Boggy Creek airboat rides

The Airboat Boggy Creek airboat tours	Our alligator guide Boggy Creek airboat tours
Harbour at boggy creek Boggy Creek	speeding along the lagoon Boggy Creek
Trying to find alligators Boggy Creek airboat rides	Swamp vegetation Boggy Creek
Boggy creek swamp residents Boggy Creek, Orlando	Boggy Creek Orlando
Take a speedboat Boggy Creek	Speedboat tours These are more expensive
Boggy creek Maybe the alligator is under here!	up to 8 people can ride airboat rides
Boggy Creek Boggy Creek, Florida

Florida guide report - Boggy Creek

If you are after an alternative day out from the hustle and bustle of the Disney and Universal theme Parks, there are other options out there in the Orlando and surrounding area. Most people who visit Florida have heard of Boggy Creek and their famous alligator airboat rides. If you want to see alligators you basically have two options. You can go to Gatorland, which is a dedicated park that houses many different species, or if you want to get up close and personal with them in the wild, why not visit the famous Boggy Creek with their Air Boat rides.

Located near Orlando International Airport around 30 minutes from Florida Ridge Villa, you are within easy distance of the Creak. Being a natural conservation area, Boggy Creek is not built up and does not have the same money spent on it as say Disney, but what Boggy creek does offer is the chance to see alligators in their natural habitat.

The best way to see the alligators is via the many airboat companies that operate in the area. There are a few companies offering these trips and all are about the same price, which makes it a lot easier in choosing. The airboats can sit between 6 – 10 people (depending on the size). You can normally hire the boats on an individual basis (being more expensive) or as a group with others (a lot cheaper). Rides depart at regular times of the day, or when the boat is full.

Wait time was around 30 minutes in the off season going up to 1 hour in the peak summer season. There are some small shops nearby to visit while you wait where you can get a coffee and watch the world go by. When onboard, you are greeted by a boat ranger and then given a quick safety briefing. Once the formalities are out of the way you are then whisked away to dedicated areas where the Alligators live. We visited around 10 locations in all, being lucky in 3 of them. You are told that depending on the time of the day and time of year, you will see different numbers, which can make it pot luck how many you actually see. I didn’t think 3 locations were all that bad out of the 10 we visited. It can be hit and miss really as it is nature we are talking about and it tends to do it’s own thing!

For those that love speed, they will more than likely enjoy the airboat ride more than the actual Alligators, the children really like the speed and the feeling of flying right through the long grass swamps. If you don’t like having bugs all over you, this trip might not suit as when you get back you are covered in flies and bugs. They do offer you goggles and these are sometimes worth borrowing to stop them going in your eyes.

For me Boggy Creek is a good half-day alternative to fill out time on an off day from the Theme parks. It is not too expensive and does cater for old and young, which makes it a great day out for the family. If going make sure the time of day and season is right and you should see plenty of Alligators. Make sure you put on lots of sun screen and also mosquito repellant too.