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Where to Paddle in Florida

Bioluminescence in Titusville

Easily one of my favorite things I’ve done in this state and the first of the best paddle board spots in Florida that I’ll review is bioluminescence. This experience is both location and time specific and it greatly impacted by the weather!

My first try a long time ago in June was terrible. I had paddled it in Puerto Rico and knew the magical experience it could be and it was nothing.

Fast forward and I kept hearing we did have bioluminescence, but I couldn’t fully believe it. While I was up for hunting bioluminescence, I couldn’t find any friends quite as adventurous as me to venture out into the darkness. Then one fateful day, a friend told me of a tour she heard was good.

The whole experience felt like a scene out of avatar!

Two friends and I booked the tour, which if you brought your own kayak or paddle board was free (not counting the tip)! The experience was out of this world! Our bioluminescence is a blueish color instead of the bright yellow I experienced in Puerto Rico. However, the whole experience felt like a scene out of avatar!

As we paddled over schools of fish, the water would light up as they darted around and I’m still not over it! I could not wipe the smile off my face for the entire tour!

That tour guide told me the BEST spot in the area and since then I’ve gone to that location in Titusville numerous times and taken other friends as well! Beacon 42 was recommended and I can confirm that it was amazing for two years. However, last year (2024) I went in August and it was nothing. I think it was due to the heavy rains, but I guess I’ll find out this year to see if that was the case or if the glow has migrated.

Though I’ve gone numerous times, no other outing has felt as magical as that first successful tour thirty minutes north of Beacon 42. I just haven’t gone back since I heard the guide say it was the best he had ever seen it.

Tips for Bioluminescence

The hotter it is, the better! So July and August are the best times to see it! You don’t want a lot of light, so try and avoid a full moon. End of July and August the bioluminescence might be strong enough regardless, but if you are trying at the non prime times, consider the moonlight.

I suggest long sleeves and pants and PLENTY of bug spray (mosquitos are brutal)! Get some glow sticks (though some tours might provide them) so you can see everyone and so they can see you! Don’t use a flashlight as you won’t see the magical water if you do.

Florida law requires a life jacket on your paddle board and kayak (for intracoastal waters, rivers, and lakes), so be sure to have that on your board. This area gets crowded, especially on weekends so keep that in mind as well! If nothing else, take a tour and return on your own once you’ve got a lay of the land.

Bioluminescent Clear Kayak Tours in Titusville

Clear Kayak Florida Bioluminescence Tour | Beacon 42 (Titusville)

**I took my paddle board to see the bioluminescence  in August 2024 at Beacon 42 and it was a 1 out of 10! We had a lot of rain so I think that was the issue. If you are driving a ways, consider reaching out to a tour guide for some feedback.

King’s Landing has taken off on social media it seems, but I can confirm from personal experience the photos are accurate! It’s absolutely beautiful, but it can get crowded. You can rent or take your own paddle board. I did have to pre-book when I went, but be sure to confirm if that is still the case.

Some people pack a cooler and enjoy a picnic lunch on the water. All springs in Florida are cold (in my opinion) and this area is no exception. However, it can feel refreshing once you’ve worked up a good sweat. Last point is gators are not common when it’s crowded, but any freshwater in Florida can have a gator! However, the water is clear so you will see it coming!

Silver Springs

Most springs will offer some type of paddle option, but I really enjoyed my paddle at Silver Springs. You can take your own paddle board or rent when you get there. Since it was a bit of a drive, my friends and I opted to rent. One rented a kayak and two of us paddle boards.

While you can paddle in a circle and end where you started, which I have also done with my cousin and her kids, I really love the five mile paddle! It’s all downstream so you can take breaks and simply float, admiring the beautiful scenery. The rental fee for this specific paddle includes the shuttle pickup once you finish.

The water is clear and a breathtakingly beautiful scene. There are monkeys at Silver Springs and I was disappointed I didn’t see them. However, I was told the monkeys are mean because they expect humans to feed them. PSA: please don’t feed wild animals!

I saw so many gators! In fact, when we started our paddle, my friend on the kayak accidentally ran into a gator! They were both startled and just continued on their separate ways. The area this happened was toward the beginning before the clear water portion.

However, once we paddled to the clear water, I spotted numerous gators on the river’s edge. They had no interest in us and we admired them from a distance. If you aren’t used to spotting them in the wild, you might not even notice them!

Silver Springs Paddle Board Adventure

Silver Springs is not the only beautiful springs in Florida to paddle! There are so many clear waters, but I provided a few to consider below!

Weeki Wachee Clear Paddle Board Ecotours

Rainbow Springs Paddle Board Adventure

2 Hour Glass Bottom Guided Kayak Eco Tour in Gilchrist Blue

Intracoastal Mangroves and Island Hopping

There are numerous areas to paddle through a mangrove maze. In the intracoastal you can encounter wildlife including dolphins, manatees and sharks! However, I have only seen a shark once. Areas of the intracoastal where you paddle in and around the mangroves can be secluded and peaceful. Plus the intracoastal also has small islands you can stop at, depending on which area you are exploring!

Canaveral National Shore is a great option for paddling, but you have to bring your board and pay the fee (unless you have a National Parks pass).

If you don’t want to pay, but are interested in this area, launch from Bethune Park (there are usually manatees in this area) or you can rent from JB’s Fish Camp.

If you are down in the Keys, paddling the mangroves at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo is beautiful! There are signs that crocodiles are around, but I never saw them. I just saw some beautiful birds, but the mangroves were fun to paddle through.

Florida is full of places to paddle through intracoastal waterways. I’ll highlight a few to checkout by region, but the options seem endless!

Dry Tortugas National Park

I have yet to visit Dry Tortugas National Park, but it is on my list! The ferry offers three different tickets. One is a day trip, one is to camp and the third is for camping and taking a kayak or paddle board!

I’m not great at camping, so I’ll probably end up doing the day trip, but it would be an epic place to paddle board!

Winter Park, Orlando

I did this again recently with a friend and it’s so beautiful! You are basically in Orlando, but you can paddle through the canals admiring the extravagant homes and beautiful scenery.

There are tours available or you can take your own paddle board like I did. I launched from Dinky Dock Park and had no issues with parking, but it was on a weekday.

The lakes are connected by canals that are fun to paddle through! It’s worth noting that there are boat tours that come through these canals as well! You may have to wait to enter canals or pull over to let them by. Overall, this isn’t the best paddle for newbies, so take a kayak if you’re not confident.

Also, take a change of clothes so you can enjoy some lunch or gelato on Park Avenue after your paddle!

Clear Kayak Sunset Tour through The Winter Park Chain of Lakes

The Brevard Zoo Paddle

I haven’t done this Brevard Zoo Paddle yet, but I plan to give it a try one day! It’s such a unique experience to paddle and see the zoo animals from the water.

The Ocean

When it comes to the best paddle boarding spot in Florida, my favorite and most visited is the ocean! In the Summer, I go almost weekly to paddle in the Atlantic when it’s calm (which is often in the Summer). I just love the ocean, the salt air, waves, and relaxing on the beach!

I’ve seen dolphins, jellyfish, and I even saw a manatee and her baby once! Surprisingly, I’ve not seen a shark (with certainty) from my paddle board, but I’m sure they’ve been around. If you don’t have a board with you, there are many places that rent them and some will also deliver.

Florida Wildlife Encounters on a Paddle Board

Florida has plenty of wildlife both in and out of the water, but let’s review the wildlife you may encounter while exploring the best paddle board spots in Florida!

Alligators

When it comes to freshwater in Florida, there’s almost 100% chance that alligators are present! This is not to cause fear, but it is important to be wise.

If it’s saltwater, it’s unlikely to see gators, but you could run into a crocodile in south Florida. While I saw signs in the Florida Keys warning of such, I never saw one, thankfully!

Mating season is April to June, so keep that in mind. I’ve paddled around gators in April or May, but come June I’m at the beach. Either way, they are very active as it warms up and if they are mating it’s good to keep an extra large distance.

Don’t EVER feed alligators! This should go without saying for ANY wild animal, but don’t feed them! It creates dangers for humans which in turn creates dangers for gators, who might have to be captured to ensure they don’t attack a human.

Let’s review the most likely places you’ll encounter alligators.

Lakes and Rivers

I have paddle boarded on a lake with a gator in sight. It feels most intimidating in that setting as the water is completely dark! However, the gator was not actually interested in me and didn’t move much. So paddle boarding on a lake is completely fine.

In the winter, they are super chill, but as the weather warms up so does their activity.

Florida Springs

Alligators are at just about all Florida springs, but for areas where there are lots of people it’s rare to see them. King’s Landing is one example.

A benefit of springs is the water is usually clear, which gives me a little extra peace of mind. When I did the Silver Springs paddle, I passed countless gators, but the paddle was on clear water for most of the way!

Manatees

Manatees can be found just about anywhere when it’s hot outside! I’ve seen them in the springs, intracoastal and the ocean! While seeing them in the summer can be more rare, it’s absolutely possible.

During the winter months, manatees seek warmer waters. I’ve seen them in lakes and the springs. For exceptionally cold days, they congregate at the springs making that the prime time to see them!

Snakes

Florida has all kinds of snakes. The types you don’t have to worry about and some you do. Overall, I’ve never had an issue when paddle boarding, but it is possible to see them!

The time you should be extra aware is if you’re launching from a quiet place along a lake or river with few or no people. There may be snakes around, especially if the grass is high, so I don’t recommend launching from that type of area.

While I’ve never seen a snake while paddle boarding, I’ve definitely seen snakes. Usually they are not the venomous kind, which is great, but I don’t love running into any kind of snake!

I start seeing snakes most often in the spring when the weather starts warming up. They will be seen sunning themselves as I pass by on a bike trail or hiking trail.

Turtles

I’ve seen newly hatched sea turtles heading to the ocean once on a Florida beach and it was definitely a special moment! Other than that, the turtles I typically see are freshwater!

They are plentiful so if you’re out paddling there’s a decent chance you’ll see one.

Sharks

For well over ten years I’ve been enjoying ocean paddles weekly in the summer and only once in my peripheral vision did I think I saw a shark.

However, I have seen sharks in the water, but not that often overall and not while paddle boarding passed the break. Yes, they are in the ocean so there’s always a possibility, but I live by the shark bite capital and it’s still rare for me! I see alligators in freshwater and dolphins in saltwater way more often!

Sharks can be in the ocean, gulf or intracoastal, so keep that in mind! If you’re around people fishing, there’s probably a higher chance of seeing them. Also morning and dusk the chances increase and around schools of fish!

Dolphins

Many of the best paddle board spots in Florida that are in the ocean or intracoastal include dolphin sightings! This has been my experience where I am in east central Florida, but I’d say it’s common in most places around Florida!

If you spot one, there’s usually more around! Mornings are typical for seeing them, but they can make an appearance any time of day!

Best Paddle Board Spots in Florida

Florida has plenty to explore, and I hope you have great experiences of the best paddle board spots in Florida. Our landscape is beautiful but not necessarily diverse, so you can probably find similar types of paddles for the intracoastal or springs in various locations. Though the bioluminescence and zoo are location specific.

Regardless of where you choose to paddle, getting outside is so good for us and there’s so much beauty to admire in this world!

Check out some of my favorite paddle tours in Florida!