Kayaking at sunset in Islamorada with LED lights

Mangroves at dusk, LED-lit water after dark, a lit neighborhood canal on the way back

Kayak at sunset in Islamorada, departing the marina as the sky turns pink and orange, paddling through Tavernier Creek and a narrow mangrove channel with a live guide. Once dark, your guide attaches a battery-powered LED light to the kayak's underside, casting a green glow that lets you see the water below while you navigate the calm shallows. On the return, you pass through a man-made canal lit with multicolored lights. The outing runs two hours and includes the kayak, guide, and bottled water.

The experience

You board just before sunset at the marina in Islamorada and paddle north into Tavernier Creek as the sun fills the sky with pink and orange. The guide points out the wildlife that moves through the shallows (manatees, fish, birds), and steers you toward a thick mangrove forest where a narrow channel cuts through the trees. The guide narrates the ecosystem as you navigate: what lives in the roots, what hunts at night, how the tides move through the channels.

Once it's dark enough, the guide clips a battery-powered LED light to the bottom of your kayak. The light is green, bright enough that you can see the water and whatever moves beneath you, dim enough that it doesn't startle the nocturnal creatures. You paddle through the calm water with the glow spreading around the kayak, the guide trailing behind or alongside, pointing out the shapes and movements in the lit zone below. The surreal part is how the light changes what you see. The water becomes a stage, and the animals moving through it become visible in a way they never are in daylight.

On the return to the marina, you pass through a man-made canal in one of Islamorada's neighborhoods. This stretch is lit with multicolored lights strung along the water, turning the paddle back into something closer to a night parade than a transit. The contrast (from the dark mangrove channel to the lit ecosystem below your kayak to the colored lights of the canal) is what makes the two hours feel like three separate worlds.

What’s included

• The kayak and paddle.
• a live guide fluent in English or Spanish who narrates the mangrove ecosystem and nocturnal wildlife.
• bottled water.
• the battery-powered LED light that attaches to your kayak once darkness falls.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 1 Aug 2027

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (under 12)

GroupUp to 6

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomeInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Tavernier Creek Kayak Tours

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English or Spanish, so choose the language that matches yours at checkout. The two-hour paddle is calm-water navigation, not a fitness test, so it suits anyone comfortable sitting in a kayak for the duration: infants can ride on an adult's lap, and the guide handles the technical parts of steering through the mangrove channel.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (under 12).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What time does the kayaking start and how long does it take?

The kayak departs the marina just before sunset and runs for two hours total, so you're on the water through dusk and into full darkness, returning after the lit canal section.

Will I see wildlife, and what kind?

Yes, manatees, fish and wading birds are common in Tavernier Creek and the mangrove shallows, and the guide points them out as you paddle. The nocturnal creatures are visible in the LED-lit water on the return.

What is the LED light actually like underwater?

The light is green and battery-powered, attached to the kayak's underside. It illuminates the water beneath you so you can see the bottom and any movement, without being so bright that it disturbs the marine life.

Do I need kayaking experience to book this?

No, the activity is suitable for all physical fitness levels, and the guide handles navigation through the mangrove channel and the lit sections. Infants can sit on an adult's lap.

What's included in the price?

The kayak, paddle, a live guide in English or Spanish, and bottled water are included. Gratuities and dinner are separate.