Sugarloaf Key's Mangroves, With the Seafloor Showing Through Your Kayak
Two hours in tandem clear kayaks from Sugarloaf Marina, across open water and into the mangroves, 25 minutes from Key West.
Get Up And Go Kayaking runs this paddle from Sugarloaf Marina in the Lower Keys, about 25 minutes up the Overseas Highway from Key West. The kayaks are completely see-through, and every one of them is a tandem. The operator keeps five kayaks here and caps a group at ten paddlers.
The route is simple. You cross a bay, then head into the mangroves of Sugarloaf Key while the guide points out what is moving under the hull. The operator says the guide may change the route when the tide runs too low or too high.
The booking covers the guide, the kayak with its seats and paddles, life jackets and whistles, dry bags for your things, and free parking. Water, hats, sunscreen, sunglasses and bug spray are yours to bring. Tips are not included, and the operator's FAQ calls 20 percent standard.
The booking calendar currently shows two starts a day, at 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM.
Guided Clear Kayak Eco-Tour Near Key WestTwo-hour guided clear kayak tour from Sugarloaf Marina on Sugarloaf Key, for up to ten paddlers.www.viator.comWhat Shows Up Under the Hull
The listing names small sharks, stingrays, starfish, tropical fish and sea turtles as the animals to watch for, and the operator adds iguanas and coral. Small sharks and starfish are the sightings travelers mention most, while a few groups report seeing very little.
Travelers describe the water as very shallow in parts. That is what keeps the bottom in view.
Into Sugarloaf Key's Mangroves
After the open water come the narrow channels through the mangroves, the part many travelers single out. In May 2026 one traveler described tunnels so close they could touch each side. The listing places the whole paddle inside the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Two December 2024 reviews describe a very low tide, with kayaks stuck in the sand and in a tunnel and the guide hauling boats through. That is the case the operator has in mind when it says the route can change with the tide.
The Wind Sets How Hard the Crossing Is
The bay crossing is open water, and that is where the weather shows. Travelers out on windy days describe a harder paddle across, and one April 2026 trip was cut short by forecast winds. The listing asks for at least a moderate level of physical fitness, and the operator says some of the paddling may feel intermediate.
Two people share each kayak, the steering and the strokes. A few couples wrote that they would have preferred a kayak each. With an odd number in your party, the operator can set one kayak up for a single paddler.
Cancel at least 24 hours before the start for a full refund. The tour depends on the weather, and if poor weather cancels it, you are offered another date or a full refund.
Sunscreen Goes On Before You Reach the Water
The operator's pre-tour notes ask for sunscreen and bug spray to go on before you get in the kayak, to keep the hulls clear, and ask you to keep bug spray off the back of your legs. The same notes say shoes are not allowed inside the kayak. It is a no-exit tour: you stay in the kayak for the whole paddle.
- Weight limit: 250 pounds per person, and 425 pounds for the two people sharing a kayak.
- Ages 3 and up, with one adult for each child under 17.
- Everyone wears a life jacket, provided. For a child under 30 pounds, bring your own Coast Guard approved one.
- The listing does not recommend the tour for pregnant travelers or for travelers with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health.
- The operator asks for upper body mobility and the ability to walk up and down steps to get in and out of the kayak.
- No alcohol on the tour.
📍 Sugarloaf Marina, 17015 Overseas Highway, Sugarloaf Key. The launch is on the right-hand side of the boat ramp, behind the marina's storefronts; look for a white enclosed trailer by the water, with the clear kayaks beside it. The operator asks you to arrive 15 minutes early and to allow for traffic on the Overseas Highway.
The tour meets at the marina and there is no pickup, so travelers coming from Key West without a car have used ride-hailing both ways.
From the ramp, the first strokes take you out over the bay toward Sugarloaf Key's mangroves.