Best South Florida On-the-Water Adventures

This guide is for visitors and locals in South Florida who want to get out on the water by kayak, paddleboard or snorkel boat. Launch points stretch from Homestead and North Miami Beach through Dania Beach and Fort Lauderdale to Riviera Beach, North Palm Beach and Jupiter. At Oleta River State Park, the on-site outdoor center rents kayaks, canoes and paddleboards for exploring mangrove tunnels. The Biscayne National Park Institute runs a guided half-day snorkel trip, and the captain picks a reef, bayside mangroves or a shipwreck depending on weather. Jupiter Outdoor Center at Riverbend Park launches onto a 7.6-mile wild and scenic stretch of the Loxahatchee River. From Riviera Beach Marina, paddlers cross calm water to Peanut Island for picnics and snorkeling.

Wind matters here: at MacArthur Beach State Park, it decides whether rentals can reach Munyon Island or stay in the estuary.