We had an amazing experience on our dolphin tour with Captain Karl. We saw at least a dozen…read moredolphins, a couple turtles and thousands of fish. We were not fishing but Captain Karl deffinatly knows where the fish are at! This was one of our most memorable experiences in Matlacha. Florida. We went on Monday and then went back on Wednesday and rented Kayaks and had an awesome time exploring on our own. Matlacha Boat Rides and Rentals not only does boat tours, dolphin watch tours, but they also rent kayaks, stand up paddle boards, sail boat rentals, and skiff rentals. They also do fishing trips for beginners to experienced anglers. Captain Karl was so knowledgable and even showed us private beaches that had no people on them! How cool is that? Matlacha Boat Rides and Rentals boats are super clean, and well maintained and have a great selection of boats to rent. They also let you request the type of tour and they will customize one for you. They are located at Angler's Inn on Matlacha, Florida. We loved the time we spent on the water. We will defiantly come back. Captain Karl and his wife treated us like we were old friends of theirs. We loved it.

Karl and Janette are wonderful hosts! Their room rentals come with a kitchen and lanai AND they…read moreprovide complimentary kayak rentals for people staying with them. I went on a last minute boat tour with them on my birthday and had a blast. They're genuine people who provide great service.

Coastal Friends Boat Tours was an absolute highlight of our visit to south west Florida…read more My wife and our friends decided to take a sunset tour on Sunday. The boat was spacious and comfortable, very stable even amid the small swell and wakes of other boats (my wife has gotten seasick in the past, but had absolutely no problem with this trip due to the stability of the boat and the skill of Aldo the Captain/pilot). We enjoyed seeing Dolphins and Pelicans, and even a ray just after sunset.The sunset was amazing and memorable, but not the best part of our tour. What was the best part? Being hosted by the owner and captain Aldo, and his first mate (wife] Demaris. They are happy and friendly, and very skilled at operating their boat. But more than that, they are excellent hosts. We had a lot of laughs, and a very enjoyable afternoon. The opportunity to meet Aldo and Demaris, and enjoy their hospitality shouldn't be missed. You'll be glad you chose this company for your boat tour! TLDR; Relaxing and fun way to spend the afternoon. Aldo and Demaris are great people, enjoyable to be around and skilled in their business I highly recommend them as hosts and tour guides!

From the owner: Coastal Friends Boat Tours offers family-friendly boat tours in Southwest Florida, specializing in…read moredolphin-watching, sunset cruises, island hopping, beach-hopping, and waterfront dining excursions. Our tours provide unforgettable experiences with a focus on comfort, safety, and creating cherished memories. Based in Cape Coral, we cater to locals and visitors looking to explore Florida's beautiful waterways.

Our family of 5 had an absolutely wonderful experience with Captain Jessica and the Island Time…read moreDolphin & Shelling Cruise! Our four-hour trip was the perfect mix of relaxation, wildlife, and adventure. Captain Jessica and her crew went above and beyond, providing iced drinks, snacks, and buckets for collecting shells. They took us to Old Hickory Island, where we found some amazing shells, a Pygmy octopus, conch, and a sand dollar. Throughout the trip, Captain Jessica shared her knowledge about the local ecosystem, answering all of our questions about the dolphins, manatees, mangroves, and the area. One of the highlights was when she spotted a pod of dolphins. She carefully brought the boat alongside them, and we got to watch them swim and jump in our boat's wake--it was unforgettable! Communication was outstanding from start to finish. We had to reschedule twice due to weather. Captain Jessica made the process incredibly easy and stress-free. She is friendly, welcoming, and shared lots of great local recommendations for places to visit and things to do. If you're looking to support a fantastic local business while having an unforgettable day on the water, I can't recommend Captain Jessica and Island Time Dolphin & Shelling Cruise enough. It was truly one of the highlights of our trip!

Had an amazing private dolphin and shelling tour this week with Jessica & Rob. Jessica was…read morefantastic to work with throughout the booking process and was communicative, prompt, and helpful! Our day on the water was wonderful - we saw 4 dolphins (including one baby!), white pelicans, and enjoyed shelling at the end of Lover's Key State park! Jessica and Rob made the experience memorable, fun, and safe. Highly recommend for your charter needs!

Captain Jim is a great host and guide. He is so nice and lots of fun. He had a vast knowledge of…read morethe area and the history. We took the fun lunch at Cabbage Key trip. The ride was smooth with several stops along the way to point out wildlife and points of interest. He allowed us enough time on the island to enjoy lunch and thoroughly explore. If we are back in the area we would definitely do another tour with Pine Island Boat Tours.

We had a fantastic time with Captain Jim. He is extremely knowledgeable about all the local…read morebeaches, and history of the area. He knew exactly where to take us and show us where all the dolphins and manatees were. My kids loved Captain Jim. They thought he was very friendly. I would highly recommend this boat ride. The 4 hour trip is the best value , as the day flew. I can't give enough praise . 5 stars isn't enough. This was definitely the highlight of our vacation.

I loved the room, very clean and had small complete kitchen and dinnerware. The room had just a…read moretouch of old Florida. Management was most friendly and helpful. The other guests I met were like family friendly as if the place drew the best people to stay there. Many had been there before. The Resort was on the edge of town (Matlacha) and businesses were coming back from the hurricane. I visited The Perfect Cup and found it to be very good place for breakfast. I also ate at the Blue Dog which had great seafood. There were a couple other restaurants I will try on my next visit. The town had many places to fish such as the bridges and a couple parks. Fishing there was great. People were catching reds, snook, and snapper. The resort had kayaks, furnished grills, had a campfire pit, swimming pool and a homemade sand beach. It had docks to fish from or for people bringing their own boat. The management can set you up with dolphin tours or charter fishing. It is near Ft. Myers Beach, Bonita Beach, and Sanibel/Captiva Islands and not far from Punta Gorda Airport (my choice) or Ft Myers International Airport. My stay was only 3 days, but I will return and stay much longer next time.

This place was nice and probably convenient for the traveler wanting to be by the water and being…read morein vacation mode. I picked it out of necessity as I did not feel like driving all the way to fort myers to get a cheaper place. They were very friendly. This place is pet friendly which is an enormous plus. Everything outside is perfectly maintained which gives the best impression! The studio is very nicely set up. It had a clean but comfortable look. Everything looks modern and updated probably because it had to be redone after the hurricane. I loved the firm mattress, the large fridge and enormous flat screen roku tv. I liked they provided popcorn which I popped in the microwave. The shower got super hot very quick so no lack of hot water. Shampoo conditioner and body wash is provided as well as a sample of body lotion. There is a coffee maker which I personally didn't use. Really liked the little gazebo to sit out. Parking was available right outside my door which was convenient. It's still slow season so it was quiet. I did not use the amenities so cannot review on that. The little minor things were: I could hear the upstairs when they'd drop stuff. You can also hear every single word of the unit next door so I went to bed and got up with those people based on noise. The bathroom would sometimes make loud bubble noises probably related to plumbing issues. The place was not fully clean, it looked like there was construction type dirt in the bathroom. Also there were some ants but it's Florida so might be normal. And the outdoor light didn't work so it was very dark walking my dog. The AC is a wall unit and very loud, the lowest allowed is 70 degrees - I wish it was less because I was hot. Great place but there's some improvements possible here and there. I'd stay here again if needed! $125 for the night was a decent price especially for the location and amenities they offer. I'm sure it's more during season, I stayed end of September on a weekday.

Wouldn't recommend! Unprofessional uptight captain who cusses at women and children because he had…read moreto load their stuff that he had been paid to do! Use anyone but them! Dude is suffering from LDS to talk to women and children that way!

A great trip to Cabbage Key with Island Girl. On time, great staff, excellent boats & a friendly…read morefun ride. I hope people tip big, as these guys work hard with Everything people bring....so much stuff. We will use Island Girl again, on our next Cabbage Key Vacation .

Highly recommend! Great activity here on Fort Myers Beach! Take your family and have a good time!…read moreGreat for kids.

Great experience with Tiny Tiki Tours and Captain Kate! Booked this trip last minute and also had…read moreto change our tour time last minute but they were super accommodating and friendly! We weren't sure if we'd see any dolphins but we saw multiple groups and even a baby and mama. They came super close to the boat and just hung out for a while-amazing! We can't wait to come back in the summer and book another trip - Def longer this time! The price was well worth it for the experience and the privacy - our small group of 5 had the boat to ourselves! Highly recommend!

Caveat Emptor - Extremely Disappointing Experience with Tropic Star (Pine Island, FL)…read moreIf you're considering booking a "private nature tour" with Tropic Star, I strongly suggest you think twice. On March 23rd, my group paid $350 for what was clearly marketed as a private, multi-hour nature tour experience: lunch at Cabbage Key followed by a relaxing nature cruise with stop at Cayo Costa, wildlife viewing, dolphins, and a scenic return to the dock around 2-2:30 PM. What we got instead felt like a complete bait-and-switch. The ride to Cabbage Key was rushed, and after lunch, we were picked up at 1:00 PM only to be sped straight back to the dock at full throttle--arriving before 1:30 PM. No nature tour. No stops. No wildlife. No relaxation. Just a high-speed return trip where we were bracing ourselves on coolers and folding chairs instead of enjoying anything remotely close to what was promised. Prior to leaving the dock, my friend heard Captain Steve had multiple other groups scheduled and needed to rush back. So much for a "private" experience. It was clear our trip was cut short to accommodate their overbooking and miscommunication from staff. Customer service was just as frustrating. After multiple attempts to get a response from Vincent, the owner, we finally received a generic apology with "We have a great reputation and it's rare that I get confronted with any negativity and I sincerely apologize. We have not been able to run our big boats since Hurricane Ian 3 years ago. We're doing our best to accommodate some passengers with our smaller boats" and a vague offer for "free passage next time." When I asked for clarification--no response. I then requested a full refund to resolve the issue privately and avoid posting a review... and completely ignored. At this point, it's not just about a bad tour--it's about misleading advertising, poor communication, and zero accountability. Save your money and your time. There are plenty of reputable operators in the area who actually deliver what they promise.

What a great crew, what a great experience. The vote was comfortable and easily accessible. Finding…read morethe place was a little bit of a challenge. However, when you make the reservation they do fill you in on the GPS coordinates, and tell you that they are not necessarily correct. I would definitely do this again but I would spend all day at the beach I would not bother to go to the restaurant on the itinerary.

My wife and I recently took a Gondola trip last week in Providence. It was her birthday and we had…read morea great time. Our driver was excellent, he sang Happ Birthday in Italian to my wife, he was the best, his name was Sam. I recommend this to everyone, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Jim H.

Our experiences on La Gondola rides have always been good, but the last two have been tremendous -…read morethe warmth of the gondolier and the assistants has been so very welcoming. We just feel like we are part of the family! So we send our deepest thanks to all of you!

What a great day we had today with Captain's Cliff and Jason on their two boats! 3 adults, and 5…read morekids 4 hours of making a lifetime of memories! Our 7 year caught the most fish of the day - Permit, Sheepshead and Mangrove Red Snapper! We will be going out with them again!