Naples Bay & Port Royal
Calm, protected water lined with yachts and waterfront estates — the easiest starting point from our Naples dock.
Departing Southwest Florida
Boat Tours Near Ave Maria, Florida
Ave Maria is a planned town inland in northeast Collier County, so our Gulf-side boats don’t launch from town — they run from Naples and Goodland, about 45 minutes to an hour west. Make the drive and trade the Oratory skyline for open Gulf water: dolphins in Gordon Pass, empty-shell beaches on barrier islands, and sunsets with nothing but horizon.
Drive timeAbout 45 minutes to Naples, closer to 60–70 to Goodland
Departs fromNaples Bay Resort & Marina & San Marco Marina, Goodland
You may seeDolphins, empty-shell beaches & Gulf sunsets
Great forAve Maria families, students & Del Webb Naples visitors
Why Drive West
From citrus country to the Gulf coast
Ave Maria is one of Southwest Florida’s newest towns — a planned community built around Ave Maria University and its landmark Oratory, rising out of former farmland in northeast Collier County. It’s a great place to live, but there’s no navigable water here for a boat tour to launch from. When Ave Maria residents want to get out on the Gulf, they point the car west.
From Ave Maria, Oil Well Road (CR 858) runs straight to Collier Boulevard, and from there it’s about 45 minutes to our dock at Naples Bay Resort & Marina, or closer to an hour if you continue south to San Marco Marina in Goodland. Either way, you trade citrus-grove flatlands for real Gulf water — Naples Bay, the Port Royal waterfront, Gordon Pass and the open Gulf beyond.
Once you’re aboard, our USCG-licensed captains run the trip that matches what you came for: dolphins working the passes, empty-shell beaches on barrier islands the tide just refilled, or a Gulf sunset with nothing between you and the horizon. It’s an easy half-day round trip from Ave Maria — leave after breakfast and you can be shelling on a boat-only island or watching dolphins in Gordon Pass before lunch.
- A scenic 45-minute-plus drive west to our Naples or Goodland docks
- Real Gulf-side barrier-island beaches & dolphin-rich passes
- Empty-shell hunting, sunset cruises & private charters
- An easy half-day round trip from Ave Maria
Pick Your Adventure
Boat tours to book from Naples & Goodland
All depart Naples or Goodland, a scenic drive west of Ave Maria. Tap a tour for full details and live booking.
Shelling ToursHunt rare shells on remote barrier islands the tide just refilled.
Dolphin & WildlifeWild bottlenose dolphins, manatees, ospreys & roseate spoonbills.
Sunset CruisesGolden-hour Gulf cruising as the sky lights up over the water.
Private ChartersThe whole boat is yours — a captain and a route built around you.
Beach & IslandCastaway on a roadless Gulf island for swimming, sandcastles & shells.
Worth the Drive
Where our trips go (from Naples & Goodland)
A short drive west trades the inland flatlands around Ave Maria for the whole Gulf coast.
Gordon Pass
Where Naples Bay meets the Gulf. The current stacks up bait here, making it the best spot in town for wild dolphins.
Keewaydin Island
A roadless barrier island south of Gordon Pass with miles of shell-strewn beach reachable only by boat.
Ten Thousand Islands & Goodland
The wilder, shellier water out of our Goodland dock — mangrove islands, remote beaches and the Cape Romano dome-house ruins.
Rookery Bay
A 110,000-acre protected estuary of mangroves and birdlife between Naples and Marco Island — wild Florida on the way out.
Ave Maria University & the Oratory
The inland landmark you leave behind — a striking campus, but no water to launch a boat from.
🐬 The dolphins and shelling beaches are the same whether you start from Ave Maria or downtown Naples — only the drive is different.
Who Makes the Drive
Worth it for these kinds of Ave Maria days
Families
Trade the backyard pool for a barrier-island shelling beach — an easy day trip from Ave Maria.
Ave Maria University families & visitors
Parents’ weekend or a study break — an easy Gulf getaway between campus and coast.
Del Webb Naples & area retirees
Calm-water sightseeing and sunset cruises paced for a relaxed morning or evening out.
Photographers & sightseers
Golden-hour light over Port Royal and the Ten Thousand Islands, worth the short drive.
On the Water
What’s waiting west of Ave Maria
Tap any photo to look closer.
Keep Exploring
Nearby waters & planning help
Driving in from elsewhere inland, or still deciding who’s coming? These help too.
Boat Tours for Seniors: Calm-Water CruisesGentle, low-motion cruises paced for comfort and ease.
Photography Boat Tours: Golden Hour & WildlifeGolden-hour light, dolphins and wide-open Gulf horizons.
Snowbird Boat Tours: A Winter on the WaterMake the Gulf part of your Florida winter routine.
Solo Traveler Boat Tours in Naples & MarcoJoin a small-group trip solo — easy and social, no plus-one required.
Good to Know
Ave Maria boat tour questions
What guests staying near Ave Maria ask most before booking.
Do your boat tours leave from Ave Maria?
No — Ave Maria is an inland planned town with no navigable water nearby. Our boats depart from Naples Bay Resort & Marina in Naples and San Marco Marina in Goodland, both a scenic drive west on Oil Well Road and Collier Boulevard.
How far is Naples from Ave Maria?
About 30 miles, roughly 45 minutes by car via Oil Well Road (CR 858) to Collier Boulevard (SR 951), then north into downtown Naples. Traffic on Collier Boulevard can add a few minutes during season.
Is it worth the drive from Ave Maria for a boat tour?
Many Ave Maria residents and Ave Maria University families think so — it turns a landlocked morning into a real Gulf day: dolphins, an empty-shell beach on a barrier island, or a sunset cruise, all inside a half-day round trip.
Which is closer to Ave Maria, Naples or Goodland?
Naples is usually the shorter drive, at about 45 minutes. Goodland, our Marco Island-area dock and the closest launch to the Ten Thousand Islands, runs closer to 60–70 minutes depending on traffic.
What will we see on a boat tour from Naples or Goodland?
Depending on the trip, expect Naples Bay and the Port Royal waterfront, wild dolphins working Gordon Pass, empty-shell beaches on boat-only barrier islands, or a Gulf sunset. Wildlife sightings are common but never guaranteed.
Can we book a private charter from Ave Maria?
Yes. A private charter from Naples or Goodland is a popular choice for Ave Maria families and groups who want the whole boat and a route built around their drive time and interests.
Reserve Your Seats
Book a boat tour near Ave Maria
Live availability and instant confirmation — pick your date and trip at our Naples or Goodland dock, or call and a local captain will help you plan the drive.
The Gulf is worth the drive
Trade the Oratory skyline for open Gulf water
A short drive west from Ave Maria puts you on dolphin-rich passes, empty-shell beaches and Gulf sunsets. Book your Naples or Goodland boat tour today.