Touring Houston’s Buffalo Bayou by Pontoon: A Different Perspective

Buffalo Bayou Partnership invites you to “See Houston from a whole new angle” on a pontoon boat called the Spirit of the Bayou. They offer several interesting options for individuals and family, you and a significant other, or as a group or team-building excursion. Prices vary depending on the tour selected, and the age of the participant (check their website for more details), but the opportunity to sit back, float the bayou, and learn more about Houston from an experienced guide is great.

Photo: Flickr/Patrick Feller

The “Looking Back” History Boat Tour takes cruisers back to the 1800s and the founding of Houston. A local historian and author guides the trip, sharing stories and providing insights into the people, places, and events that helped to shape the city. Another experience in this same vein is the Port to Port Tour. Cruising east of Houston on Buffalo Bayou from Allen’s Landing, Spirit of the Bayou will take you to the Port of Houston Turning Basin. Called the Upper Channel, a bayou guide will provide a historical tour of the section of the bayou from the port’s turning basin to Allen’s Landing, which few Houstonians presently get to experience. The tour provides the historically significant details on this industrial stretch of the city from the old port of Houston to the new port of Houston.

Photo: Wikimedia

The Waugh Colony Bat Tours allow guests to enjoy a very different view of a dusk emergence of the bats from Houston’s Waugh Bridge. During the tour, you’ll learn about the 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats that make this colony their home. Due to their departure from the colony, the tour starts 20 minutes before dusk (check their website for times and reservations.) Additionally, another evening-scheduled tour option is what’s called a Twilight Tour. This 30-minute pontoon ride gets you out of the heat of the city and enjoying the cool breeze of the Buffalo Bayou, watching for herons, fish, and even the odd alligator along the banks!

Photo: Pixabay

The Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s Spirit of the Bayou also offers private charters, allowing up to 21 guests an hour and a half ride through the heart of Houston’s downtown. This tour includes Allen’s Landing, Sesquicentennial Park, and Sabine Promenade, historic McKee Street Bridge, as well as the city’s industrial side. Food and drink are allowed on this cruise. However, guests will have to supply this themselves. A city historian call also be requested for a private charter trip, at an additional cost, and based on availability. So check out Houston from a different perspective, along the Buffalo Bayou as opposed to flying along its busy interstates and down through its city streets. The Spirit of the Bayou awaits!