Florida is one of the most popular travel destinations in the United States, and it’s also one of the states I’ve explored the most. The enormous coastline, subtropical climate, wildlife, historic towns, natural springs, and amusement parks make different parts of Florida feel almost like separate destinations. South Florida has the Everglades and the Florida Keys, Central Florida is dominated by Orlando’s attractions, while the state’s natural springs provide winter refuges for manatees. I’ve also found places such as St. Augustine that feel completely different from the Florida most people imagine. There are still plenty of places I’d like to explore, including some of Florida’s more unusual accommodations; an underwater hotel accessible by scuba diving has been on my list for years.
The Everglades
Explore the Everglades
Everglades National Park protects the largest subtropical wilderness in North America, encompassing vast sawgrass marshes, mangrove forests, hardwood hammocks, coastal wetlands, and much of Florida Bay. Its wildlife includes American alligators, American crocodiles, West Indian manatees, Florida panthers, black bears, and hundreds of species of birds. South Florida is also the only place in the United States where American alligators and American crocodiles naturally coexist.
St. Augustine
Explore St. Augustine
Founded by the Spanish in 1565, St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement in the contiguous United States. Its compact historic district preserves centuries of Spanish, British, and American history alongside Flagler College, historic churches, the St. Augustine Lighthouse, and Castillo de San Marcos, the massive 17th-century coquina fortress overlooking Matanzas Bay.
Florida Manatees
Explore the Florida Manatees
Crystal River and Kings Bay are among Florida’s best-known places for seeing manatees. During the colder months, manatees gather around the area’s warm, spring-fed waters to escape lower temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico. The clear springs make the region particularly famous for observing these enormous aquatic mammals, while the surrounding waterways and forests support a wide variety of other Florida wildlife.
Orlando
Explore Orlando
Orlando is one of the world’s major amusement-park destinations, with Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, and numerous smaller attractions concentrated throughout the region. Walt Disney World alone contains four major theme parks, including Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. Beyond the parks, downtown Orlando and the surrounding city offer historic buildings, museums, restaurants, entertainment, and the everyday side of Central Florida that is often overshadowed by its enormous tourism industry.
