Flamingo

Flamingo Review

At the far end of the main road to Flamingo lies this community along Florida Bay, where you'll find a marina, visitor center, and campground, with nearby hiking and nature trails. Before hurricanes Katrina and Wilma washed them away in 2005, a lodge, cabins, and restaurants in Flamingo provided Everglades National Park's only accommodations. At press time, the rebuilding of Flamingo Lodge was projected to materialize sometime after 2012 (and has been for quite some time), but for now, you can still pitch a tent or bring an RV to the campground, where improvements include solar-hot-water showers and electricity for RV sites. A popular houseboat rental concession returned in December 2010. The 35-foot floating homes sleep six and are equipped with a shower, a toilet, bedding, pots, flatware, a stereo, and depth finder. Houseboats (thankfully air-conditioned) with 60-horsepower outboards rent for $350 per night, plus fuel.