Florida attractions

With expansive white-sand beaches and warm, turquoise waters, Florida's Clearwater Beach, a waterfront community on the Gulf of Mexico, is an ideal launching pad for kayaking, parasailing, boating, and biking. It's known as being more low-key than its southern neighbor, the bustling St. Pete Beach, and many consider Clearwater Beach to be among the best beaches in America.

With 95 acres of mostly undeveloped land, Sand Key Park is the serene tip of one of Clearwater’s barrier islands. Looking directly across the Clearwater Pass at Clearwater Beach, Sand Key Park offers wildlife viewing, picnicking, loggerhead sea turtle hatching, a nature trail, a boardwalk, fishing piers, a concession stand, and the white sandy beaches this part of Florida’s Gulf Coast is known for.

The Southernmost Point of the Continental USA monument is a quick but must-do photo op while vacationing in Key West. The iconic buoy-shaped concrete marker indicates that you’re in the southernmost point of the continental United States, just 90 miles (145 kilometers) to Cuba. Snap a pic and then get busy enjoying island life in this legendary Florida destination.

Just offshore of Florida in the Tampa Bay, Egmont Key State Park features a lighthouse built in 1858. The island was used as a prison during the Third Seminole War and a Union Naval station during the Civil War. Fort Dade, now in ruins, was built during the Spanish-American War. Today, Egmont Key is a state park and wildlife refuge.

One of the first established neighborhoods in Miami, Coconut Grove melds an eclectic history with a modern vibe, creating a historic, hipster hub for food, art, and culture. From its idyllic waterfront on Biscayne Bay to quaint walking streets lined with boutiques and cafés, the village is the perfect laid-back base for a Miami vacation.

Though Flagler College was founded in 1968, some of the buildings that host its campus date back to 1888. It was previously a women’s college, then reorganized as a coed higher learning institution in 1971. Today, it’s a private liberal arts college offering primarily bachelor’s degrees, although it also has three master’s level degrees.

Located at the nation’s oldest port, the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum offers visitors a chance to step back in time by exploring the active lighthouse and various educational exhibits. The black-and-white striped, red-topped lighthouse, built in 1874, welcomes guests to climb up for sweeping views of the Florida coast.

Located off the coast of St. Petersburg, Fort De Soto Park is not your average ‘park.’ It’s actually 1,136 acres made up of five interconnected islands (keys) and is the largest park in the Pinellas County park system. With seven miles of waterfront, including almost three miles of beautiful, white sand beaches, Fort De Soto is a popular destination for both visitors and guests to the St. Petersburg area.There’s plenty to do in Fort De Soto Park. History buffs can explore the historic fort while cyclists and walkers can enjoy seven miles of paved trails that run through the park. For nature lovers, it’s worth noting that the park is the start of the Great Florida Birding Trail (328 species of birds have been documented over 60 years and new species are being added every year) and offers the one of the greatest diversities of bird, sea life, plant and wild life in Florida. The beach is also a nesting ground for the loggerhead sea turtle between April and September. Add in the picnic area, kayak trail, camping areas, dog park and the ferry to Egmont Key State Park and there is plenty to see and explore during a visit to Fort De Soto.

Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park spans 54 acres (22 hectares) sits on the tip of Key West and is popular for both its military history and its current recreational opportunities. It is also the location of one of Key West’s favorite beaches, a stretch of sand with turquoise water sometimes called “rocky beach.”

Your quest for the Fountain of Youth is over once you’ve visited this park in St. Augustine, Florida. This site where Spanish explorer Ponce de León came in search of the elusive fountain in the 16th century, founding the oldest European settlement in the US. Sip the legendary waters while you learn about the area’s indigenous history.

Florida’s Dry Tortugas National Park spans 100 square miles (25,900 hectares) of open water, protected coral reefs, and seven small islands in the Gulf of Mexico only accessible only by boat or air. Dry Tortugas is famous for its blue waters, wildlife, and Fort Jefferson—a 16-acre (6.5-hectare) coastal fortress.

Celebrated for its elaborate, pirate-themed attractions—and offering several different courses—Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf is a popular Orlando destination for minigolf lovers. Located on International Drive (a quick trip from the city’s theme parks), it offers a fun-filled way to get outdoors and enjoy a sightseeing break.

With soft, white sand and clean, calm waters ideal for families and people who like to wade and relax in the ocean, Las Olas Beach is the quintessential Fort Lauderdale beach. The beach offers great sunbathing, and you can also rent beach umbrellas and chairs.

The once winter estate of wealthy circus magnate John Ringling and his wife Mable is today a museum complex showcasing Ringling’s vast private art collection alongside the state of Florida’s art collection. There’s also a circus museum, the Ringling Bayfront Gardens, the historic Asolo Theater and Ca'd'Zan, the Ringling’s opulent Prohibition-era mansion, built in the in the Venetian Gothic style, complete with ceiling frescos and abundant marble.

Miami's South Beach neighborhood features 10 miles (16 kilometers) of beaches with a buzzing, carnival-like atmosphere. With a trendy Caribbean-chic café culture and an impossibly hip and sexy nightlife scene, the area is a nonstop people-watching mecca.

Home to an array of animals ranging from native Florida species to African wildlife, ZooTampa at Lowry Park is a top family attraction in the Tampa Bay area. In addition to the animals, the zoo features a train and other kid-friendly rides.

Ybor City has been known for over a century as Tampa's Latin Quarter. Founded in the 1880s by Vicente Martinez-Ybor as a cigar-manufacturing center, the neighborhood is now one of Florida's most distinct areas, thanks to its diverse immigrant communities and vibrant culture.

St. Augustine’s Castillo de San Marcos National Monument is the oldest masonry fort in the United States and the only intact 17th-century fort. Constructed by the Spanish in 1672 to protect their New World territories, it eventually passed to the British and Americans, and ended up playing a crucial role in the Civil and Spanish–American wars.

Located in downtown Tampa between two cruise ship terminals and along the free streetcar route, The Florida Aquarium houses more than 9,000 animals within a 200,000-square-foot (18,500-square-meter) facility in Tampa Bay. The entire family will enjoy this aquarium, which offers nine unique habitats, an outside water adventure zone for children, and on-site café with indoor and outdoor seating.

Filled with more than 100,000 items reflecting the times of the early 20th century, the Oldest Store Museum reflects what you might have found in a typical general store at the turn of the century. A tour with in-character guides gives you an engaging look at authentic antique items with a fun explanation of local history.

Built in 1869 as the Keeper’s Quarters of the Pensacola Light Station, the Richard C. Callaway Museum was converted into a maritime museum in 1995. The Pensacola Lighthouse, erected in 1859, is even older and is still an active U.S. Coast Guard navigation aid. U.S. Navy Blue Angels are based at NAS Pensacola, where the Lighthouse resides.

Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is a protected mangrove estuary and research center in Naples, Florida. The land was purchased in the 1960s to prevent further destruction to Collier County’s ecological area. Today, these untouched mangroves offer on-water exploration while the research facility provides interactive and educational events.

Extending a quarter mile (1,300 feet) over the Atlantic Ocean, the Edward B. Knight Pier is perhaps the best place in Key West to see the sunrise. The concrete, Brutalist-style pier is also an excellent place to soak up ocean views at any time.

Sandwiched between the sizzling beaches of Miami and the white sands of Key West, the Everglades National Park stands in stark contrast to its seductive neighbors—but don’t make the mistake of passing it by. Visit the park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and discover for yourself the spectacular swampy weirdness that draws over one million visitors every year and constitutes a one-of-a-kind destination for nature lovers.

Clematis Street is a roadway acting as a “Main Street” of downtown West Palm Beach. A commercial district since the 1890s, Clematis Street is both the historical heart and lively hub of the city. Running west to east, the street features shopping, dining, entertainment venues, and views of the Intercoastal Waterway.

The extensive Salvador Dali Museum is home to the largest collection of works by the famous Spanish surrealist outside of Europe. Visitors to the St. Petersburg highlight can view key works from every stage of Dali’s career as well as exceptional pieces from every medium of his artistic endeavors—oil paintings, original drawings, prints, sculptures, and photos—along with manuscripts and an extensive archive of documents.

The NSU Art Museum is located on Fort Lauderdale’s Las Olas Boulevard, a key part of the vibrant art district. Visitors can view more than 6,000 works in the museum’s international collection, which has a strong focus on South Florida and Caribbean culture, with artwork by Cuban artists, William Glackens, and northern European CoBrA artists.

The Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, which spans 80 acres (73 hectares) of land, is a ruggedly beautiful park in the middle of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. There’s something for everyone here: paved paths for bicyclists, several nature trails for hikers, and more than 200 plant species. A freshwater lagoon is a great place for canoeing or kayaking, and you can fish here, too.

Break away from the throngs of tourists crowding Miami Beach, and discover the revitalized district of Wynwood. Once nothing but run-down warehouses, the now-hip neighborhood is known for its mural-lined streets. Visitors also enjoy the numerous art galleries, coffee shops, craft breweries, and Puerto Rican–influenced eateries.

Treacherous waters off Key West have brought down ships carrying gold and silver for centuries. The Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum puts those treasures on display, alongside cannons, swords, and other artifacts dredged from the bottom of the sea. Wrecks from the 1700s and 1800s are the heart of the museum's collection.