Guided Island EcoTour: CLEAR/Standard Kayak, SUP - Bonita Springs

Recommended by 98% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Naples, USA

Popular pick

Booked 5+ times last week!

2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9

· Sheila_M ·

Mar 2026

Elizabeth was a great guide, she provided information on and pointed out wildlife, mammals and ecosystem. I especially liked the dolphins and large snails. The route was just long enough and the pace was very doable as this was our first kayaking experience. We stopped on an island for a rest and collect shells.

· Nancy_D ·

Feb 2026

Nick was a fantastic guide and very knowledgeable. We kayaked through the mangroves, walked on a sandbar, collected shells, and learned about local wildlife. 2.5 hour trip. Nick also took and shared many photos of our group which was a special touch.

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Overview

What's Included

PFDs, dry boxes, map + wildlife guide
Complementary tour photos
Free Parking

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Paddle Naples - CLEAR & Standard Kayaks & SUPs - Bonita Springs
Big Hickory Island, Bonita Springs, FL 34134, USA
Meet-up is at the public kayak launch in the middle of Big Hickory Island. Load "26.366976 N, 81.856623 W" into your phone map to drop a pin and directions! Look for the WHITE PADDLE NAPLES VAN & trucks flying the AMERICAN FLAG. Free Parking. Gratuities appreciated by your hard-working guides!

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Rachael_C

Nick was an amazing tour guide! He was very knowledgeable. It was my boyfriend and I first time in Bonita Springs. It was a little colder or a day but he took his time and made it a great experience. We will definitely be back in the warm weather to do it again. Overall great time and great experience!

Reviews

4.9

based on 875 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

The guide was awesome!...

Laura_J, May 2026

The guide was awesome! She was funny and very knowledgeable about the animals, shells and ecosystem! Definitely will book again if we bring our kids back next time.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thanks so much Laura for the awesome review! Great to hear you had a wonderful time on tour with us. We certainly hope you will come back with your children next year. We appreciate you choosing us for your paddling adventure.

Great experience ¡good...

Peter_C, Apr 2026

Great experience ¡good job Nick.¡!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you very much, Peter!

Disappointed

Shana_H, Apr 2026

We enjoyed the kayaking and it was fun to go through mangrove tunnels and passageways and learn about the area. However, it is advertised as a dolphin and manatee tour and we didn’t see any of either… we recognize this isn’t something that can be controlled, but it also didn’t seem like the guide cared much or was trying. Also, it is advertised that photos of the experience will be included. We wrote down our email, but 2 weeks later have still seen nothing despite 2 requests for them. Also, you go through some pretty high traffic areas and have to try to stay together as a group. Overall, while the birds and the kayaking were nice, I don’t feel it was worth the cost for the tour and more could have been seen in other settings.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

We are sorry to hear you didn’t have a good time on your tour. We do state on our website that we cannot guarantee wildlife sightings, but we do our best and usually see dolphins on most of our tours. Manatees are usually here this time of year, but we have only seen a few so far. I’m sorry you didn’t receive your pictures. I had asked my guide to send them over to you and he said he would so I don’t know what happened.

Our tour guide was Ryan...

Brianna_W, Apr 2026

Our tour guide was Ryan and he was great! From showing us how to paddle(we were all beginners) to talking about the ecosystems and different wild life, you could tell he was really knowledgeable and passionate about what he does.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you for the five star review! We hope you enjoyed your first time on the water and will continue kayaking! It’s a great way to enjoy nature with friends and get a bit of exercise as well.

Fun and Healthy Exhaustion

Frank_S, Apr 2026

Fun and interesting . You might get a little wet but that’s part of the fun. Hannah was knowledgeable and attentive.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thx Frank for the five stars! Great to hear you enjoyed the tour with Hannah. We appreciate you choosing us for your day on the water!

This was a great...

Kevin_O, Apr 2026

This was a great excursion we really enjoyed it was our first time kayaking and our guide Luke was great.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thanks so much, Kevin for letting us know how much you enjoyed our kayaking tour! Great to hear Luke took good care of you guys. We appreciate it!

Kayaking,, Shelling and Beautiful Bird sightings

Kathy_D, Apr 2026

Grear for all levels, lots of birds up close in Mangroves, great beach to find shells. Our guide Mike found a starfish. Fun kayaking.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you, Kathy for the great review! We appreciate you choosing us for your paddling adventure

A fun morning kayaking

Carol_T, Apr 2026

Even though it was a windy day and the route was shortened, we enjoyed learning about the area, vegetation, birds, shells, spending time on the beach and seeing dolphins. Hannah also did a great job helping out when my partner fell in! It was a beautiful day and we really enjoyed the experience, definitely worth the money.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thanks so much, Carol for the awesome review. Unfortunately, we have had a lot of wind this year, but we make the best of it so we are happy to hear you enjoyed the tour. Glad to hear Hannah saved your partner! She is a great tour guide.

Definitely recommend this tour

Sheila_M, Mar 2026

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you very much Sheila for the awesome review! So glad to hear Elizabeth did an amazing tour for you. We truly do have an amazing area for kayaking. We appreciate the recommendation!

Absolutely horrible!!!!!

Rebecca_B, Mar 2026

Horrible experience. Unorganized, gave my 12 year old a toddler life vest and rolled his eyes when I requested the right size. Guide was so far up couldn’t hear him explain anything. Before we even left the guide said if you are drowning I won’t be the one to save you, the coast guard will. 🤬 Felt very unsafe with my son in a kayak going into open waters with huge boats zooming by and creating huge waves. Picture was so misleading on the booking site. Shows manatees. Didn’t see them nor did we see anything but a few birds. The guide even cut the excursion short an hour because his side hurt. The rest of the staff was equally rude when we got back to the loading location. Nowhere did it say we would be kayaking in open waters and it said beginner friendly. And to top it off, two grown men in one kayak repeatedly thought it appropriate to make sure at all costs that this mom and her 12 year old son didn’t get ahead of them and cut us off not once but 5 times! While one of the jerk’s wife was struggling behind us with two little ones. My son was getting sick in the kayak and was crying because he was scared in the open water but the guide was too far ahead to even catch up to to tell. Horrible experience.Waste of money. Feel completely ripped off!!!!!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

This is not a truthful review in the least bit. Your tour guide grabbed a jacket sized 50-90 pounds, not a toddler jacket. We take safety very serious and happily size up our guests correctly. Your guide did not say the coast guard would save you instead of him. I have reviewed our camera footage from the parking lot as well as speaking to your guide and that was not said. We don't take our guests into open waters with boats zooming by us. It is a safe and beginner friendly route that we've been taking since 2014 with no accidents. During March there's more boat traffic than usual in the boat channel, but we never cross the channel or go near the boats passing by in the Bay. We stay near the mangroves in less than 3 feet of water. All of our pictures are 100% real and from the exact location and tour route you took. We can't guarantee any marine life which the listing clearly says before you book. I have time stamped footage showing the tour was at least 2 hours and it was not cut an hour short. Yes, the guides side hurt as he had told the whole group mid tour since his pain came out of nowhere. He is a human and unfortunately started suffering severe pain from his appendix. He still did not cut the tour an hour short. My staff is not rude. Every one of them loves their job and is there to help out as a team. Our reviews clearly prove this remark wrong as well as your review as a whole. As far as the others on your tour not allowing you to pass them, you were in a small group tour with a total of 6 kayaks counting the 2 from your group. The guide was never far from anyone... There are other outfitters in the area that send 20 + kayaks and paddleboards with one tour guide which would never happen with us. The other two groups on this tour tipped the guide and enjoyed the tour.

Nice family afternoon

Stefanie_C, Mar 2026

Overall would recommend. A little slow to start as they were busy with multiple groups. Accommodated us changing from morning to afternoon due to a chilly forecast. Nice equipment and knowledgable guide. Took photos of us on our tour and texted them to us later on, complimentary, which was very nice since I didn't want to risk bringing my phone. No manatees yet since waters were still chilly but we saw birds and dolphin!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks, Stephanie for the five star review! Sorry you had to wait a bit but this is our busiest time of year. Glad you enjoyed the guide and your photos. Thanks for the recommendation.

Kayaking fun!

Cara_K, Mar 2026

Elizabeth was a great guide!! we chose the clear bottom kayaks and I think in hindsight we would’ve chosen the regular kayaks because the clear bottom ones were a little harder to maneuver and we couldn’t see anything through the bottom anyway.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks Cara for the great review. Glad you had fun kayaking with Elizabeth. Yes, our Clear Kayaks are a bit harder to maneuver and water clarity makes a big difference on what you can see. We appreciate your business!

Good equipment, beautiful...

Sally_S, Mar 2026

Good equipment, beautiful surroundings, good guide but no dolphins or manatees in the winter months. We saw a few birds.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hey Sally, sorry you didn’t see any Marine life. We unfortunately can’t control the wildlife. However, some of our customers see dolphins every day but of course we can’t guarantee they will pop up while you’re on the water. Manatee season starts in April and are commonly seen in the warmer months. I do have all of this listed in the description as I’m not trying to be misleading to any potential customers. It is listed as an educational Eco tour which is what I can guarantee, so I hope you learned a lot.

Luke is the man!

Lorrie_T, Mar 2026

Luke was a wonderful guide. We had so much fun through the mangroves and walking the beach for shells. Thank you for a memorable vacation experience!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks so much for the great review and letting us know Luke did an amazing job for you. We appreciate the shout out!

Great experience!

Helen_B, Mar 2026

Elizabeth and Jack did a great job leading our tour! I would highly recommend to everyone! The 10:30am was the perfect time!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thx Helen for the five stars! Glad you had a fun time!

Big highlight!

Jeannie_d, Mar 2026

OK, I really didn’t want to review because I want to keep this secret and special. But I can’t not share. First time to Bonita and wasn’t sure what to expect from this little business on the side of the road. My sisters and I all have bad shoulders so we were delighted to take this quite short kayak trip to the most amazing secluded stunning beach. (There was a longer option for those wanting exercise.) we were Gaga over this beach! We saw a baby shark, a family of ospreys nesting up high right on the beach and very few people – the best part! We rented a double clear kayak cause it sounded intriguing, but the canal water was brackish so couldn’t see anything cool and the width of the kayak was cumbersome so I would rent a regular kayak next time. Take this sweet little tour. It’s so anffordable and wonderful!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks so much for the great review! So glad you enjoyed our little slice of paradise on Big Hickory Island. Our little secluded island is one of my favorites as well. Glad you enjoyed your time with us.

Date day

Michelle_S, Mar 2026

Had a great time with beautiful weather. Victoria was a great guide. She was knowledgeable and helpful! Would definitely do it again!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks so much Michelle for the great review and the shout out on this platform! We hope to get you back out there again sometime.

Had a great day on the water!

Cheri_M, Mar 2026

We had a great day, we stopped on the beach and got to explore. The tide coming in made kayaking a little more difficult along with the wake from boats. The guide was very nice!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you so much Cheri for the nice review.

Great experience!...

Jacqueline_L, Mar 2026

Great experience! Elisabeth our guide was wonderful. Took photos of us and videos and and then shared them with us at the end!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks so much for the great review! Great to hear Elizabeth did a wonderful job for you on tour. We appreciate your business!

We had a very nice...

Dolores_L, Mar 2026

We had a very nice outing. It was organized and the area was beautiful. We stopped at a beach to walk around and kayaked through mangrove tunnels. The guide was very friendly, but got a little turned around with our route so that was a little unsettling, but it all worked out fine. All in all it was a fun experience that my whole family enjoyed.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks Dolores for the nice review. We have a couple of new guides that just started working for us so we are sorry your tour guide got confused on the route. It can be very confusing going through those mangrove tunnel sometimes when we have someone new to our crew.

Nice experience kayaking

Adam_K, Mar 2026

Fun experience with a very personable and helpful guide. The water level was down so a little murky which they can’t control. But still a very unique experience for all. I had a group of ten and they were ready to go when we arrived. Well done and thank you.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks Adam for bringing your group out to kayak with us! We appreciate your business and hope to see you again in the future.

Kayaking tour

Joy_P, Mar 2026

Elizabeth was a fantastic guide, full of great information about the area we were paddling. She even took pictures of everyone paddling and then shared it with us on the end of the tour. Great experience.😊

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks so much Joy for the great review! We are happy to hear Elizabeth did a wonderful tour for you and we hope you enjoy the pictures. Come see us again if you’re ever in the area.

Beautiful and Informational

Logan_C, Mar 2026

Tour guide was extremely accommodating. Views were beautiful and even got to collect shells and swim in the ocean after a short trek over sand. The mangroves really made it feel like paddling through tunnels. Guide also had a ton of intresting facts about the area and vegetation!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks Logan for the five star review! It’s great to hear you enjoyed your time on the water with us. Glad you enjoyed those mangrove tunnels as they really are super special to paddle through.

Our guide Nick,(?) Mon...

Rebecca_B, Mar 2026

Our guide Nick,(?) Mon March 2 was very informative, local who knows alot about wildlife,water and even shells

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks for the review, Rebecca. Nick sure does know a lot and enjoys sharing his knowledge with everyone. We really strive to provide a 5 star experience for our customers. If you would please let me know what we could have done better, it will help us to improve where needed. Kurt@paddlenaples.com 239-301-8888

Bring a bottle of water!...

John_L, Mar 2026

Bring a bottle of water! Good modest level of activity for most ages. The mangrove tunnels were cool and walking on Big Hickory Island looking for shells was pretty neat!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks so much John for the five star review! Glad you guys enjoyed our awesome area for kayaking. We appreciate your business.

My husband and I truly...

Linda_B, Feb 2026

My husband and I truly enjoyed this! Elizabeth was very knowledgeable! She definitely knows her stuff! We would absolutely do this activity again!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks so much, Linda for the great review! We are so happy to hear you enjoyed our eco tour with Elizabeth. We hope to get you out on the water again sometime.

Great kayak tour.

Susanne_P, Feb 2026

Great kayak adventure. A few too many people as thought that it was limited to 20. Had to wait for everyone to get through mangroves and catch up. Wear swimsuit or something to get wet if you choose to walk to a sandbar, mid thigh. Learned about birds, shells and marine animals, as well as history of the area. Chose this tour, a bit higher cost, but less people. Guide was nice and knowledgeable. I would recommend.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks Suzzane for the review. Normally we do keep our tour small but life happens and sometimes we are shorthanded or it’s a really busy time of the year. Glad you learned a lot about the ecosystem and the area. We appreciate your business.