Purchased and named in the 1920s by an advertising executive dreaming of a subtropical metropolis,
EVERGLADES CITY
, three miles south off US-41 along Route 29, now has a population of just under five hundred. Most who visit are solely intent on diminishing the stocks of sports fish living around the mangrove islands - the aptly titled
Ten Thousand Islands
- arranged like scattered jigsaw-puzzle pieces around the coastline.
For a closer look at the mangroves, which safeguard the Everglades from surge tides, take one of the park-sanctioned
boat trips
. Try either the Everglades National Boat Tours (tel 941/695-2591), or Everglades Rentals and Eco Adventures (tel 941/695-4666,
), at the
Ivey House B&B
. Trips leave from the dock on
Chokoloskee
, a blob of land - actually a Native American shell mound - marking the southern end of Route 29. The dockside
Gulf Coast visitor center
(daily 8.30am-5pm; tel 941/695-3311) provides details on the cruises and the excellent ranger-led
canoe trips
. In Chokoloskee, you can rent an RV by the night for $50-70 at Outdoor Resorts (tel 941/695-2881). In Everglades City try the charming and clean
Ivey House
, 107 Camellia St (tel 941/695-3299,
; open Nov-April - booking advisable; $35-50), or the eccentric
The Banks of the Everglades
, 201 W Broadway (tel 941/695-3151,
; $35-130), housed in what once was the first bank in Collier County.
