A Local Treasure: Jean Lafitte Swamp Tours
There’s a whole other world just outside New Orleans. And you’re going to love meeting the locals.
About 25 minutes from French Quarter, the city gives way to a world of moss-draped cypress trees, winding bayous, exotic birds and alligators who have been hanging around these parts a lot longer than most of us.
Welcome to Jean Lafitte Swamp Tours, the only swamp tour in Louisiana located in a national park and wildlife preserve.
If you think a swamp tour is just about spotting a few gators, you’re in for a surprise. This is a trip through Louisiana’s natural beauty, colorful history and Cajun culture, with some of the best storytellers around leading the way. And while these tours have something to offer year round, we particularly love fall in the swamp when the temps are cooler, there’s a tinge of orange, and you can still see the occasional water hyacinth in bloom next to a alligator or turtle sunning themselves on a log.
Where Pirates Once Roamed
Ever wonder why so many things around here are named after Jean Lafitte? In the early 1800s, the legendary pirate (or privateer, depending on whom you ask) and his band of smugglers operated out of the Barataria region, using its maze of bayous and waterways to conduct their not-so-legal business. Lafitte eventually went from outlaw to local hero when he and his men helped Andrew Jackson defeat the British at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.
Today, you can explore the very landscape that helped make Lafitte a legend. And, according to Captain Jamie, who has been guiding swamp tours here for 20 years, there may still be a little pirate treasure waiting to be discovered.
“There is buried treasure out here but I’m not going to tell you where it’s at until I find it,” he told us.
The Guides Are the Real Deal
One of the things we loved most about our tour was our guide. These aren’t people simply reading facts from a script. They’re locals who know these waterways, the wildlife and the stories behind them.
Captain Jamie, for example, has spent two decades showing visitors around these swamps, and he’s still having a good time doing it.
When we spotted an anhinga, a fascinating waterbird nicknamed the “snake bird” because of its long, snakelike neck, Jamie informed us that it was a male.
Naturally, someone asked how he knew.
“We’re friends on Facebook,” he replied.
And that’s part of what makes this tour so much fun. As Jamie explained, no two tours are ever alike. The animals behave differently from day to day, and so do the people on the boat. You never know exactly what you’re going to see. Or hear.
Yes, There Are Gators. Big Ones.
Let’s talk alligators, because we know you want to see them.
The biggest gator in these parts is a local celebrity named Jaws, who measures about 12 feet long. That’s a whole lot of alligator.
But Jaws isn’t the only wildlife you might encounter. The swamp is home to turtles, wild boar, nutria, racoons, possum, herons, egrets, anhingas, bald eagles and all sorts of other creatures that make their homes in and around the water.
You’ll learn about the delicate ecosystem that makes these wetlands so important, the plants and trees that thrive here, and the role the swamp has played in Louisiana’s history.
It’s beautiful, peaceful, sometimes a little mysterious and always fascinating.
And while you may come for the gators, we have a feeling you’ll leave talking just as much about everything else.
Four Generations of Cajun Hospitality
Jean Lafitte Swamp Tours is a family operation with four generations of Cajun roots. That connection to the land and its traditions is part of what makes the experience feel so authentic.
You’ll explore the bayous aboard a comfortable, covered swamp boat, with plenty of opportunities to take pictures and enjoy the scenery. The traditional tour lasts approximately 90 minutes, making it an easy adventure to add to your New Orleans itinerary.
Bringing a crowd? Even better. The boats can accommodate up to 63 passengers each, making this a wonderful choice for family reunions, school field trips, church groups, corporate outings and other large gatherings.
Private group tours can be arranged, along with box lunches, crawfish boils and other special events. Because nothing says Louisiana quite like a day in the swamp followed by a good old-fashioned crawfish boil.
Come for the Swamp Tour. Stay for Lunch.
Here’s another little insider tip: Don’t rush off when your tour is over. Next door, Restaurant des Familles is a great place to grab something to eat before or after your swamp adventure. There’s a window wall with views of the swamp and its wildlife providing the entertainment. While we ate we saw egrets and gators coming and going. The restaurant café has four resident gators named after the Golden Girls. That’s right. Blanche, Dorothy, Rose and Sophia have apparently traded their Miami retirement home for a Louisiana swamp.
Why We Love It
Sure, the alligators are impressive. The scenery is spectacular. And the history is fascinating. But it’s the personalities, the stories and those unexpected moments that make Jean Lafitte Swamp Tours memorable.