Everglades from Naples
 

My wife and I are going to be in Sarasota and Naples for several days. We are considering the possibility of visiting Corkscrew Swamp, Everglades City (to take a half-day boat tour), or Shark Valley. Would anyone recommend any of these options? No kids yet, and we're both in our mid-30s.

Corkscrew is a definite.
Everglades City is kind of fun, but I found the boat trip an absolute bore! I've shamefully never been to Shark Valley and keep planning to do it and rent bikes there to do the loop. But be aware it is about a 5 hour round trip drive from Naples.

We drove from Sanibel to Everglades City. I really enjoyed the ride. Suddenly you are in the middle of "nowhere" with fences on both sides of the road to keep the critters from crossing, panther crossing signs, and gators walking around like a stray cat would in my neighborhood. I especially got a kick out of the houses built back off the road. Who in their right mind would live there?

Everglades City was a neat little place, and we took a short airboat ride while there. The airboat company gave us a map to a dirt road than ran along a stream where we could view gators. Yikes, we saw hundreds - if not a thousand of them - up close. Some of them we huge, 12-14 feet maybe.
This road was off of the main road (Alligator Alley maybe?) that runs across the Everglades to Miami (not too far from the smallest post office in the US - if that helps). It was maybe a 30 - 45 minute ride from Everglades City.

The Everglades are incredible. Have fun.

"I especially got a kick out of the houses built back off the road. Who in their right mind would live there?"

Your statement has me a bit puzzled, Buffalo Girl. Whatever gave you the impressions those people who live in the swamp are in their right mind?

By the way, some of those houses are inhabited by native American families, who have abandoned most of their past except for their desire to remain in the swamps. Many of those houses were built with their annual shares of the Indian Casino profits.

Oh Patrick, crazy or not, Native Americans or not, I just can't imagine living in a house right in the Everglades with gators crossing your driveway. I would be scared @#itless!

Corkscrew is not that far from naples. bring binoculars or borrow/rent some there. worth the trip. will see more if you don't rush through the place.

love shark valley, birds, alligators very accessible, easy to see, but a pretty good ride from naples.

some pictures at www.pbase.com/joanel.
corkscrew in 2004 and 2005, sharkvalley in 2005

never been to everglades city. heard boat tours are so-so, unless you take one run by the park service.

have fun