Hail a (water) taxi

If you think you can see all that Alaska offers by road, think again. Some of the state's most special, spectacular places are best reached by water, making water taxis a key component of transportation in coastal areas, including the southern Kenai Peninsula.

Take the south side of Kachemak Bay, for example. There's no road access to that part of the peninsula, so a number of different water taxis specialize in helping people experience the 400,000 acres of pristine wilderness in Kachemak Bay State Park and south bay communities.

Water taxis offer much more than a boat ride. In addition to providing information about and transportation to the more than 80 miles of trails in the state park, they specialize in giving wildlife and birding tours and customizing adventures that may include air travel, kayaking, hiking and camping. Many offer kayak rentals. Water taxis will take you to great clam digging beaches and they also are a fun way to get from Point A to Point B — say, Homer to Seldovia.

Water taxis offer flexible schedules, and tours of varying lengths to meet your timetable.