Great Calusa Blueway - a Paddler's Paradise - 190 Miles of canoe and kayak trails

The Great Calusa Blueway paddling trail is recognized as one of the best U.S. kayaking destinations by both Paddler and Canoe & Kayak magazine.

It meanders through Southwest Florida’s coastal waters from its northern point in Pine Island Sound to its southern end on Estero Bay, as well as inland on the Caloosahatchee River and its tributaries.

The 190-mile trail guides canoeists and kayakers via easy-to-identify markers through shallow areas away from powerboat traffic. Paddlers use free maps and/or GPS coordinates, both of which are online at www.GreatCalusaBlueway.com.

Request a map be mailed to you at the Web site or pick one up at area outfitters, parks, some government facilities, marinas, chambers of commerce and welcome centers. The Web site includes 40 put-in sites, where to rent boats, how to find guided tours, and what to expect along the trail.

Wildlife along the blueway is abundant, from leggy wading birds such as a half-dozen varieties of herons to other fowl such as seasonal white pelicans, year-round bald eagles, and soaring frigate birds. Paddlers encounter dolphins, manatees, sea turtles and river otters as well. Snook, redfish, tarpon and other gamefish abound.

The blueway is named for the Calusas, the seafaring natives who thrived for centuries in Southwest Florida before the arrival of the Spaniards.

The trail is perfect for a one-hour trip for novices as well as avid back-country paddlers. Anglers, bird watchers, nature photographers, day-trippers, families, adventure enthusiasts and geocachers also enjoy the blueway.