Last Updated: May 2026
Chokoloskee Island sits at the southern tip of Florida’s Gulf Coast, a tiny shell-mound island connected to the mainland by a single causeway and surrounded by the vast estuaries of Everglades National Park. We found it by chance — looking for a waterfront RV resort to decompress after the sensory overload of Big Cypress — and ended up with one of our most memorable stops of the entire Florida winter. We stayed at Outdoor Resorts of Chokoloskee Island, a community-within-a-resort where most sites are occupied by full-time residents who head north when summer heat makes the Gulf Coast nearly uninhabitable.
Outdoor Resorts of Chokoloskee Island
The resort feels less like a campground and more like a quiet waterfront neighborhood. Three pools, multiple hot tubs, boat docks, and a marina make it unusually well-appointed. Most of the rigs here belong to snowbirds who’ve been returning for years — some for decades — and the relaxed pace is contagious. The wifi was strong enough for a proper catch-up day, which we badly needed after weeks of back-to-back national parks.
The best discovery was within walking distance: Havana Café, a tiny Cuban lunch counter run by Carlos, who turns out dishes that punch well above the surroundings. I had the serrano ham Cuban sandwich — pressed, layered, extraordinary — and Sandy ordered the fried grouper sandwich, which came with the kind of crispy-sweet freshness you only get this close to the source. The café serves breakfast and lunch daily and adds dinner on weekends. It fills fast; arrive early.
Airboat Ride Through the Everglades
We booked an airboat excursion out of Everglades City, just across the causeway. The honest truth about airboat rides: they are exhilarating, and they are loud. Earplugs come standard for good reason. When five or ten boats are running simultaneously — which is routine at the busiest launches — the whole area sounds like a racetrack. Wildlife tends to scatter.
But the pure sensation of skimming through narrow mangrove channels at speed, banking hard through tight bends with water spraying off the bow, is genuinely thrilling. The mangrove tunnels here are among the most primeval landscapes in North America — arched canopies closing overhead, roots rising from black water, the smell of salt and mud and something ancient. We didn’t see much wildlife from the boat, but we didn’t much care. It was enough to be moving through this landscape like that.
Animal Sanctuary: Panthers, Tigers & More
After the airboat we stopped at a roadside animal sanctuary near Everglades City — the kind of place you’d drive past without a second look and then spend two hours inside. The collection was extraordinary: Siberian tigers, African lions, American alligators, crocodiles, various snakes, sea otters, turtles, and vultures. The Florida panther stopped us cold. Technically a subspecies of mountain lion, it is exactly that size — all muscle and amber eyes — and critically endangered. Fewer than 200 are estimated to remain in the wild, and seeing one up close, even in sanctuary conditions, makes that number feel devastating.
Triad Seafood Market & Café
Sandy had been craving proper Gulf seafood since we arrived on the coast, and Triad Seafood Market & Café delivered. It’s casual to the point of rustic — plastic chairs, paper napkins, a dock-side setting where the boats that caught your lunch are still tied up outside. Sandy had the grouper reuben, a combination that shouldn’t work as well as it does, and it was excellent. The market side sells fresh catch to take home if you have a kitchen. Highly recommended for anyone staying in the area.
The Midnight Flood Warning
We were planning to stay another night when resort staff came around late afternoon with an announcement: a 2-foot high tide was forecast for midnight, combined with 35–40 mph winds. Because Chokoloskee sits barely above sea level — the ground is only a foot or two above the waterline at normal tide — the probability of flooding was real. Full-time residents were already moving their vehicles to higher ground on the mainland.
We weighed the options. A few inches of seawater under the RV: manageable. A foot or more: potentially damaging to the drivetrain, electrical connections, and everything stored in the underbay. We had service appointments already pending at a Camping World and an RV dealer near Fort Myers. It wasn’t a hard call. We unhitched, said goodbye to the friendly residents who’d been watching this drama with practiced calm, and headed north that afternoon. The flood came as predicted. We were already gone.
Visitor Information
Outdoor Resorts of Chokoloskee Island is located at 150 Smallwood Drive, Chokoloskee, FL. The resort operates year-round but is quietest in summer; most seasonal residents depart by May. Call ahead to confirm availability, as many sites are long-term leased.
Havana Café is walking distance from the resort on Smallwood Drive. Open for breakfast and lunch daily; dinner on weekends. No reservations — arrive early or expect a wait.
Triad Seafood Market & Café is located on the waterfront in Everglades City, a short drive from Chokoloskee across the causeway.
Airboat tours depart from multiple operators in Everglades City. Tours run year-round; bring ear protection and expect a wet ride in open water.
Practical Tips
- Tidal flooding is real here. Chokoloskee is a shell-mound island barely above sea level. If a significant tidal surge or storm is forecast, take it seriously — as we did. Check NOAA tide predictions for Chokoloskee before booking extended stays during storm season (June–November).
- Bring earplugs for airboat rides. Every tour operator provides them, but having your own foam plugs means a better fit. Noise levels on multi-boat tours are genuinely loud.
- The wildlife sanctuary is easy to miss. Look for roadside signs on SR-29 between Everglades City and Copeland. Hours and admission vary; check locally before visiting.
- Everglades City is the service hub. Fuel, grocery, and restaurant options in Chokoloskee itself are minimal. Everglades City (5 minutes by car) has more choices. Naples is about 35 miles north for big-box services.
- Mosquitoes are legendary. The Everglades mosquito season peaks June–October, but even in January you’ll want repellent for dawn and dusk. DEET-based products work best in this environment.
