Ive rented kayaks and paddleboards from VKOC on numerous occasions. Ive sent friends their way and have booked several of their tours (night tours are my favorite!). They have always been very careful explaining the rules and giving advice on weather for that day. Ive rented from several places around Miami, but because VKOCs location is away from boat traffic and protected from strong wind or rough ocean conditions, it is the perfect place to guarantee a good time on the water!
Did me dirty.Told me over the phone that the last bike rental starts at 6pm. I arrive at 5:45p, and they tell me Im too late, that rentals end at 5:30, and deny me service. I brought people here to ride with and now have to sit this one out. I also drove from a good distance.The proper thing to have done is given me the rental and taken responsibility for the mistake. Really disappointing. They couldve eaten the 30 min in the name of good customer service. Looks like they did something similar to Fernando too.
I went on the manatee photo safari with Diana. It was an absolutely amazing experience! We saw so many manatees and she shared personal stories about each one! She even found a starfish for us to hold and took great photos of the entire experience! Its obvious they care about the animals and natural coastline.There was a technical issue (no fault of VKOC) with sharing the link to the photos and Diana personally called me to explain. She was incredibly kind about the mishap and sent me the photos immediately.Absolutely book a tour with this wonderful family-owned company. It was fantastic! I will be going back if I have the opportunity!
We joined the VKOC while we had our entire sale team in Miami, they put together a wonderful corporate event. The team did a scavenger hunt followed by our choice of kayaking or mountain biking and then they provided dinner (which was also wonderful). We really appreciate their flexibility to accomodate and attention to detail and the kayaking adventure was top notch (you get to see the miami skyline from the water). Just an all around positive experience, I recommend highly!
My favorite place in south Florida to kayak! It’s so beautiful and the staff members are awesome. Highly recommend.
The staff at VKOC always have my back and are always so tentative and helpful. This has become our weekend spot! Can’t wait to come back to kayak!
Diana made everything so fun and easy. Needed a relaxing fun day on the water and we got just that!
Terrible experience. I called 20 mins before getting there and they told me they close at 6:30 pm and that I could rent a canoe from 5:30 to 6:30. When Ingot there the two kids in charge didn’t won’t to work and they told me they closed at 6:00 and that We could not rent the canoe. My two kids were super disappointed…. But they did not care. Really this people are not motivated.
It was a great experience, we did the sunset tour and Kevin, our tour guide, was exceptional. We were able to see a manatee and some other wild life. Highly Recommended!
Very fun, beautiful scenery. Amazing experience at a good price. One of the ladies there was super helpful, patient, and personable when it came to setting us up. I would for sure come here again.
I’m highly disappointed with the customer service of this bike rental company. I had no complaints the first time; our bikes worked perfectly and everything was smooth. In fact, I returned with more family and friends because of my first experience. This time around, our bikes had issues from the very beginning. The gears weren’t working correctly, one of the bikes had a flat tire and we had to walk all the way back to the rental company to get it fixed, as well as to switch out the other bikes that were also defective. We should have known we were going to have issues when there were bikes left and right with flat tires.... Upon returning, we rode through an intermediate course and on a small jump that is built by the park, the bike’s derailer broke off. Once again, we had to walk back to the bike rental company. The staff was helpful, however I find it unfair that the bike rental company was not understanding, despite being a loyal customer, and in the end charged us for a repair ($85 to repair a bottom of the line mountain bike). We expect these bikes to at least be equipped for the intermediate trails. It’s a shame that I will not be returning to this rental company as it seems they are unable to work with their customers. If you have your own bikes, I definitely recommend the trails, however if you plan to rent bikes, you are better off going somewhere else.
We rented kayaks and spent 3 hours sightseeing. We saw manatees, a manta ray, and plenty of birds. The rental was easy and reasonably priced. A highly recommended experience that is so convenient if you are staying in Miami.
I absolutely love paddle boarding and kayaking here. The view is amazing and the staff is always helpful and friendly. 10/10 recommend.
Its always a wonderful time here.Everyone is so pleasant, and kind.I truly appreciate you all so very much!It means a lot to me that you all are so nice, and kind. A person can go anywhere I guess in south Florida for most things, its always a grand time when its here because everyone is so charming. Thank you one thousand times for being there for us time and time again❤️❤️❤️❤️. I cannot wait to go back again🙂
We had a great time on our full moon paddle. Conditions were nice and got a great view of the skyline once out at bay. Our tour guide, Matthew, was great! He definitely made it a fun experience and provided tips and interesting facts throughout the paddle. He also made sure we complied with COVID regulations and made sure everyone had their mask on when necessary. Would recommend for anyone wanting to go on a quick adventure.
Great service. Did the mountain bike trail. First time ever doing mountain biking. It was tough. Their course is well maintained and caters to all kinds of level. I’m glad I did it with a friend. If I was going by myself, I would have no clue where I was going. The views of the bay are breathtaking.
Thank you for a great day. Good tips. Great equipment. Excellent service. We will be sure to return next time we visit Miami.
This is Miami’s best kept secret! The paddleboarding is amazing, the views from the mountain bike trails are iconic, and the staff are always friendly and helpful! Love this place and bring everyone that comes to visit to VKOC because it’s just a perfect spot of nature with the best picture perfect views of the city.
This place is a ripp off and a very bad experience. They overcharge you and when you dare to complain, they find any reason to show you that it is your fault. Also, as you can read for other bad reviews (and most probably below very soon), nothing is never their fault. Each 1 star review get aggressively answered with fake reasons to justify the injustifiable: bad service, bad pricing policy. Basically the policy there is: I will make you pay for this bad review by trying to defame you instead of accepting that there is a need for improvement. As a consequence (and it is their goal), they scare bad reviewers and end up with having them remove their bad review so that it doesnt impact their rating. Avoid at all costs, there are enough other places to enjoy in MiamiAnd to add to the (not surprising) answer: I am a real one time customer of yours and do not have any business in competition with yours. Try to work on yourself. A critic can help you to overcome your anger problem and offer a better service. Admitting a problem is not a weakness
Setting up the kayak trip was very easy. Staff was professional, safe and have good information.We opted for the 2 hour kayak rental.With our family. Had an amazing time! Scenery was gorgeous. Saw wildlife. Beaches. Came fromOhio. If visit MiamiAgain, would plan on doing this again. Great local business.
I had never met a group of individuals so in love with the outdoors before I came here! The staff is very knowledgeable about the area and their equipment. They do cool events every so often like Sunset or Full Moon Paddles. If youre looking for an adventure this is the place to go to! Kayaks, Paddle Boards, and Mountain bikes! They got it ALL.
We paid for a kayaking tour but Never received the service because of issues with getting into the park. The management is now refusing to refund me for a service I never received. It did not cost them anything to NOT provide us the service we paid for so I don’t understand why we should not receive a refund. It took them 3 days to finally reply by email, couldn’t even call us back and handle things over the phone like any professional company would. Very shady business, needs professional help when it comes to customer service. Where’s the 0 star option when you need it??
Staff was helpful and friendly with suggestions on how to make our kayak trip the most enjoyable. Beautiful views of Miami and nature. Definitely recommend! Thank you VKOC!
Great experience, lots of fun to go with friends and family
My absolute favorite place to come paddle board. Friendly/knowledgeable staff, great scenery.
Paddleboarding was an amazing experience and quite affordable. I recommend renting them for at least 2 or 3 hours. So much to see. The staff was very helpful and accommodating.
Our Miami-based girl scout troop had a blast on the water yesterday, with Diana and Isa introducing us to this magical place and the peaceful manatees living in the inlet there. Clear kayaks really put us in the water! A paddle out to the ocean and beach added a bit of adventure + sandy feet. VKOC made it safe and fun, and we cant wait to go back. THANK YOU! Troop 204
We super enjoyed kayaking here. Reasonable pricing and super nice people
I go there every week now. Either to kayak or bike, whatever I’m in the mood for that day. The staff is amazing and friendly! Always super organized. Never have any issues. If you’ve never been kayaking or biking before the staff will give you plenty of tips to help! Been inviting all my friends to join along.
Excellent service, location and experience! Strongly recommend visiting!
Nice staff and amazing view of the city from a Paddleboard!
Great experience,nature,working out and enjoyment, all in one day!
Great customer service, little to no wait for a tandem kayak and equipment, and super flexible with reservations. Also very dog-friendly. Definitely looking forward to the next time I go here. 5/5 would recommend to anyone.
Very Friendly service, beautiful water, beautiful view of the skyline.
Awesome experience kayaking. Really nice people. Will be back again.
Lovely. I really enjoyed kayaking. I found a secret little beach and it was awesome. I’d highly recommend going here
This place is amazing. You can rent kayak, paddle boards and mountain bikes. Staff is super friendly. This is fun for the entire family. Highly recommended.
One of my favorite places of my vacation in Miami really nice kayaking out to the beach *do it at your own risk* but even if you are afraid of going out on the beach I would still strongly recommend it do to its beautiful lake even before the beach especially with their great service and prices
Thanks again for this morning guys, it was awesome as usual!One comment regarding the bikes: it is a shame you got some stolen but the new one you gave me this morning, the blue one, is a huge upgrade compte to the oranges!More similar bike would be fantastic!Thanks
Great place for bike rentals and lessons too. The mountain bike trails are excellent. The staff at the outdoor center are always helpful. These people know their stuff. Cold drinks. Good bikes. Great service. Best nature viewing in town too.
I love this spot. Always friendly helpful staff, nice bathrooms and great equipment. We saw so many manatees yesterday, they have an adorable infestation in the bay. Be quiet, patient and keep your distance and you can watch them too.
We had our Company program come out to Virginia Key Outdoor Center for a beginners Kayak tour and had a group of 30 individuals. The staff was very friendly and did a presentation on basic mechanics of paddling and safety along with instruction on how to kayak. We went into the lagoon and they were very helpful in getting our members acclimated to something they had never done nor experienced before. Everyone left super happy and have been asking when we will do it again! Looking forward to seeing them in the future!
Great experience, staff was so attentive and the settings were awesome, we’ll be back again!
Prior to Quarantine, VKOC had become a second home to me. The staff is great and will go above and beyond to help. The area where you kayak is very calm, very nice for those who had never done it. Highly suggest checking them out.
Had an excellent time on the manatee experience last Friday. Team was very accommodating for us being late due to traffic, very informative, kind, took some pics for us and let us spend extended time hanging out with these precious animals. Great trip - highly, highly recommended.
I rented a bike, after a few minutes struggling with the transmission (about 20 minutes) I ended up with a complete failure of the bike, chain broke and was impossible to keep riding... after 25 minutes by walk (I was probably at the furthest point of the trail from the entrance) I arrived at the rental place and they made me PAY for 1 hour of rent, when I complain for the issue they told me to leave threatening to call the police... (its a pity that I couldnt leave 0 star as feedback)
Do not rent a mountain bike from here. The bike I was given was very poorly maintained. The front derailleur was so far out of adjustment that it would knock the chain off. The front wheel was dished poorly to the point it made the bike difficult to steer. The rear wheel made lots of noises that didn’t sound good. And to top it all off, the handlebar didn’t have end plugs.The trails are fun. They are well marked, and well maintained. The naming convention is neat.
Great place to spot manatees in the wild.It was a great experience to Kayak with so many around us. The kids loved it and it is a very quiet and beautiful mangrove.Staff was nice as well.
The people and the experience overall was amazing. Absolutely no complaints. We went biking and kayaking for an hour each, cost a fraction of other places. We saw so many animals also, including manatees in the inlet. Overall, very recommended decision in Miami if you want to escape the city life for a little while.
A great place for lovers of outdoor activities. They offer bike, kayak and SUP board rentals at very responsible rates. They also host some great activities like the full moon paddle and sunset paddle tours. Their store has ice cold water, sodas and other refreshments as well as snacks and other related retail items. The staff are very knowledgeable about the local wildlife and best ways to enjoy your visit to Virginia Key.
Best place legit. Great bikes and paddleboards. The staff really knows their stuff. Friendly, helpful too. Great covid safety too. Saw sea turtles hawks eagles dolphins manatees. Sobhapoy we discovered vkoc.
Perfect place for kayaking and see manatees. Good staff
They are super friendly and it’s a great place to go for paddle boarding and kayaking! ☺️
They are extremely helpful and knowledgeable. We went for Kayaking and it was a lot of fun. I saw a spotted eagle Ray and my husband saw a manatee. They went extra miles to help us catch our flight cause we accidentally locked our key in the truck. Truely appreciate them!
A super fun single track park in Florida! Who would have thought!?
I came here to rent a kayak, it’s was one of the best places I’ve gone so far. I travel to Miami often and these people by far were the sweetest I’ve dealt with. They were so full of life and super chill. I’m definitely coming back to try out the bike trails next ! They also are loaded with the top of the line equipment! I wish I had time to bike too because their bikes were high quality mountain bikes, well kept.
Friendly and knowlegable staff ! Lots of wildlife and beautiful views of Miami.. I went on the manatee tour and it has been by far the highlight of my visit !! What an amazing place this is 🐢🐠🌊
A great place to kayak! We got amazing views of downtown Miami & saw, among other wildlife, pufferfish & manatees!!! Staff was terrific, too. Def will visit again!
On a tranquil cove, we were able to see TEN (!) manatee within 30 feet of the boat ramp in our kayak. INCREDIBLE! This location and the Virginia Key Outdoor Center / Bike Center are a HIDDEN CROWN JEWEL of Miami that 99% of even residents dont even know about -- but its a MUST VISIT spot for anyone who wants to bike ride or see amazing animals and birds in the wild. Really spectacular, and the views of Fisher Island and South Beach from Virginia Key are NOT to be missed, too!
Ive just started mountain biking and Virginia Key has been the trail of choice. The trails are nicely laid out and easy to follow. Im still on greens but moving onto blues soon. Being South Florida in the summer it is HOT and the humidity is killer, but you cant escape it. Make sure you prepare for the heat, bring plenty of fluids and a hydration pack. Dont forget your snacks because the heat will drain your energy. Oh and youll sunscreen and bug spray.I wish there were more shade trees, but alas, Florida
Staff was extremely friendly & helpful. I recently attended a full moon paddle & it was amazing. My friends had a blast. Amazing views of downtown Miami at night. Would definitely recommend & use them again.
This is exactly what this island need. The VKOC and the Mountain Bike Trail Cub are great. As an avid cyclist and mt bikers I can tell you that these are two wonderful places. Well maintained equipment, well designed trails, great communities. Kudos Miami for getting is right.
Ive taken my students out twice already and will do it again. They are a professional crew that are not only knowledgeable about the area but know how to engage high school students (and that could prove to be challenging for many). They were laid back yet organized, timely, and gave students time to learn as well as enjoy the area. Highly recommended. My students told me they will be going on their own as they had no idea this little gem existed in their backyard.
Great time! Brad was super nice. Strongly recommend. The bay was quiet and peaceful And we did not have to compete with motor boats. We went on a Monday afternoon and we were the only people in the water for most of the time. We saw a lot of birds but very little marine life.
Great place to rent kayaks, paddleboards, mountain bikes, friendly staff
Excellent service and well as an excellent experience! Really felt like a family owned it, giving it a sense of community. Really great destination for friends and family to experience the outdoors’
Family friendly atmosphere and really nice people. My daughter and I did the manatee kayak tour and it was definitely worthwhile. We followed it with some mountain biking. Tucked out of the way which is a positive in my opinion. Highly recommended.
Super place. Very educated staff. Bicycles are of very good quality with good maintenance. Highly recommended for Miami visit.
I have visited a number of times, and each time the customer service has been outstanding. We have rented mountain bikes to ride on the Virginia Key Mountain Bike Trail - and it is a super fun course. Lots of excellent trails. And if anything happens to the rental bikes, the team at the Virginia Key Outdoor center is very helpful. As well, there have been times when others in our group have not rented but brought their own bikes. And the folks at the Outdoor center have still helped when there have been flat tires, etc. Overall - I would highly recommend