Mangroves & Hidden Beach Kayak Tour
Recommended by 93% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Sarasota, USA
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Discover the calm waterways around Siesta Key, just outside of Sarasota, on this small-group excursion. Choose a kayak or stand up paddleboard, whichever you are more comfortable with, for your journey. Then, follow your guide through the Jim Neville Marine Preserve observing mangrove islands and local wildlife while you paddle towards a secret beach.
- Learn about the local flora and fauna from your guide
- Choose from two tour times to suit your schedule
- A small group means more attention from your guide
- All necessary kayak and SUP equipment is provided
What's Included
- Use of Kayak or Paddleboard, Paddle, Life Jacket, Dry Bag
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 8701 Blind Pass Rd, Sarasota, FL 34242, USA
We meet at the Turtle Beach Public Boat Launch. Once you enter Turtle Beach park, go straight until the stop sign. Turn left. The public boat launch will be on your left. Find parking anywhere inside Turtle Beach Park.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Jim Neville Marine Preserve (Pass By)
1
Turtle Beach
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 22 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Lindsey_D
Absolutely loved this experience! Matt was super knowledgeable and fun! The places we went were so beautiful with lots of shells and shark teeth to find! Also saw a super cool sooty sea slug I think it was called. Highly recommend this place and this tour!! Had an amazing time
Reviews
4.7
based on 98 reviews
Brenda_H, Apr 2026
Instructor was very friendly, very knowledgeable, informative and everyone had a great time. We all had a great time.
Lindsey_D, Mar 2026
Absolutely loved this experience! Matt was super knowledgeable and fun! The places we went were so beautiful with lots of shells and shark teeth to find! Also saw a super cool sooty sea slug I think it was called. Highly recommend this place and this tour!! Had an amazing time
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thanks for letting us know. Matt is such a great guide. And, you are right, the whole tour is just stunning! Hope to see you again in the future.
Claudia_S, Mar 2026
Great guided tour of the mangroves and. “Hidden beach” that’s only accessible by boat. We spent a good 1/2 hour at the beach. It was Sunday so it was crowded but lovely. Tons of shells! Matt was a great tour guide very knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly. Highly recommend.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
The beach used to be more hidden. During the hurricanes of 2024, the pass was re-opened right there, making the water clarity improve 1000% and making it very popular especially on weekends and holidays. But yes, the shells and the surrounding area are just so amazing. Glad you had fun!
Terri_M, Jan 2026
You may or may not see any wildlife but we did see 1 dolphin, 2 osprey, 2 bald eagles but unfortunately no manatees (but no guarantee we would’ve) & don’t go on a windy day unless experienced, as it was hard to navigate since I’ve only done this once. Still a good day on the water on a 70 degree day with my daughter. Bring bottled water, towel & a baggie for collecting shells on the island, they had us stop at. We found several shark teeth & actually saw a small shark about a foot long, swimming in the shallows!!
Susan_M, Dec 2025
It was fun and relaxing at the same time. The tour took us to midnight pass where we stopped and looked for shells, which were in abundance and some shark teeth.
Lauren_M, Dec 2025
We had a great time on our kayaking tour today with our tour guide Aaron! He was very knowledgeable and he took us to a private beach where there were thousands of beautiful seashells and clear water to swim in. He even walked the beach and found shark teeth for us that were washed up on the shore.
Jennifer_Y, Aug 2025
Great voyage! Loved the beach we went to. Wish I had packed better. Bring water and a bag for shell collecting
Holly_H, Jul 2025
Very calm and relaxing tour. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable of the wildlife that lived in the area.
Dianne, Jun 2025
Michael was our tour guide. He was very knowledgeable about the area and we saw several manatees. Perfect place to visit
Phoebe_P, May 2025
I saw many beautiful mangrove tunnels when I had gone another time without a tour guide. I was expecting a learning experience of the local ecosystem as we kayaked. Tour guide only gave anecdotes of his past experiences at other jobs. Way over priced for what we experienced.
Pamela_S, May 2025
This is a great experience for everyone including those that have never kayaked before. We had a great time. We really enjoyed going thru the mangrove caves and spending time on the beach. Would definitely go again.
Leigh_C, Dec 2024
The kyyak tour was an enjoyable experience with our knowledgeable guide, Cody. I recommend Surf Fit.
Gretchen_B, Jun 2024
Kayaking through the mangroves and shark enclosure was fun. Our tour guide Sawyer was super nice and had interesting facts about the areas.
Heather_H, Mar 2024
Great experience!! Went over spring break with the grandparents & kids (9,13 &16) everyone had a wonderful time. Our guide was knowledgeable & fun. I would definitely recommend this trip!
Lauren_T, Mar 2024
The private beach was amazing! I
We just went without a guide it was great! We didn’t see dolphins or manatee but I think evening or morning might be better
Jodie_P, Mar 2024
Great tour guide, upbeat personality. small group still so fun. Updating the site to say manatees aren’t in the area in early spring would be helpful to other visitors who would like to see them.
Ana_B, Mar 2024
Aaron was a great tour guide! Private beach was the best but the whole tour was relaxing and so fun. Def worth the experience
Chadd_B, Mar 2024
Really fun time seeing the sights and the wildlife. The guide was experienced and entertaining. We would gladly do it again.
Christine_M, Jan 2024
Tim was awesome! Kayaking through the mangroves was so cool and the beach we stopped at was beautiful. We had a great time!
Jim_P, Jan 2024
Mangrove tunnels were pretty cool, saw a dolphin too!.Tour guide was very knowledgeable ,however he was a bit late.
Phillip_M, Nov 2023
Tim provided an informational and humorous tour. Martha provided educational details about the ecosystem. Overall this was a great adventure, good sight-seeing and something that should be on your bucket list!
Gabriel_V, Oct 2023
Our guide brought us out to a secluded beach where we witnessed the local wildlife. I would absolutely recommend visiting the area.
jackie_g, Oct 2023
Tim was our guide we had a Great time! It was honestly a once in a lifetime experience! He was very knowledgeable and personable! Thanks so much for making our anniversary trip unforgettable! The kayaking also was so easy! Would recommend to everyone!
Jeanie_H, Sep 2023
Tim was great! He had a great personality, funny, was very knowledgeable about the area. We had a first time kayaker with us, he took time with her made sure she was OK throughout the trip. Was an all-around great experience.. will definitely be back. And would recommend Tim and this tour.
trangn, Jul 2023
We are a family of 4 adults looking to explore Siesta Key. Tim was friendly and informative. He knows a lot about the area history, the mangrove and its wildlife . This laid back SUP tour was the pace of island life that we were looking for. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommend.
Kristie_S, Jul 2023
We had a wonderful time on our kayak tour. The water was beautiful and we really enjoyed the peace and calm of the water and beautiful scenery. Our kids loved the private beach and we all enjoyed swimming to cool off. John was our tour guide and was so kind and shared a lot of information about Siesta Key and the nature and habitat of the area. This was a great way yo spend an afternoon! Highly recommend!
Kristal_R, Jul 2023
Tim was fun & knowledgeable about the area. I wished we woulda seen more wildlife;) but good fun and exercise!
Henry_H, Jul 2023
We booked a guided Kayak tour for July 2nd at least a month out for 1 adult and 2 children. Paid $151 (with no sales tax). The day before the tour was scheduled Karla called us and stated she did not have a guide to lead the tour. We could cancel or rent 2 kayaks and do a self guided tour. We opted to do that. When I asked how much that would be and if I would get a refund, she said she could not tell me at this time?? Strange as their website gives prices for a 3 hour rental. We showed up and there was no place to park!! They had permits for their vehicle but no spaces reserved for their customers?? After driving around for 25 minutes we found a parking spot. We had a fun time on our kayaks. You can easily do a self guided tour. I waited for a refund. Then I emailed asking when I would get a refund. I emailed again and finally got a reply. They said that since we booked through Viator, it would take longer. Then they said I paid $ 10 less than I had and then added on sales tax. Strange since I did not pay sales tax the first time? I followed up again. Still waiting on a reply. Not worth the hassle to argue over $ 16. I would recommend you just find a place to rent kayaks on your own and do a self guided tour.
Response from Host, Jul 2023
I am glad you had a good time on the water and I am sorry about the parking situation and the refund. We are a family run small business and very occasionally things come up with our staff. We try to offer as many options as possible when this occurs (changing launch locations, changing date or times or even just offering a full refund. ) I am glad that it worked out for you to go out on a self guided tour at the time and location that worked best. With regards to the refund, things can get a bit convoluted when booking through a third party site (like Trip Advisor or Viator). ( I always recommend booking direct with the company you chose to use as it makes for better communication and issue resolution.) It takes a little bit longer to make changes when dealing with an additional third party. I issued a refund through Viator, based on the information they provided me. If there is still an issue with the refund, please contact me directly, as I thought this was resolved. With regard to parking, I do agree that we need to be more clear about this. We operate from a county park but the county does not reserve parking spots for our guests. Parking is not normally an issue but during peak times (the week of 4th of July, etc), it can get really crowded. We recommend always giving yourself extra time to find parking. Again, apologies for any hassle that you have felt you had to deal with. We try to make things easy for everyone and would hope you reach out to us again so that we can make sure you are happy.
Deanna_G, Jul 2023
Our tour guide, Tim, was amazing, (and funny!) We had a great time. He was knowledgeable, and seemed to really enjoy his job! It was a pretty leisurely paddle, good for all ages! We had some weather coming in, and Tim was on top of it, making sure we were safe. I would go again!
Susan_Z, Jun 2023
We had such a great time. Tim was super awesome. There were also Manatees that swam around us. Loved all the fun facts Tim shared. Will definitely do again.
From $60.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Mangroves & Hidden Beach Kayak Tour
97
2 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$60.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Attractions in Sarasota, USA
More attractions near Sarasota, USA