There are lots of great boardwalks in the Everglades that you can walk on and see beautiful flora and if your lucky some great birds and gators. There are longer hikes you can do, but we were told for visitors they should really be done with guides so you don’t do something stupid like get eaten by an alligator or a Florida Panther. We had a great time on the boardwalks and watched a Snowy Egret and alligator fish together in a small pond. On our last morning we went out on a flat boat before sunrise to catch the birds in the morning light. It was truly gorgeous, although a bit cold, and I highly recommend the experience!
Kayaking the Everglades is one of the best ways to get up close and personal with the wildlife. We were able to silently paddle very close to gators and birds which afforded great photo opportunities. A definite highlight of the trip was going through the mangrove forests which were overgrown and beautiful and made me feel like I was in a fairy tale land.
When I had pictured the Everglades I thought of swampy waters full of alligators and all kinds of pretty birds and had not given much thought to Everglades City. The city itself is pretty small, but quaint and we had a fun time exploring it. We stayed at the Ivey House, which was clean and had internet and had fun trying out some of the local cuisine- alligator and stone crab anyone?