Hop Aboard a Houseboat

Atchafalaya Houseboat. Photo by Kerry Griechen, www.myeyephotos.com

The Atchafalaya Basin is undoubtedly Louisiana at its most wild; the most concentrated, unfiltered version of this Sportsman’s Paradise that surrounds us. This pristine wilderness is actually highly accessible—half of the basin’s one million acres are public land—yet due to its gargantuan size, much of it remains unknown, endless acres untamed and teeming with inhabitants both real and fabled (Looking at you, Rougarou).

You won’t find a more rugged people than those who live within, or bordering, the basin. Those who live off the land’s natural bounty, who can navigate the swamp’s murky depths better than solid ground, and whose grandparents were likely raised speaking Cajun French. To really experience life like the Cajuns of olden (or pre-Interstate 10) days, you have to embrace the Atchafalaya. 

There’s a reason the basin is known as “America’s Foreign Country.” Whether you find yourself lost in the labyrinth of bayous and wetlands or you’re stuck in traffic on the twenty-mile-long bridge that traverses the basin, the Atchafalaya has a way of humbling you, just as it provides, rewarding curious kayakers with an abundance of natural beauty or fishers with an ample catch. 

“This basin is nothing to joke with,” says Wendy Thibodeaux, a Breaux Bridge native and local swamp tour guide. “This place is a gift, but you have to have your head on your shoulders.” 

There’s no better way to immerse yourself within Louisiana’s legendary landscape than a houseboat stay. You know the type—floating cabins, sturdier than they appear to withstand high water levels but close enough to see red gator eyes aglow in the dark. Houseboat Adventures at Cypress Cove Landing offers five different vacation vessels that sleep up to six to suit your specifications. Models include Le Bon Temp Bateau, Henderson Lady, Midnight Sky, Atchafalaya Queen, and Allon Dancer Colinda. These houseboats provide a novel home-away-from-home-base for a variety of sporty ventures. The company recommends fishing guides, water skiing, hunting, and just keeping your eyes peeled for the Atchafalaya’s abundant wildlife amid hardwood forests, marshes, and bayous.