Whether you paddle a kayak or a canoe, Southwest Florida’s Great Calusa Blueway is a wonderful opportunity to get close to nature for a few hours or a few days.

With your boat, or a rental from local outfitters, you can follow more than 100 miles of marked water trails through Estero Bay from Bonita Springs north to Fort Myers, through Matlacha Pass between Cape Coral and Pine Island and around Pine Island Sound to the barrier islands of Sanibel, Captiva, North Captiva and Cayo Costa.

Now, the trail is expanding, adding 90 miles up the Caloosahatchee River and tributaries. The Caloosahatchee, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico at Fort Myers, adds a lush, green, Old Florida feel to the Blueway, which had been primarily a coastal saltwater experience. For a longer adventure, paddlers can follow the river to Lake Okeechobee.

For more on the Blueway, see Florida kayaking in Fort Myers, Sanibel at TravelMavens.net.

For Planning a trip to Southwest Florida.

For Exploring Florida’s Pine Island.

For maps, outfitters, a tidal chart and current trail conditions on the Great Calusa Blueway.

Mark your calendar for the 2008 Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival, set for Oct. 25 to Nov. 2.