Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Everglades City
The end of the track is an old Florida fishing village of raised houses, turquoise water and
scattershot emerald-green mangrove islands. Hwy 29 runs south through town into the
peaceful residential island of Chokoloskee, past a great psychedelic mural of a gator on a
shed. 'City' is an ambitious name for Everglades City, but this is a friendly fishing town
where you can easily lose yourself for a day or three.
CANOE CAMPING ON 10,000 ISLANDS
One of the best ways to experience the serenity of the Everglades - somehow desolate
yet lush, tropical and foreboding - is by paddling the network of waterways that skirt the
not really 10,000) tiny islands and a mangrove swamp that hugs the southwestern-most
border of Florida. The
Wilderness Waterway
, a 99-mile path between Everglades City
and Flamingo, is the longest canoe trail in the area, but there are shorter trails near
Flamingo.
Most islands are fringed by narrow beaches with sugar-white sand, but note that the
water is brackish, and very shallow most of the time. It's not Tahiti, but it's fascinating.
You can camp on your own island for up to a week.
Getting around the 10,000 Islands is pretty straightforward if you religiously adhere to
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tide and nautical charts. Going
against the tides is the fastest way to have a miserable trip. The
Gulf Coast Visitor Center
sells nautical charts and gives out free tidal charts. You can also purchase charts prior to
your visit - call 305-247-1216 and ask for charts 11430, 11432 and 11433.
Sights & Activities
Museum of the Everglades
MUSEUM
(
239-695-0008;
www.evergladesmuseum.org
; 105 W Broadway;
9am-5pm Tue-Fri, to 4pm Sat;
)
This small museum, located in an old library, has some placards and information on the
settlement of the Everglades - the focus is more concerned with the human history of the
