Everglades
January 17 – 23
The South Florida winter is like no other within the United States. It can almost feel like another country, a sunny paradise somehow miraculously attached to the less clement bulk of the northern states. But South Florida is much more than the beaches and amusement parks in the travel brochures; it is also home to the Everglades, a UNESCO World Heritage site (1979), and one of the most environmentally significant habitats in the world.
Covering over a million and a half acres, this subtropical wetland is really a complex mosaic of intertwined ecosystems, from marl prairies to cypress swamps to mangrove estuaries. The Everglades are also home to hundreds of species of birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles, many of which are only found in South Florida. This is an elemental landscape, shaped by fire and water, and when you stand on the edge of this river of grass you can begin to understand something of the wonder, and awe, that must have been felt by the people who first ventured here and saw its strange hardwood hammocks, vast sawgrass expanses, and slow, clear sloughs inhabited by alligators, egrets, and purple gallinules.
Your home away from home in South Florida is the Bellasera Hotel, located at the gateway to 5th Avenue South. Drawing its spirit and inspiration from the beautiful villages of Tuscany, the Bellasera Hotel offers a richly appointed setting and spacious, all-suite accommodations with full gourmet kitchens as well as luxury cabanas, heated outdoor pool, fitness center, concierge, fine cuisine, the Esterra Spa, and more.
Itinerary (subject to change):
Day Destination
Day 1: Arrive Naples (Ft Myers) / Sanibel Island: Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge
Day 2: Naples Botanical Garden / Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Day 3: Everglades National Park: Anhinga Trail / Winery Tour
Day 4: Rookery Bay: Calusa Archaeology / Mangrove Kayaking
Day 5: Everglades National Park: Airboat ride / Big Cypress Gallery Walk
Day 6: Fakahatchee Strand Preserve: Swamp Walk & Research Project
Day 7: Depart Naples (Ft Myers)
Trip details
Duration: 7 days
Activity level: Moderately active
Meals included: all breakfasts, lunch on days 2,3,4,5, & 6, dinners on day 1 & 6
Price: $2995 per person, double occupancy (airfare additional)
Deposit: $750 per person, payable to Orbridge LLC