Sarasota Guided Mangrove Tunnel Kayak Tour

Overview

There is a reason that the Mangrove Tunnels of Lido Key are a must-do experience when visiting the Gulf Coast. We launch from Ted Sperling Nature Park (190 Taft Dr Sarasota FL) which has clean restrooms, a rinsing shower, and shaded picnic tables. Our amazing local guides from Sea Life Kayak Adventures take you on a tour of Little Sarasota Bay, where you may see manatees, dolphins, a variety of birds and sea life...then finish up in the famous mangrove tunnels, a beautiful canopy that meanders thru an island. The tour usually goes around 2 hours, but we aren't on a strict schedule, so please allow for an extra half hour. We are located just minutes from downtown Sarasota, 20 minutes from Siesta Key, and a half hour from Anna Maria Island and Bradenton (add time for traffic during high season. We meet a HALF HOUR before our tours)

City: Sarasota

Tue 19 Nov

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $59.00

Make a reservation

Tue 19 Nov

Starting at $59.00

Make a reservation

New York City Tours

Unique Activities (21) Transfers & Transportation (103) Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises (113) Entry Tickets (47) Sporting Events (1) Good for Small Groups (6) Seasonal & Holiday Tours (41) Walking Tours (697) Outdoor Activities (20) Limitied Availability Tours (6) LGBT Friendly Tours (4) Family-friendly Activities (7) Solo Travelers' Tours (147) Food & Drinks (27) Travelers recommend (73) Good for Groups (8) Top Activities (18) Guided Audio Tours (3) Art, Culture & History (135) Attractions to explore (38)

What's Included

USCG Life Jacket

Local guide

Professional guide

Lightweight carbon fiber paddle

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Children must be accompanied by an adult

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (1000)

MartaHam

May 2018

I wasn’t sure what to expect but we ended up loving our experience. The tour was about 2.25 hours and was perfect amount of time - especially for new kayakers or families. CHRIS is an excellent, patient , knowledgeable friendly guide! He met our group with a smile and a firm handshake and remembered our names (all 17 of us)! He gave us helpful hints as to how to hold the paddle for effectiveness and avoiding callouses. He not only had information about sea birds and the fish, manatees and dolphin, but just general knowledge of the island and sea life. We saw a huge manatee and paddled at a safe distance along side the manatee’s path. We went through multiple mangrove tunnels which made the morning even more interesting. All the people on our tour happened to be super nice- but I think that started with Chris’s friendliness. Highly recommend this tour— and Chris!!

Rambler

Apr 2018

Kayaking is always on our 'to do' list when we visit the US and especially Florida where the waters warm and wildlife rarely disappoints. We were staying just on Lido Key and booked an afternoon guided tour with Chris online the day before. The car park at the small park at the south of the island has several kayak tour operators based there. Most offer a similar experience and we chose Sea Life purely based on reviews. We weren't disappointed. Chris is a great guide. Interesting and with plenty of tall tales, he escorted our group of half a dozen kayaks around the bay and into the mangrove tunnels. The kayaks are easy to propel and manoeuvre with good padded seat backs. You can choose tandem or single and the launch ramp is easy too. Despite Chris' best efforts, we didn't see any manatees or dolphins that day. We did see plenty of bird life including ospreys and heron and did get to stand up in the middle of Sarasota bay on a sandbar - which was surreal. The mangrove tunnels are fascinating and a guide really helps when pointing out the wildlife and history of the area. If you want to just hire a kayak with no guide - I'd suggest you give the tunnels a miss and stick to open water. We really loved this tour. We like kayaking anyway but Chris added a little extra to this trip and that made it special. Great afternoon out in the bay.

BraintreeTravelers

Apr 2018

We had a great kayak adventure with Chris as our guide. He was extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife that we experienced during the trip. We really appreciated the way he interacted with all of the group on the tour. On our trip we had multiple manatee sightings and saw dolphins off in the distance. Paddling through the mangrove tunnels was awesome. It was a beautiful day out on the water and a highlight of our vacation. We would definitely go out with Sea Life Kayak Adventures and Chris again.