PADL - Virginia Key North Point Park and Trails

What a hidden gem this place is. Really awesome staff and BEAUTIFUL location. Saw a family of manatees, fish, birds and lizards. Truly exceptional and relaxing during the weekdays! Exceptional pricing as well and wayyyyy more affordable than what is around in Aventura area. 100% recommend!!!

We went around 12:20pm and at first didn’t see any manatees. The water was on the shallow side then and the sun was out. We gave up and went to the beach. A couple of hours later, my husband said let’s check again before leaving. We went back to the lagoon, the tide was higher and less sun and we ended up seeing a family of FOUR manatees. Such a cool experience! Pros: service was friendly and helpful and it’s pretty affordable ($35 p/ hour for tandem kayak). If you’re traveling with a child like we were, it’s safe and he fit in the tandem kayak with us (2 adults). Con: the kayak is not the most comfortable - some back support would be nice.

I booked a Manatee Kayak tour through PADL. Frank was our guide. It was a great experience! We learned about the ecology as we paddled through mangrove trees. Despite it being the end of manatee season; we came across a few. A mother and calf were the highlights.

We spent a beautiful afternoon paddling around Virginia Key North Point Park with Frank, Andy and Ryan from PADL. We saw manatees, birds, iguanas, and Frank was so knowledgeable about the creatures and their environment. Kayaking through a mangrove tunnel was super cool, as was spending some time at a "secret beach." Our group of 9 had 4 elementary aged kids and Andy and Ryan were so fun and patient with them. Ryan's new puppy came along for the adventure and everyone loved the puppy snuggles and kisses on the kayaks.

Parker was an amazing tour guide as part of the kayak tour. We came on a very windy day, but Parker expertly adjusted our course to ensure everyone’s safety while also giving us a great tour of the lagoon, the bay, and a view of Miami. We came at the tail end of manatee season so knew a sighting wasn’t guaranteed, but we saw a multiple manatees throughout the tour - incredible. Parker even gave us the option to try out paddle boarding at the end. Couldn’t recommend this tour enough!