The Kayak Journal

Matlacha kayaking centers on Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve, a shallow estuary of about 14,600 acres between Cape Coral and Pine Island. Launch at Matlacha Community Park (4577 Pine Island Road), paddle the mangrove islands, or work the Pine Island Sound side from Pineland to Bokeelia. Check the tide, stay off the refuge islands, and arrange a delivered kayak ahead of time.

The best kayaking in Fort Myers is Manatee Park and the Orange River in winter, the Estero River at Koreshan State Park, Telegraph Creek off the Caloosahatchee, and the Bunche Beach paddlecraft launch on San Carlos Bay. If you are staying on the water, we deliver a kayak to your dock, with pickup included.

For Fort Myers Beach kayaking, paddle the bay side: Estero Bay, Mound Key and the Lovers Key lagoons. On Sanibel, paddle Tarpon Bay and the Ding Darling refuge. On Captiva, try Buck Key. We deliver kayaks to Sanibel, Captiva and Fort Myers Beach rentals with suitable water access for a $60 fee.

The best things to do in Cape Coral on the water are paddling the canals, kayak fishing, sunset paddles, manatee spotting, a Matlacha day trip, fishing charters, jet skis and boat tours. Grab N Go rents kayaks only, delivered free to your Cape Coral dock from $45 a day. Boats, jet skis and charters go through partner bookings.

Sunset is the best time to kayak in Cape Coral, and the easiest way is from your own dock. Launch 45 to 60 minutes before sunset from a canal with open sky to the west, carry a white light, wear your vest, and be back before full dark.

Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve is a 365-acre City of Cape Coral mangrove preserve on the Caloosahatchee River, just north of the Midpoint Memorial Bridge. It is open daily from 8 a.m. to dusk, with a nature trail, observation piers and a kayak launch. The kayak trail includes an 800-foot portage and is not for beginners.

You can kayak the Caloosahatchee River from Cape Coral, but it is big, open water with boat wakes, a marked powerboat channel and wind against tide. Paddle it early on a calm day, hug the shoreline, and stay in your canal when the breeze is up or you are new to kayaking.

The Great Calusa Blueway is a roughly 190 mile marked canoe and kayak trail through Lee County, Florida, split into three phases: Estero Bay, Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass, and the Caloosahatchee River with its tributaries. From Cape Coral and Fort Myers you can reach the Caloosahatchee and Matlacha Pass sections. Free maps are available online and at parks.

Cape Coral has more than 400 miles of canals, and they come in two kinds. Saltwater canals connect to the Caloosahatchee River and the Gulf and have tides and manatees. Freshwater canals are separate, tide-free and sit behind weirs. The city publishes a free canal map showing which is which.

The best place to kayak in Cape Coral is the canal behind your own house or vacation rental, because you launch from your dock with no ramp or roof rack. If you want something different, drive your kayak to Four Mile Cove, Matlacha Community Park, Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve or another spot below.