Tour companies depart regularly from nearby Punta Gorda and Naples, taking adventurous types into the wilds of the Everglades. However, Fort Myers' own Caloosahatchee River offers its own brand of adventure, with channels and waterways promising dolphin and manatee sightings. A short drive to Sanibel Island yields visitors one of the most visited wildlife refuges in the country, the massive J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Closer by, the spring-fed tidal Estero River twists and meanders through subtropical hammocks, mangrove coves and islands. Canoe and kayak excursions on Fort Myers' waterways promise sightings of osprey, great blue heron, curlews, hawks, spoonbills, eagles, manatees, otters, and other critters in the wild.

Babcock Wilderness Adventures
800 State Road 31, Punta Gorda
(800) 500-5583
www.babcockwilderness.com

Babcock's swamp buggies carry thrill seekers through the area's pinewoods, freshwater marshes, and cypress swamps. The trips promise breathtakingly close encounters with alligator, panthers, white tail deer, and bison in the wild. The company also offers guided hunting excursions, picnic lunches complete with gator sandwiches, and glimpses at Florida's "cracker cattle."

Everglades Day Safari
(239) 472-1559
www.ecosafari.com

This company's tours depart from Sanibel, Fort Myers, Naples, and Fort Lauderdale each morning at 7:45 am and return at about 5:30 pm. A day on one of their pontoon boats, airboats, or nature walks provides up-close encounters with the Everglades and its inhabitants. Most tours come with a lunch of local delicacies, and interesting anecdotes about the area's unique history.