St. Johns River Cruises
If observing Florida's natural beauty is your goal, then the Florida Wildlife Tour of St. Johns River Cruises is the trip for you. At a steady 6-mile-per-hour speed, the cruise gives ample opportunity to spot trees and wildlife and allows you to hear the sounds of nature. The two-hour cruise includes several stops where you can disembark and explore the ecosystem. Cruises leave at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. almost every day of the year, with seasonal sunset cruises departing at 5 p.m. during May and June. Call to make reservations.
St. Johns River Cruises
Blue Spring State Park
2100 West French Ave
Orange City, Florida 32763
407-330-1612
www.sjrivercruises.com
Rivership Romance
The experience aboard Rivership Romance is designed to transport you to a simpler time, when Florida was a largely undeveloped wilderness frontier of the Deep South and the St. Johns River was its premiere highway. The Rivership Romance offers reasonably priced three- or four-hour luncheon cruises, a Sunday brunch cruise, as well as a weekend moonlight dining-and-dancing cruise. The ship departs from historic downtown Sanford where you can enhance your experience by strolling down brick streets and shopping upscale boutiques.
Rivership Romance
433 N. Palmetto Ave.
Sanford, FL 32771
800-423-7401
www.rivershipromance.com
Safari River Tours
For a less glamorous, more educational tour of the St. Johns, you might consider Safari River Tours, part of Volusia County's eco-tourism program. As the cruise winds through the scenic wilderness, a tour guide provides narration and historic facts about the area and its wildlife. The bench-seated Safari boat departs at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday.
Safari River Tours
488 W. Highbanks Road
DeBary, FL 32713
386-668-1002
www.volusia.org/echotourism/eco/safari.htm
