USA Guide
Florida
Brochure images of tanning tourists and Mickey Mouse give an inaccurate and incomplete picture of Florida. Although the aptly nicknamed "Sunshine State" is indeed devoted to the tourist trade, it's also among the least-understood parts of the US. Away from its overexposed resorts lie forests and rivers, deserted strands filled with wildlife, vibrant cities, and primeval swamps. Contrary to the popular retirement-community image, new Floridians tend to be a younger, more energetic breed, while Spanish-speaking enclaves provide close ties to Latin America and the Caribbean.
By far, the essential stop is cosmopolitan, half-Latin Miami. A simple journey south from here brings you to the Florida Keys, a hundred-mile string of islands known for sports fishing, coral-reef diving, and the sultry town of Key West, legendary for its sunsets and liberal attitude. Back on the mainland, west from Miami stretch the easily accessible Everglades, a water-logged sawgrass plain filled with alligators.
Much of Florida's east coast is disappointingly urbanized, albeit with miles of unbroken beaches rolling alongside. The residential stranglehold is loosened further north, where Kennedy Space Center launches NASA shuttles. Farther along, historical St Augustine stands as the longest continuously occupied European settlement in the US.
In central Florida the terrain turns green, though it's no rural idyll, thanks in most part to Orlando and Walt Disney World, which sprawls out across the countryside. From here it's just a skip west to the towns and beaches of the Gulf Coast, and somewhat further north to the forests of the Panhandle, Florida's link with the Deep South.
Highlights
1 Kennedy Space Center, Space Coast Some of the world's most high-tech machinery just a stone's throw from a wildlife refuge.
2 Ocean Drive, Miami South Beach's finest Art Deco showpiece, buzzing with cosmopolitan cafés, flashy vintage cars, and wannabe models.
3 Florida Keys Dive, snorkel or just admire the flaming sunsets off this chain of enticing islands.
4 Key West This funky, anything-goes place feels like it's at the end of the world.
5 St Augustine Sixteenth-century Spanish town packed with historic interest and a handful of lovely beaches.
6 Walt Disney World Pure entertainment, planned down to the last detail. Simply irresistible.
7 Everglades National Park Bike or hike through the vast sawgrass plains of the legendary Everglades, or canoe through alligator-filled mangrove swamps.
Read more ▼
- Practical Information ▼
- Region(s) ▼
- Sight(s) ▼
- City/Town ▼