Whether you want a fun, relaxing or cultured holiday, America’s ‘Sunshine State’ offers it all.
With adrenaline-fuelled boating, golden-stretches of beach, inspiring museums and world-class wildlife parks Florida is a must-visit destination.
Beaches
Florida’s thousands of kilometres of beaches are ranked among the best in America for their golden-sand, turquoise waters, easy access and chic promenades lined with swaying palm trees and packed with chic shops and cafes. So whether you want to ride a horse on Cape San Blas, sample a cultural buffet on South Beach, take a family bike ride in Jacksonville or simply stroll along the iconic waterfront in Fort Lauderdale, this is your destination. If you’d prefer to take it all in by car the Overseas Highway to Key West boasts 200 km of island hopping.
Wildlife
Swim with the dolphins? Tick. Meet Shamu, the orca whale? Tick. Come face-to-face with a Manatee? Tick. Florida’s wildlife is a nature lover’s delight. Both kids and adults can explore estuaries and ocean water inlets that attract birds, sea life and even gators. Watch alligators wrestling from a safe distance at Gator Park, explore Florida Everglades to spot the stunning purple gallinule and swim with the dolphins at Miami Swim. Families should head to Crystal River on Central Florida’s ‘Nature Coast’, where you can legally swim with manatees or book a daily tour with the award-winning Jupiter Outdoor Centre.
Museums
The Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg shares an expertly curated collection of Salvador Dali works that will engage, educate and inspire you. Amuse the kids at the interactive workshops or experience the awe-inspiring collection of paintings, fine prints and photographs for yourself. With regular events and hands-on initiatives like ‘make a Dali moustache’ everyone will enjoy a trip here. But if you’re more into traditional than surrealism visit the Vizcaya, a European-inspired estate with more than 10 acres of gardens, terraces and fountains overlooking Biscayne Bay in Miami. The museum’s 34 rooms are filled with antique furnishings and decorative arts spanning two millennia.
Outdoors
Florida’s swamps and forests greet outdoor enthusiasts with cycling trails, natural springs and campgrounds. Kayakers should explore Biscayne Bay, a shallow estuary south of Miami which is bounded by barrier islands and coral reefs, stretching from the Oleta River to the top of the Florida Keys. With more than 63,000 acres of placid salt water it will suit all ages and levels. Waterplay USA (pictured above) offers tandem kayaks and daily tours. For adventure junkies Jacksonville on the northeast coast offers incredible mountain biking trails at Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park. The trails’ names say it all; “Grunt,” “Misery,” and “Tornado Alley” offer a wild adventure through the wooded paths of the oceanfront park.
Divers should head to Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, a charming town known as the ‘Shore Dive Capital of South Florida’, where you can head straight into the water from the beach and easily swim to coral reefs. For an over water experience explore the Everglades at Sawgrass Recreation Park with an airboat tour which skims across the water. With daytime and nighttime adventures at Everglade Tours you’ll listen to fun facts about the impressive ecosystem and may catch a glimpse of wildlife too.
Don’t leave without:
- Tasting native oranges. Visit a Florida Citrus Grove, tour a citrus plant and be sure to taste some Florida orange juice.
- Attending the annual Bugfest where competitors hunt for lobsters by boat, on the beach or under the water.
- A trip to one of Florida’s famous playgrounds. Both kids and adults will be amazed at Disney World, Universal, Sea World and Legoland.
- Sipping a martini and celebrity spotting at Miami’s South Beach from one of these cool bars.