The Best Things To Do In Everglades City, Florida

The Everglades are a natural wonder. Often compared to a grassy, slow-moving river, the 1.5 million-acre wetlands preserve is not only a U.S. national park, but it’s also a World Heritage Site. If you want to experience the true untamed beauty of the South—and one of the wildest ecosystems in the U.S.—then a trip to the Everglades is a must. But because the Everglades cover so much distance, it can be difficult to know where to start. Enter Everglades City. The minuscule town of fewer than 500 people is perched on the southwest Florida coast (just 35 miles south of Naples). It offers the perfect gateway to exploring the endless expanses of the Everglades. In true Old Florida fashion, a visit to Everglades City feels like stepping back in time. With weathered seafood spots, charming small-town scenes, and unfettered access to airboat, kayak, and swamp tours of the Everglades, you’ll easily fill a weekend in this one-of-a-kind town. Here’s everything to do on a trip to Everglades City, Florida.

The Best Things To Do In Everglades City

There are so many ways to explore the Everglades, from heart-pumping airboat rides to leisurely paddles around the mangroves. Make the most of your trip by experiencing the majesty of the coastal mangroves, pine flatwoods, and sawgrass marshes from every vantage point. Start by taking a Big Cypress Swamp Tour with a ranger at the Nathaniel P. Reed Visitors Center. Check out the indoor and outdoor exhibits and watch an introductory film about the swamp, then head out with a ranger who will help you wade through the swamp to spot the incredible flora and fauna for yourself.

When you’re ready to dive a little deeper, reach out to Everglades Area Tours and get going on your next adventure. They offer a variety of naturalist-led kayak eco tours; all you have to do is decide your focus. Alligators and orchids, a mangrove tunnel, the Turner River, or Everglades National Park—the choice is yours. There are even special day trips if you want to try paddling the open ocean. One of the coolest places to see on an excursion with Everglades Area Tours is Ten Thousand Islands, a chain of islands and mangrove islets off the coast that’s partially designated as a National Wildlife Refuge.

Once you’ve taken your time to get acquainted with the otherworldly natural landscape of the Everglades, raise the stakes with a high-speed airboat tour. Captain Jack’s Airboat Tours offers tours of mangrove tunnels, cypress forest, and grasslands. See all three on the 5-hour-long Everglades Combo tour.

After a day of adventuring, head back to town and locate the little pink building. Inside the 1927 laundry house, the Museum of the Everglades’ rotating exhibits tell the story of 2,000 years of human history in Florida’s Last Frontier. In the neighboring community of Ochopee, get your picture in front of the smallest operating post office in the U.S. The 61.3-square-foot building is a true wonder and exactly the type of nostalgic relic this area of Florida is known for.

One place you can’t leave the area without visiting is Clyde Butcher Gallery in Big Cypress Swamp. There you can see incredible black-and-white fine art photography from legendary photographer Clyde Butcher, who captures the primeval swamp in such stunning clarity that his works have made their way to well-known museums and galleries across the globe. In addition to Clyde’s work, the gallery also features photographs and paintings by his equally talented wife Niki. For an “art imitates life” experience, take one of Butcher’s guided Big Cypress Swamp walks and rent one of his two on-property bungalows for the night.

Where To Eat In Everglades City

Known as the Stone Crab Capital of the World, the dining scene in Everglades City revolves around the crustacean for roughly eight months of the year. Stone crab season runs from mid-October through May, which means you’ll have ample opportunity to indulge in the underwater delicacy. Stone crabs are different from other crab species because harvesters take just one claw from each crab before returning them to the water where they’ll slowly regenerate their appendage. The gentle harvest brings supremely fresh and succulently flaky crabmeat that’s often described as a mix between shrimp and lobster.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a seafood joint on the Paradise Coast that doesn’t sell stone crab in season, but in Everglades City, check out Grimm’s Stone Crab for fresh claws to take home. If you want your seafood prepared for you, grab a dockside picnic table at City Seafood or head to Triad Seafood Market & Café, a beloved institution that offers all-you-can-eat stone crab and has been family-owned since 1984. Another great waterfront seafood spot, Camellia Street Grill is the laidback crowd-pleaser that will satisfy everyone in your group. The menu includes everything from chicken wings and hamburgers to shrimp and grits, tacos, po’boys, and of course stone crab.

Two other special spots to try are Island Café and HavAnna Café. Island Café serves nostalgic diner food at all hours of the day, but the real treat is going early in the morning for a short stack with a side of crispy bacon. Last but not least, HavAnna Café is a tucked-away tropical oasis that offers some of the best Cuban and Cracker cuisine you’ll find anywhere. The eclectic eatery is known for its cheery garden where guests dine under umbrellaed tables in the company of tropical blooms and lush greenery. On the menu, you’ll find everything from a classic Cuban sandwich to red snapper grilled with Cuban sofrito.   

The Best Places To Stay In Everglades City

The cozy cottage and bungalow on Clyde Butcher’s 14 secluded acres are a wonderful place to fully immerse yourself in the natural world, but there are plenty of other places to stay in the area if you don’t snag a reservation. The Ivey House offers comfortable queen and king rooms, with a screened-in swimming pool. They also offer special packages for discounted airboat tours, kayak tours, and fishing charters with your stay. For a glimpse into Everglades City’s storied past, book a room at the The Rod & Gun Club a historic private club that’s now open the public as a hotel and resort. The property is built at the location of Everglades City’s first white settlement when the city was founded 1864. Over the past century, The Rod & Gun Club has hosted presidents, dignitaries, and celebrities like John Wayne, Burt Reynolds, and Jack Nicklaus. Today, it features a massive restaurant overlooking the Barron River, two bar lounges, rental cottages and inn rooms, a swimming pool, and a full-service marina.

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