Jenny's Eco Everglades Wilderness Tours — Local services in Everglades City

This is NOT your typical Everglades boat tour... it is so much better!!! I am so glad we elected to support this woman-owned small business and kayak on this personal tour with Jenny, an Everglades local, through narrower, quieter areas of the Everglades, instead of taking a noisier airboat tour through busier areas with several other guests.

Jenny and our group of three were virtually the only people on this part of the water, and our experience was beautiful. She answered our questions about plants and wildlife and told us lots about the history and stories of the Everglades. We saw the sunrise from a whole new perspective, along with lots of types of plants, fish, birds, and an alligator. We even got to paddle through narrow tunnels of mangrove trees... a truly unique opportunity I had never experienced in my life, and also something that a boat could never do!!

The meeting place Jenny sent us was somewhat secluded, yet very easy to find navigating there using Google Maps. Jenny was already there to greet us with the kayaks set up when we arrived early at 5:45 AM. She provided us with so many conveniences, including mosquito hair nets, bug spray, headlamps, dry bags, Clif bars, and water. (Note: We were worried about the bugs, but they were not bad at all!)

Throughout our whole trip, Jenny took more than 30 photos and panoramic videos of our group and the scenery, plants, and wildlife we encountered. She edited the photos and emailed them to us afterwards - which is huge to be included in this price!!!

We are beginner kayakers, and the only change we would have made is booking three single kayaks instead of a single and a double, because as we learned, a double is harder to control! Most of the kayaking is very easy and relaxing, often just taking in the nature and barely paddling at all. Our last hour or so was more moderate going against the current, but still very doable for us (and a great workout)!

Our tour lasted about 4 hours in total, which was SO generous of Jenny. After we finished, she recommended several other hikes we could do around the area. We had a wonderful time with Jenny and would definitely recommend this tour to anyone interested in a personal, educational, one-of-a-kind Everglades tour.

P.S. We encourage you to book directly on Jenny's website to avoid fees charged to her by third...

We took a tour with Jenny on a beautiful sunny day in late-January. From start to finish, the whole trip was well run and there were no glitches with logistics or equipment.

Starting out, we were a little leery of being so close to the water in the unfamiliar Everglades. Though I'd kayaked several times before, all of our east-coast Florida friends told us we were crazy to venture into the swamps, just brimming with alligators and boa constrictors waiting to take us like bait.

But from the moment we arrived, Jenny's calm, expert demeanor put us at ease. Even my partner, who was not an experienced kayaker, quickly picked up paddling technique from Jenny's patient instruction.

It didn't take long before we saw our first pods of alligators swimming towards us. But Jenny took the time to explain when the 'gators were likely to be aggressive, and since we were not in that window, we felt at ease and could enjoy the scenery. We felt like we were in good hands.

Along the way, we ran into one of the larger tour operators, guiding about a dozen clients, wearing headsets so that they could hear the narration of the lone guide up front...I felt bad for them. They didn't have the attention of the guide at the level we enjoyed, and I had the sense that they were more vulnerable, should any unusual situation arise.

In addition to many alligators, we saw a vast arrive of birds and fish. Paddling through the low mangroves was super relaxing and a great way to spend what otherwise would have been a day of relentless full sun.

After the paddling, Jenny gave us several options of places to visit according to our taste, and we wound up at an outdoor Cuban-style cafe with excellent pork sandwiches and plantains. Compared to our east-coast accommodations, this part of Florida had all the laid-back charm of the uncrowded state I remembered from my childhood.

A great change of pace for our vacation. Looking forward to our next visit and exploring...

Jenny's Eco Everglades Tour was a unique and unforgettable experience! Kayaking though serene waterways ... peacefully being with the numerous alligators, watching several species of birds soaring around their sanctuary island, maneuvering mangrove tunnels… for me was a life altering experience. Although I live over 2500 miles away on the west coast, I immediately was moved to join the efforts to protect the precious environment.

I won’t get on a soapbox here, but suffice it to say that the ubiquitous airboat tours are creating a very noisy environment for the wildlife. Kayaking was the perfect way to see the Everglades and Jenny, a long standing local and clear expert on the environment there of the area, was the most knowledgeable guide I’ve ever encountered in all of my worldly travels.

Jenny generously shared information and thoughtfully answered all of my questions. She always made me feel 100% safe and attended to at all times.

I spoke to a number of people who enjoyed their airboat tours well enough however the common lament was was they didn’t see any alligators. My guess is the wildlife steer clear of the noise and commotion accompanying airboats.

This was my first time to Florida and I will definitely be back to explore more of this fascinating, biodiverse, serene area. Jenny's Eco Everglades will be my only call and only recommendation to loved ones.

If you have ever been interested in seeing the Everglades, I truly hope you get a chance to not only see, but actually "experience" the...