Kayaking Marco Island, Ten Thousand Islands and the Everglades
Planning on kayaking Marco Island during your trip to the coast of southwest Florida and exploring the unique surrounding wilderness?
This complete guide has what you need to kayak Marco Island, the Ten Thousand Islands, and the nearby waters of the Florida Everglades.
Marco Island sits on the lower coast of southwest Florida at the start of the Ten Thousand Islands where the Everglades watershed meets the Gulf of Mexico.
In fact, Marco Island is the largest of the Ten Thousand Islands (and there are actually only a few hundred islands to speak of.)
If you’ve never been to Southwest Florida or Marco Island, the Everglades ecosystem is truly one of the most unique in the world, filled with uninhabited islands, lush greenery, unique and diverse habitat, and breathtaking wildlife.
At the same time, it’s one of the most popular vacation destinations in Florida, and more than lives up to its reputation as the Paradise Coast.
There are so many great ways to explore nature in southwest Florida, but it’s hard to beat kayaking SWFL as a bucket list adventure.
What’s In this Guide to Kayaking Marco Island Florida
Kayaking Marco Island on Your Own
Marco Island Kayak Rentals
Marco Island Kayak Tours
Where to Go Kayaking in Marco Island, Ten Thousand Islands and the Everglades
Kayaking Marco Island on Your Own
One of the best things to do in Marco Island to immerse yourself in nature is kayaking.
And while you can explore the island by car or on foot, more often than not you’ll need a kayak or canoe to see the best parts.
It’s surrounded by water, which is why kayaking Marco Island, the Everglades and Ten Thousand Islands is everything a nature and outdoor lover could want.
Even if you’re not a hardcore paddler, kayaking near Marco Island is a great way to immerse yourself in the unique and diverse Everglades ecosystem.
The best places to go kayaking in Marco Island and the nearby area include mangrove tunnels and estuaries, small barrier islands, backwater inlets, and popular stretches of beach.
Or you can make your way to the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Estero Bay, or the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge – all by kayak!
So if you’re looking for a Marco Island kayaking guide that includes where to go paddling in the Everglades as well, we’ve got what you need.
First, let’s start with where you can rent a kayak on Marco Island and go paddling on your own.
The following Marco Island kayak rental companies offer single and tandem kayak rentals for a few hours, days, or a full week:
Marco Island Kayak Rentals
Renting a kayak in Marco Island couldn’t be easier.
With one phone call from the comfort of your bed or cabana, you could be paddling through mangroves by breakfast! If you want to paddle for an hour or less around Tigertail Beach and Sand Dollar Spit, there’s a beach rental shack at Tigertail that rents kayaks right there.
But if you want to rent kayaks for a few hours, days, or even the entire week you’re here, these three companies offer Marco Island kayak rentals to suit your needs.
Between the three, rates are comparable (within $5 here or there) and their service is highly-recommended:
Daily rates - 2 Hours: $35-$40, 3 Hours: $40-$45, All day (til 5pm): $50
Long term kayak rentals - 24 Hours: $70-$75, 3 Days: $100-$110, Weekly: $150-170
Rising Tide Explorers
(239) 734-3231 • 1295 Capri Blvd, Naples, FL
They’re a top rated kayak tour company for good reason, but Rising Tide also delivers kayaks for free to nearby launch sites or your home on Marco Island, Isles of Capri, or south Naples if you want to paddle on your own.
Hourly, daily, or weekly rentals available and reservations are required.
Rentals begin at 7:00AM.
Free delivery
Florida Adventures and Rentals
(239) 348-5551 • 939 Chalmer Dr, Marco Island, FL
FAR offers hourly, daily or weekly kayak rentals on Marco Island with single, tandem, and fishing kayaks available.
Pick up your rental at their shop on Marco or have them deliver your kayaks (for free) to your home or condo, or the launch locations at Isle of Capri Paddlecraft Park and Caxambas Park Marina.
Rentals begin at 9:00AM.
Free delivery
Paddle Marco
(239) 777-5423
Paddle Marco will deliver and pick up a kayak to your home or condo on Marco Island.
If you just want to paddle for a few hours, they’ll meet you at Capri Paddlecraft Park or Caxambas Park and be there when you return from your adventure.
Free delivery
Marco Island Kayak Tours
If you’re looking for guided kayak tours, Marco Island has several companies to choose from.
A 2-3 hour guided kayak tour experience will teach you all about the local flora and fauna of the Everglades, take you paddling around Rookery Bay and the Ten Thousand Islands, and provide all the equipment you need for a comfortable morning or afternoon on the water.
Rising Tide Explorers
One company — Rising Tide Explorers — stands out with kayak tours led by local biologists with a passion for the environment and leading fun, educational tours.
We’ve paddled with them on several occasions and recommend them highly:
>>> Book their 2.5 hour Mangrove Tunnels and Mudflats Tour in Rookery Bay — a great overview tour! <<<
Rated the #1 kayak tour operator in Marco Island and Naples and “Best Kayaking Tour” in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards in 2020 and 2021, Rising Tide Explorers is the only biologist-led kayak tour company on Marco Island.
Their tours reflect that, leaving you with a new depth of knowledge and a greater appreciation for the local landscape and ecosystem.
Their guided, eco kayak tours will take you to some of Marco Island’s most beautiful natural areas including Rookery Bay and the Ten Thousand Islands.
You’ll glide through mangrove tunnels into the largest mangrove forest in North America on the Mangrove Tunnels and Mudflats tour.
Or take the Heart of Rookery Bay kayak tour, go shelling to Keewaydin, or paddle the Sunset Bird Rookery tour.
And for a truly awesome experience, plan your trip to southwest Florida around the full moon and take their Full Moon Kayak Tour!
Rising Tide is also the exclusive tour operator for Rookery Bay, and offer fun motorized boat tours to interesting spots around the bay.
Where to Go Kayaking in Marco Island, Ten Thousand Islands and the Everglades
Caxambas Pass, Marco Island
If you love wide-open paddling to shallow passes and sand bars where you can slip into your kayak and paddle around feeling stranded for the day, we highly recommend paddling out from Caxambas Park at the southern end of Marco Island.
This park is prime for getting across Caxambas Pass and into the Ten Thousand Islands quickly, as it’s literally across the Pass.
Once you leave the park, there are several islands and sand bars you can paddle to in just around 15 minutes or so: Henry Key, Dickmans Island, Currys Island, and Horrs Island are all reachable.
And the wildlife viewing can be pretty awesome with dolphins, rays, and manatees making an appearance near your kayak!
If you love shelling, this is a great way to do that too.
We guarantee your heart will skip a beat when you glide onto a deserted sandbar and find some treasures of a lifetime!
Parking: 909 Collier Court, Marco Island. Parking is free.
Rentals: You can rent kayaks, paddleboards, and jet skis at the Ship Store.
Fee: There is a $4.00 launch fee for kayaks and paddleboards if you’re launching on your own.
Hours: 7:00AM - sunset
Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, simply known as Rookery Bay, is a 110,000 acre mangrove forest situated between Naples and Marco Island.
The Bay is sheltered from the Gulf of Mexico by a number of small islands including Keewaydin Island on the coast.
Thanks to its thriving wildlife and stunning blue waters, it’s one of the best places to go kayaking near Naples.
All kayaking in Rookery Bay starts from the Isle of Capri Paddle Craft Park.
Built in 2012, this unique park was built just for kayakers and paddle boarders.
Motorized boats are not allowed to launch from this park.
The park has a few amenities, such as shaded picnic table areas, restrooms, and a wash rack for your kayaks.
Once you launch your kayak here, you’ll be within the Rookery Bay Reserve and paddling in the best mangrove tunnels that the area has to offer.
There are over a dozen different tunnels that you can paddle to within 2 hours.
And while it’s very easy to get from the Isle of Capri Paddle Craft Park to Rookery Bay, things can get a bit confusing once you’re out in the Bay and everything looks the same.
Be sure and bring a map or hand held GPS as the trails and tunnels are not marked.
Even better, for the most enjoyable experience book a kayaking tour rather than venturing out on your own.
The rewards of paddling Rookery Bay are abundant — you’ll see dolphins and manatees by the dozens especially in the summer, and an incredible number of bird species unique to south Florida.
Isles of Capri Paddlecraft Park: 1295 Capri Blvd, Naples, FL 34113
Fee: There is a $4.00 launch fee if you are launching your own kayak. Parking is free.
Hours: Gates open 7 AM and close at sunset.
Cape Romano
When deciding where to go kayaking in Marco Island, you’ll inevitably find lots of greenery-laden preserves and parks, but Cape Romano offers something truly different.
You’ll have to drive to Caxambas Park and Marina at the tip of the island and set out from there.
There’s a staggering array of wildlife to see and stunning natural coastal scenery to admire, but the primary reason to kayak out to Cape Romano is the abandoned dome houses, one of southwest Florida’s most unusual sites.
The abandoned domes, sometimes referred to as the Florida domes or dome houses, were built by Bob Lee, a retired oil producer, in 1980.
The self-sustaining solar-powered dome homes started as a dream vacation home.
After a series of hurricanes, subsequent erosion, and a rise in sea level, this once beachfront home became water-bound and abandoned.
Sadly, Hurricane Ian knocked the domes further underwater, with just a few feet of one or two domes still visible above water.
It’s still a lovely unofficial bird sanctuary, and one of the best places to go kayaking in Marco Island.
The dome houses can only be reached by watercraft, and is a very interesting site to paddle to. Be sure to bring a camera.
Paddle from Caxambas Park and Marina, 909 Collier Ct, Marco Island
Before you go, NOTE that this paddle is for strong and seasoned kayakers only. If you just want to see the dome houses, it’s best to rent a boat or take a boat tour from Marco Island.
Distance from Caxambas Park and Marina to Cape Romano and the dome houses: 5.2 miles one way / 10.4 miles round trip.
Fee: None
Hours: No set hours, available year round
Fakahatchee Strand State Park Preserve
Fakahatchee Strand State Park Preserve is actually the largest state park in all of Florida, and yet most people haven’t heard of it.
That means you’ll likely get a nice chunk of nature all to yourself in this quiet and lush preserve.
The best place to kayak in Fakahatchee Strand State Park Preserve is in the East River.
It’s easy to miss the East River launch site.
The kayak and canoe launch is tucked away down an unmarked dirt road off US 41 just about 5 miles west of the SR-29 intersection.
Once there the launch is easy, and there are parking spaces, a picnic table and a portable toilet all overlooking a beautiful lake.
The river flows through a series of small lakes and mangrove tunnels before widening into an open tidal river and on into Fakahatchee Bay.
This mangrove-laden path also has loads of birds!
On your journey, you can see ospreys, egrets, herons, kingfishers, and even the occasional roseate spoonbill.
And birds aren’t the only animals that’ll likely cross your path.
Keep an eye out for alligators as well, although they tend to steer clear of kayakers.
If you’re lucky you might even hear an alligator bellow. It’s a sound like no other.
Since the East River path can get confusing at times with its maze of narrow tunnels, we recommend taking a tour with one of the two licensed Fakahatchee Strand State Park Preserve companies, Everglades Area and Adventure Paddle Tours.
Fakahatchee Strand State Park - (239) 695-4593 • 137 Coast Line Dr, Copeland, FL
As of July 1, 2021 you must make a reservation. For more information on reservations for the East River Paddling Trail, call the park office.
Fee: There is a $3.00 per vehicle parking fee
Hours: 8 AM to sunset.
Turner River Trail
If you’re searching for an Everglades kayaking adventure that’s a little closer to Naples, you should consider heading to Turner River Trail.
Located just 35 minutes outside of Naples and Marco Island, this is one of the most popular kayaking spots in the Everglades.
Why is this trail so popular? It’s because Turner River Trail is a microcosm of everything the Everglades has to offer.
With mangrove trees, bald cypress, wildlife, a winding river, and even a stretch in Chokoloskee Bay, you’ll constantly be blown away by the natural beauty on this kayaking trail.
Turner River Kayak/Canoe Launch: 41015 US-41, Ochopee, FL; on the left one half mile past Skunk Ape Headquarters
Fee: None
Hours: No set hours
Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge
While the other two Everglades kayaking spots on this list are designated kayaking paths, you can embrace a little less structure while kayaking through the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
The Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge is technically a part of Everglades National Park.
This means that in addition to hundreds of small islands and keys, you may also catch glimpses of the wildlife that the Everglades is known for.
Take a kayaking day trip out to Rabbit Key or Jewell Key in the morning and then return after lunch.
If you’re thinking of overnight camping, check out our Everglades camping guide for more information.
Since there’s no designated path to explore the Ten Thousand Island National Wildlife Refuge, you’ll want to plan your route in advance.
You’ll also want to purchase charts or maps to make sure you stay on the right track.
And don’t forget water, sunscreen, and double check your gear list as well as cell phone and VHF radios don’t work in this fairly remote national wildlife refuge.
Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge: Launch your kayak at the Gulf Coast Visitor Center of Everglades National Park, the entry point to the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge. 815 Oyster Bar Ln, Everglades City, FL
Fee: None
Hours: No set hours
Flamingo Canoe Trails
If you’re looking for where to go kayaking in the Everglades, you’ll inevitably come across the Flamingo Canoe Trails in the southern section of Everglades National Park.
This is one of the most popular kayaking spots in the Everglades, and it includes spots for beginners and advanced kayakers alike.
If you’re a beginner, you’ll want to head to Nine Mile Pond.
This large, shallow marsh includes mangrove islands and even the occasional alligator.
But if you’re a more experienced kayaker, you’ll want to consider visiting Hell’s Bay, a challenging 10-mile out-and-back trail that’s filled with mangrove trees and wildlife.
Flamingo Marina: 1 Flamingo Lodge Hwy, Homestead, FL
Fee: Parking is free. No fee for hand launched kayaks and canoes
Hours: 7 AM to 7 PM
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When deciding on kayaking Marco Island, the Ten thousand islands and the Everglades, you’ll have many great options to choose from.
Whether you’re hoping to kayak in the ocean, along a river, through the mangroves, or in the swamp land of the Everglades, you’re sure to find an option that’s just right for you and your family.
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