Ft. Myers by Kayak
words by > Diane Bair & Pamela Wright
Egrets, ibises, great blue herons, ospreys and roseate spoonbills are all birds that perch from the trees and dot the shoreline of Matlacha Pass off the coast of Fort Myers. Th e water is so clear you can see fish glide over the shallow grass flats. Slip a kayak into these waters and you’ll discover a little piece of heaven on earth for nature lovers. A half-million people live in Southwest Florida’s Lee County, but you’d never know it here, along the Great Calusa Blueway, a 100-mile, marked paddling trail that meanders along the coastline. If you’re looking for a glimpse of Old Florida, when mangroves outnumbered condos, this is the place to find it.
Th e recently completed Blueway has made a big splash in Matlacha (pronounced Matla-SHAY), a tiny fishing village that’s home to a jumble of brightly painted galleries and gift shops. Savvy paddlers have realized that Matlacha—11 miles west of Fort Myers on Pine Island—is a dandy base for exploring the hidden bays and pristine backwaters along the Blueway. “Six months ago, you’d rarely see a kayak in these waters. Now, they’re everywhere; the sport is exploding here,” says Curt Peer of Th e Sun & Moon Inn (www.sunandmoon.net).
Accessible from dozens of access points, the trail runs from Charlotte Harbor south to Bonita Springs. Kayakers can tour the watery passages of Pine Island Sound and Estero Bay and explore a sandy string of barrier islands that include touristy hotspots Captiva and Sanibel islands. Another section, following the Caloosahatchee River, will soon be completed.
Brown-and-white signs guide paddlers through mangrove islands, into back bays and along sandy shores. Peer calls kayaking “the most romantic sport in the world” and directs couples to a heart-shaped lake he discovered at the end of a long, mangrove-lined passage. In the past, he’s tucked a bottle of champagne into the picnic basket of two kayaking lovebirds and hidden an engagement ring in a little geo cache box. “Everybody says, ‘We’ll be back in two hours,’ and I say, ‘Okay, I’ll come looking for you in three hours,’” Peer says.
A BABY EVERGLADES
It’s a backcountry experience without the hassle, the Everglades without the drive. Even inexperienced paddlers can enjoy the glorious solitude and beauty of the Great Calusa Blueway, named for the American Indians who inhabited this region before the Spaniards and Ponce de Leon arrived. Th ere is no need for a chart or compass; in most areas, the water is about four feet deep, so if you tip over, it’s easy to just stand up. Novices can plan to paddle just an hour or two, or, better yet, take a kayak tour with a local guide, like Mel Newell of Gulf Coast Kayak (www.gulfcoastkayak.com). His on-water commentary is both informative and funny.
This is lovely, gentle paddling, meant to put kayakers at eye level with leggy wading birds. Best of all, it’s far from powerboat channels, so it’s all about the water and wildlife. “Th e trail doesn’t tell you where to go, it just tells you where you are. It’s a blueprint for exploring,” says Betsy Clayton, waterways coordinator for Lee County Parks & Recreation. “So many vacations are completely planned out. Here, you can just wing it on the water.” Well, sort of. You’ll want to check out tide charts before setting off , or you could end up pulling the boat instead of paddling it—not fun, especially when those buzzards starting circling!
THE BLUEWAY, YOUR WAY
One hundred miles is a lot of paddling. Make it a multi-night aff air and camp along the way, or day-trip to the most alluring destinations on the trail. When planning a route, keep in mind that most people average about three miles per hour of paddling. Local outfitters will help set a course based on individual interests—birds, beaches, fishing—along with practical considerations like weather and tides.
Nothing beats a night or two at Cayo Costa State Park (wwwlo.fridastateparks.org), a barrier island just a few miles from Pine Island. Paddle it or take the Tropic Star Ferry (www.tropicstarcruises.com) to the island, and camp near a magnificent beach on the Gulf of Mexico. Tropic Star will provide transportation for both passengers and kayaks to Cayo Costa for a day trip.
There are a lot of great options available to those confined to a one-day trip, many located on the Blueway. Lover’s Key State Park (www.floridastateparks.org), in Estero Bay, is a local favorite. Th e park sits on the Blueway, which forks around it. Even novice paddlers can encounter plenty of wildlife, from manatees to baitfish, in just 45 minutes of kayaking through these calm backwaters. Speaking of baitfish, the area south of Pineland is a great place to hook redfish, trout and snook. Th ese shallow backwaters are loaded with fish, according to Clayton, and some spots are so out of the way, she says, “your lure may be the only one a hungry fish sees all day.”
Once you’ve tackled all 100 miles of the Great Calusa, keep those muscles in shape.
There’s more to come: the Blueway is part of the evolving Florida Circumnavigation Saltwater Paddling Trail. Charlotte County, to the north, has a trail system in place, while Collier County, to the south, is developing one. Happy trails to you!
NO-FRILLS DIGS ALONG THE GREAT CALUSA
If you don’t mind lugging your camping gear and provisions along with you, you’ll enjoy a pleasantly rustic vacation experience. No-frills places to stay along the trail include Jug Creek Cottages (239-283-0015), Cayo Costa State Park (941-964-0375) and Koreshan State Historic Site (239-992-0311). For more options, visit www.fortmyers-sanibel.com