Port Labelle: Discover waterways and nature

Port LaBelle Marina offers moorings on the Okeechobee Waterway, with access toward the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Nearby, LaBelle Nature Park offers a connection to nature, with plant information and trails leading to the historic Captain Hendry House. The LaBelle Swamp Cabbage Festival adds a cultural dimension to these themes. This offers different points of focus for planning your trip.

Port LaBelle Marina and the Okeechobee Waterway

Port LaBelle Marina offers moorings on the Okeechobee Waterway, with access toward the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. When planning, it helps to distinguish the specific mooring from the larger waterway: the marina is a named point of reference, while the Waterway describes a route spanning a considerable distance. You should confirm the marina’s operating details before arriving.

The Okeechobee Waterway is 154 miles long and runs from the Atlantic Ocean near Stuart to the Gulf of Mexico near Fort Myers. It passes through Lake Okeechobee. West of the lake, the waterway includes the Caloosahatchee River; to the east, it includes the St. Lucie Canal. The name therefore refers not just to a single river, but to a route that includes a lake, river, and canal.

The Caloosahatchee River is considered the most scenic stretch of the Okeechobee Waterway. Its oxbow lakes, which lie off the main channel, are considered the reason. This brings a specific river feature into focus alongside the long connection between the coasts. For travelers interested in the landscape along the water, this is a different aspect from the route’s overall length.

Ortona Lock and Dam is a navigation lock on the Okeechobee Waterway. It adds a navigation-related point of reference to the perspective on the landscape.

Nature and history at LaBelle Nature Park

QR codes on plant labels at nearby LaBelle Nature Park provide photos and descriptions of the plants. Those interested in individual plants can find specific information right on the labels and explore the park from this botanical perspective as well.

The park’s trails lead directly to the historic Captain Hendry House. This brings together two different themes: the QR codes provide information about individual plants, while the trails lead to a historic destination. Nature and history are represented here in different ways, without merging into a single focus.

A cultural connection to LaBelle

The multi-day LaBelle Swamp Cabbage Festival celebrates the community’s cultural heritage and the heart of the cabbage palm. It brings together community heritage and a specific botanical theme, offering a different focus from the waterway or the nature park. If you would like to consider cultural themes as well as water and nature when planning your trip, this festival is a point of interest in its own right.

Discover more destinations: Labelle, Clewiston.

See the broader travel overview: Hendry County.