by taking one of the Punta Gorda boat tours.

Whether you’re looking for a group tour or private charter, there’s one that’s perfect for you.

From electrifying airboat tours, tranquil dolphin cruises, dreamy sunset cruises, or a sailing excursion with just the sound of the wind, there are lots of unique boat tours in Punta Gorda to satisfy everyone in the family.

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There’s a wide variety of activities you can do on a boat tour as well.

You can take a tour to see dolphins and manatees or just to watch the sunset.

Maybe you want to learn about Florida’s plant life or explore some of the gorgeous nearby islands.

Or even do all of the above!

If you’re searching for the best Punta Gorda boat tours, this guide has you covered!

And if you’re willing to venture out a little further, we’ve also included some fantastic boat tours in in the nearby areas of Englewood, Port Charlotte, Boca Grande, and Charlotte County.

7 Awesome Punta Gorda Boat Tours

Eco Tour with Wilderness Boat Tours

If one hour on Peace River just isn’t enough for your inner sailor, you may want to consider the 2.5-hour Eco Tour with Wilderness Boat Tours instead.

During this eco tour, you’ll get to learn loads of fun facts about the plants and animals in Peace River.

You’ll even find out about a few ways to help with plant and animal conservation in the area.

But when speaking about conservation, it’s always important to see the creatures you’d like to help protect.

Luckily, you can see loads of these plants and animals on this eco tour with Wilderness Boat Tours.

Alligators, roseate spoonbills, egrets, ospreys, and manatees that come right up to the boat are just the beginning of your adventure!

Airboat Tour with Peace River Charters

Many visitors to southwest Florida are set on exploring the Florida Everglades and one of the most popular ways to do that is on an Everglades airboat tour.

But did you know that the Everglades isn’t the only place to do that?

You can also experience the thrill of an airboat in Punta Gorda as well. Peace River Charters is one of the most popular Punta Gorda boat tour companies for this tour — and for good reason.

Their Peace River airboat tours cover a whopping 20 miles on the gorgeous Peace River.

Along the way, you’ll be able to see some of southwest Florida’s most beautiful flora and fauna.

While the thriving greenery certainly sets the scene, it’s the wildlife that make this one-hour airboat tour with Peace River Charters worthwhile.

You’ll see alligators, manatees, stingrays, turtles, birds, deer, and wild boar.

And your experienced guide will have loads of fun facts on these amazing animals, as well as the history of Peace River.

The Peace River is also chock full of geologic history — it’s one of Florida’s richest treasure troves for finding prehistoric fossils and fossilized shark teeth.

You just might get lucky and find your own treasure!

Sunset Cruise with King Fisher Fleet

One of the most popular boat tours in Punta Gorda, King Fisher sunset cruises departs from Fisherman’s Village, one of the biggest attractions in town, and you can purchase tickets at their on-site ticket booth there.

The sunset cruise with King Fisher Fleet is the company’s most popular boat tour.

While it may be a straightforward sunset cruise, this Punta Gorda boat tour has everything you could want: stunning views, a friendly crew, and an affordable price.

For a whole 90 minutes, you can watch the sky change into bright shades of yellow, orange, pink, and even red while enjoying a delicious drink and snack.

You’ll also get to participate in a surprise lottery, where you have the chance to win another cruise with the King Fisher Fleet.

Cayo Costa Tour with King Fisher Fleet

If you do happen to win that lottery for a free tour with King Fisher Cruises, we recommend booking the Cayo Costa Tour.

On the way to Cayo Costa, you’ll be able to take in the beauty of the Gulf of Mexico, and if you’re lucky, a few dolphins may even pop by to say hello!

When you reach Cayo Costa, you’ll be able to visit some of the most gorgeous beaches in Southwest Florida!

And it’s not just golden sand and warm sunshine. You’ll also get to see lovely shells, starfish, sand dollars, horseshoe crabs, and more.

Tour on the Back Bayou of Boca Grande with Gasparilla Boat Tours

If you’d like to enjoy a Boca Grande boat tour, we recommend the Tour on the Back Bayou of Boca Grande with Gasparilla Boat Tours.

The back bayou of Boca Grande is actually only accessible by boat, which means this barrier island is a secluded little slice of paradise.

In addition to the calm waters and thriving greenery, you may also get to see some friendly dolphins and manatees!

But the nature isn’t the only thing that the back bayou of Boca Grande has to offer.

There’s also quite a lot of local lore surrounding the area.

So get ready to listen to some of the best stories about Southwest Florida!

Critter Cruise with Gasparilla Boat Tours

But the Back Bayou of Boca Grande Tour isn’t the only noteworthy option from Gasparilla Boat Tours.

The Critter Cruise is fun and well worth checking out!

While many Punta Gorda boat tours in the area showcase nature and sunsets, this specific tour is special because it focuses solely on the animals.

For an entire two hours, you can keep an eye out for dolphins, seabirds, fish, and manatees.

In other words, this is the perfect Punta Gorda boat tour for animal lovers.

Useppa Island Tour with Boca Boat Cruises

Useppa Island is one of the most underrated islands in Southwest Florida, and one of the most luxurious.

And since the only way to get to the island is by boat (unless, of course, you have a helicopter), the Useppa Island Tour with Boca Boat Cruises is a fantastic option if you don’t want to rent a boat of your own.

But this Useppa Island Tour doesn’t just take you to the island and back.

You’ll also have a guide show you many of the island’s best sites, including the Collier Inn and the Useppa Museum.

Whether you’re planning a short sunset cruise or a lengthy adventure to the Florida Keys, these Punta Gorda boat tours definitely will not disappoint.

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