September 2, 2024, 4:15 pm | Read time: 8 minutes
Florida is associated with tanned bodies on Miami Beach and alligators in the Everglades, the Keys in the south, and the beautiful coasts in the east. But the Sunshine State has much more to offer. TRAVELBOOK shows what there is to discover in Florida and how you can experience even familiar sights in a new way.
Here are 11 advanced tips for Florida:
1. Experience the American way of life
A sporting event is the perfect start to any vacation in the States and, therefore, also the first of our tips for Florida. Probably the cheapest option, with prices starting at around 15 US dollars, is a baseball game, for example, at Marlins Park with a view of Miami’s skyline.
The seating and viewing distance are secondary to the main attraction of this sporting event, which is the immersion in the famous American way of life: indulging in food and festivities, participating in kiss and dance cams, enjoying entertainers and competitions during brief intermissions, and perhaps, if fortune permits, catching a fly ball right in your seat—a quintessential moment for any sports-loving American.
2. Explore Miami Beach by bike
Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced cyclist, Miami is always worth the journey. If you avoid the dodgy corners downtown and on the outskirts at night, the US metropolis, with its Latin American flair and its own beach, has plenty to offer and, therefore, can not be missed in this list of tips for Florida.
You can exlpore Miami Beach, with its wide white sands and famous Ocean Drive, best by bike. Decobike’s bike sharing service offers around 1,000 bikes and over 70 stations. In around an hour, for 6 US dollars (approx. 4 euros), you make it through the famous Art Deco district, to South Pointe and Flamingo Park. Time and drop-off point are flexible.
3. On foot through the Everglades
The best way to reach the almost 6,000-square kilometer (2316-square-mile) Everglades National Park is via the Tamiami Trail (Highway 41). Airboat tours are very popular: the excursions with noisy propeller boats, which jet through the swamps and mangrove forests at up to 65 miles per hour (104 kilometers per hour), are a special Florida adventure. Most tours with up to six people on a boat cost around 40 US dollars (36 euros). If you want to save money, get coupons in advance at a tourist center, such as the Big Cypress Swamp Welcome Center at the junction with Highway 29.
If you prefer to explore the Everglades National Park on your own, take a canoe or hiking tour along the road to Flamingo. The Anhinga, Gumbo Limbo, or Pa-Hay-okee Trail lead along boardwalks or signposted hiking trails through the unique marshland landscape. The latter leads to a viewing platform.
4. A different Key West
Key West, the westernmost point of the Florida Keys island chain, can be reached via 42 bridges. Surprisingly, the name does not derive from the English word “key”, but from the Spanish “cayo” (small island). In addition to the Hemingway estate, the sunset at Mallory Square is particularly famous and is celebrated as soon as the sun disappears over the horizon.
If the hustle and bustle of the promenade is too much for you, we recommend the opposite: South Roosevelt Boulevard in the southeast of the island, which is not just a good tip for exercise fans. Even before sunrise, a number of athletes are already eagerly walking, jogging, and skating along the paved promenade right by the sea. But you can also enjoy the view of the sea and the rising sun in peace and quiet.
5. The travel guide is not always right
Another Key West tip in Florida: we contradict travel guides who advise against the “new edition” of Hemingway’s old favorite pub, Sloppy Joe’s. In the quaint pub in the middle of the brightly colored Duval Street, live bands heat up the mixed crowd so much that hardly anyone can stay in their seats.
Hemingway lived on Key West in the 1930s, the so-called “Conch Republic”, named after the English name for the fencing snail. In his typical “conch” house in the old town, Hemingway supposably owned cats with six toes. You can still search for their descendants today. Among other things, the writer and passionate angler was inspired here to write “The Old Man and the Sea”, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954.
6. A day trip to the Dry Tortugas
Although the road system of the Keys ends on Key West, the small islands continue behind it. About 112 kilometers (69 miles) further west are the seven islands of the Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson, one special tip in Florida. These can only be reached by boat or seaplane: From Key West, a day trip to the national park on the Yankee Freedom III catamaran is available for 170 US dollars (152 euros). The star-shaped fortress served as a strategic base and military prison in the 19th century. On the way, you can see dolphins, turtles, and sometimes even sharks swimming in the clear turquoise water – as well as shipwrecks lying on the seabed.
7. Mini Golf Adventure
Florida is a true golfer’s paradise! With 1481 courses (click here for an overview), golf is the most popular sport alongside fishing; no other US state has more golf courses. But the miniature version is also impressive in the Sunshine State. Various courses are unusually adventurous and varied for us Germans and offer real entertainment with waterfalls and elaborate themed landscapes. A special tip on Florida’s West Coast, in Fort Myers, is the award-winning Castle Golf mini-golf course in medieval style.
8. Island hopping off Cape Coral
The second-largest city in Florida in terms of area is Cape Coral, near Fort Myers on the Gulf of Mexico. From here, you should not miss out on day trips to the offshore islands of Sanibel, Captiva, and Pine Island.
White beaches with over 400 types of shells and not a single high-rise building for miles around make these small islands a true vacation paradise. Sanibel and Captiva Island can only be reached from Fort Myers via the Sanibel Causeway for a six-dollar toll. Especially on Bowman’s Beach on Sanibel Island, you will find beaches strewn with shells.
9. Tips for Florida away from mass tourism
In general, you can still escape mass tourism in the north of the Sunshine State. For example, in Pensacola and the offshore Gulf Islands. The Gulf Islands National Seashore lies to the east and west of Pensacola Beach. A tip for nature lovers visiting Florida: they should also head to the “Dune Nature Trail”, one of the few places in Florida where hiking in the dunes is permitted.
10. Kayak tour on the Rainbow River
Around the small town of Crystal River on the northwest coast is a beautiful natural area with clear rivers and evergreen oaks. The river of the same name is also a protected area for manatees. The manatees are mainly found in the rivers fed by warm springs from November to March.
The crystal-clear Rainbow River near Dunnellon is also ideal for diving, kayaking, and swimming. A recommended provider is Rainbow River Canoe and Kayak, run by a friendly couple. Together with their boat, you are driven from the parking lot to the dock, paddle up to the springs, and then drift back to the parking lot for about three hours. The crystal-clear water and the exciting flora and fauna can be enjoyed individually. However, as the occasional alligator hides here, caution is advised!
Entry to this nature reserve costs 5 US dollars. To ensure that nature is strictly preserved here, only recyclable and dishwasher-safe dishes are allowed. A “patrol boat” manned by three men can carry out checks if necessary.
A special highlight is Swampy’s Bar & Grille in Dunnellon, just before you reach your destination after a few moorings. Southern live music and cold drinks invite you to linger on the riverbank.
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11. Discover Florida’s origins
Anyone interested in American history and archaeology should plan a detour to the north-east of Florida, as this is where the oldest city founded by Europeans in the USA is located. The Spanish conquistador Ponce de Léon first set foot in Saint Augustine in 1513. He also gave the city its name: he named the land after the season in which he first set foot on it: “Pascua florida” (blooming Easter). In addition to the oldest archaeological park in the USA, the Fountain of Youth National Archaeological Park, the Castillo de San Marcos Monument is also worth a visit. From the fortress, you have a beautiful view of the medieval-looking city.
The original version of this article was published in 2017.