Want to watch alligators cruise past cypress trees while the sun sets behind Spanish moss? Lake Martin near Breaux Bridge, Louisiana is where it happens.
This 200-acre cypress swamp sits just south of Breaux Bridge in Cajun country. It’s part of the Cypress Island Nature Preserve, managed by The Nature Conservancy. You can fish from a boat launch, walk the trails, or rent a kayak for ten bucks an hour from Champagne’s Swamp Tours.
The Gator Show
Lake Martin has one of the highest alligator populations in Louisiana. People count 15 to 24 gators on a single spring afternoon. They sun themselves on logs, float in the duckweed, and patrol the waterways like they own the place — because they do.
Sunset is when things get good. Alligators are most active at dusk. The light turns golden through the cypress branches, the water glows orange, and you’ll see gators splashing as they hunt or move to new spots…