Beach Buddies/Resources
This is a constantly updated list of stuff you might need to know before you arrive or after you go home to the frozen north. Brrrrrrr………… Remember, this is a short, but growing list. There’s lots more. Just email us or call.
Indian River Lagoon Wildlife Tours: Captain Clark is a long time friend of the Bungalow and a great waterman and wildlife expert. He gives great tours of the Indian River which is one of the most diverse waterways in the world. You’ll see porpoises, sea turtles, tarpon in the mangroves, huge manatees, otters, Great Blue Herons, eagles, and big flocks of migratory birds. Clark will take you to pristine islands and hidden waterways, and he’ll even drop you off at a waterfront restaurant for lunch if you like. Plus you get to meet up with him at Honest John’s Fish Camp which is an authentic slice of old Florida. Make a reservation with Captain Clark early in your stay because you’ll probably want to go again before you leave. 321-501-1804 or cgiangarra@earthlink.net.
Honest John’s Fish Camp. Honest John’s has been around since 1889 and it gives you the feeling that not a whole lot has changed. It’s one of the very few remaining parts of old Florida where you can rental boats, kayaks, and canoes and enjoy a day on the waters of the Indian River Lagoon.
Karen’s Kayaks: If you’d like to have some up close and personal encounters with manatees and porpoises while seeing some of the very cool backwaters of our area of Florida, our guests have really enjoyed going out on kayak tours with Karen’s Kayaks. She’s very professional and will even deliver kayaks to your villa for kayaking in the ocean if you like. Give her a call or email and have fun!
Attitude Fishing: Eric is the real deal when it comes to the waters around here. I think he’s got gills. For inshore, inlet, lagoon, and river fishing; he’s the guy. He’ll find you everything from trout and tarpon lurking in the mangrove flats of the Indian River Lagoon to snook and mahi in the coastal ocean waters. Cape Canaveral pushes the Gulf Stream about 15 miles off shore around here, so “deep sea” fishing can get a bit pricey with long boat rides. Eric’s trips in and around our coastal waters are easy, fun, affordable, and amazingly diversified. He’s a great example of what the resourceful watermen around here are about. You’ll have a lot of fun and you’re bound to come home with fish.
Airboat rides: Captain Rick IS Airboat Ecotours and he does a great job of introducing our guests to a little known slice of Florida. With the second largest ranch in the USA and the headwaters of the Everglades and St. Johns River right in our backyard, there is an enormous panoramic expanse of nature here that far too often just gets flown over or driven by. Flocks of tens of thousands of migratory birds. Panoramic vistas that will take your breath away. And a whole lot of gators, which Captain Rick can show you at a VERY safe distance. An airboat tour with someone who knows the area is the way to see this great natural wilderness, and Captain Rick is your man. Give home a call or email and go on a trip that many of our guests call the highlight of their stay. 321-631-2990 CaptainRick@airboatecotours.com
Clammer Dave’s hadn’t carved fish: Our guests love all the carved fish at the Bungalow, and many folks go home with one from Dave’s studio/home. He only sells at local art fairs, but guests at the Bungalow can call him up and meet him and all his fish at his home studio. Just call Dave at 321-720-6729 and be sure to tell him were sent ya!
Forever Florida Ranch: This place is the real thing! We’ve got the second largest cattle ranch in the whole county in our county and our cattle ranching history that goes all the way back to the ranches that supplied cattle for the Confederate troops. They used to drive cattle from here all the way to Atlanta and any of you who have gone out with Rick, our airboat guy, know just how impossible it seems to drive cattle through all that gator infested swampland. The story goes that cowboys are called cowhunters in our area because it takes a man to manage herds in that wilderness. So if you want a little of the old Florida ranch experience or just a real nice horseback ride in some beautiful country with some great people, forever Florida is just the spot. Get in touch and tell then the Beach bungalow sent ya!
Aquaglider Kite Surfing: If you’re ready to try a REALLY outrageous sport that is full of thrills (and spills!), then get in touch with these guys and go kitesurfing. You’ll see them quite often racing around the river or in the ocean right out in front of the Bungalow. Talk about catching some air!
Sea Turtle Preservation Society: Every summer our beach plays host to thousands of sea turtles as they crawl up on our beach at night to lay their eggs in the sand dunes. It’s an incredible sight, and if you’re an early riser you might also see the baby turtles hatching at dawn to scramble towards the rising sun and the Atlantic Ocean. The STPS is just down the beach from us and has lots of info. You can also sign up for guided walks. The walks are VERY popular, so sign up by email.
Beach Bicycle Bike Rental: The shop is one block away, and Tony will gladly have a couple of cool beach cruisers waiting in your garage when you arrive. 321-725-2500
