Florida

Gliding over the Everglades on an airboat tour

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Ready to play on the soft, white sands of Clearwater Beach

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The Cheetah Hunt rollercoaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

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Floating over forests and lakes on a hot air balloon ride near Davenport

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Summer fun on the Wacissa River

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Making a splash at the Reunion Resort Water Park

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Classic cars and art deco architecture in Miami Beach

Patrick Farrell

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A perfect Florida beach day, floating in the surf on a flamingo raft

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Spying marine life in the coral reefs of Fort Jefferson at Dry Tortugas National Park

Patrick Farrell

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Major Airports:

Miami (MIA)

Orlando (MCO)

Tampa (TPA)
Nickname:

The Sunshine State

Discover more when you explore each corner of Florida

Located in the southeastern USA with coastlines on both the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, sunny Florida is home to plenty of surprises. Visit perennial Florida favorites such as beaches and theme parks – then go beyond them to discover natural treasures, first-rate cultural attractions and hidden gems.

Florida Travel: Explore Florida in 60 Seconds

Central Florida’s Natural Beauty

Spend several fun-filled days in Orlando and Kissimmee exploring theme parks, including Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Studios, each filled with thrill rides and immersive experiences. Then head an hour east to Florida’s Space Coast, where the family can relax on Atlantic Ocean beaches, tour the Kennedy Space Center and be amazed by live rocket launches. Pick oranges and get a monster truck tour in a Clermont citrus grove. See wildlife at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, set on Florida’s largest barrier island and home to bald eagles, osprey, gopher tortoises and nesting sea turtles. Take a scenic hot air balloon ride over Davenport, or try an adrenaline-pumping skydiving experience over Plant City.

Culture and Craft Beer on the Gulf of Mexico

Visit Busch Gardens Tampa Bay for heart-pounding roller coasters and exotic animals. Stroll the Tampa Riverwalk, which is dotted with restaurants, bars, museums and entertainment options, including The Florida Aquarium, home to tens of thousands of tropical creatures. Drive about 45 minutes west to award-winning Clearwater Beach, with its white sand and calm waters. In St. Petersburg, visit museums and more than 35 breweries along the Gulp Coast Craft Beer Trail. From mid-November to late March, swim with gentle manatees in Crystal River. Enjoy museums, art galleries and performing arts in Sarasota. Go boating, snorkeling and swimming on Siesta Key.

Endless Adventure in South Florida

See and be seen on Miami’s South Beach, packed with Art Deco architecture, galleries, boutiques, restaurants and bars. At night, the area lights up with dance clubs, Latin music, DJs and cocktail bars. In the morning, take a short drive to Everglades National Park for an airboat tour of coastal mangroves and sawgrass marshes, home to alligators and manatees. Explore South Florida’s many charming towns, such as romantic Delray Beach with its Pineapple Grove Arts District. Discover the Florida Keys at island destinations including Key Largo and Bahia Honda State Park. They’re prime spots to relax on the beach, boat, fish and snorkel. In the evening, check out the offbeat nightlife of Duval Street in Key West.

North Florida Charm and Family Fun

Bring the family to Jacksonville, home to more than a dozen museums exploring history, contemporary art and science. The lush Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens features more than 2,000 animals and 1,000 species of plants. Keep the excitement going with a road trip to Ocala, where an abandoned limestone quarry is home to the hair-raising Canyons Zip Line and Canopy Tours. Take your exploration underground at Florida Caverns State Park near Marianna. Relax on the beaches of the Emerald Coast, notable for their white sand and jewel-green waters. Wander cobblestone streets in St. Augustine, the USA’s oldest city. Amelia Island and quaint Fernandina Beach offer upscale resorts, championship golf and charming shops.

Florida Travel: Explore Florida in 60 Seconds

Fun Fact

Early explorers of Florida claimed to have seen mermaids; what they actually saw were the docile manatees who thrive in Florida’s waters.

Exploring a citrus grove in Clermont, Florida

The Citrus State? Florida is second only to Brazil in global orange juice production and remains the world’s leading producer of grapefruit. Florida also produces more than 70 percent of the USA’s supply of citrus.

Touring Florida Caverns State Park in Marianna

Florida Caverns State Park in Marianna is the only place in Florida where visitors can tour air-filled caves. The underground limestone formations are more than 30 million years old.

Photo: Dorothy Thames

Must see places

The Everglades

The “river of grass” flows from Central Florida all the way down to the Florida Keys and encompasses numerous parks and preserves, including Everglades National Park. Take in the wildlife on an airboat tour, slip through the mangroves by kayak or walk one of many trails leading you right through this unique habitat.

The Dali Museum

View the ultimate Surrealist’s masterworks at this St. Petersburg museum, which houses the largest collection of Salvador Dali’s paintings and sculptures outside of Europe and is constantly updating its exhibits.

Manatees swimming in Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River, Florida

Crystal River Manatee Tours

In this city ringing Kings Bay, 50 springs contain more manatees than you can count. This is the only place where you can take a snorkeling tour to swim with them.

Daron Dean

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument

Explore the oldest masonry fort in the continental USA, which dates back to the 1600s. A prominent feature on the downtown St. Augustine waterfront, the majestic fortress used to protect and defend Spain’s claims in the New World. Today, visitors can check out exhibits, attend interpretive programs or just stroll the tranquil grounds.

Christ of the Deep Statue

One of the most popular diving and snorkeling destinations in the Florida Keys, this underwater statue off the coast of Key Largo draws visitors from across the globe. But it’s not just the massive bronze sculpture that captures attention; the multi-colored fish and coral that call the surrounding area home are also major draws.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Located at Cape Canaveral, this park and museum complex tells the story of human space exploration, past, present and future. Meet an astronaut, experience myriad exhibits and marvel at actual spacecraft – all just one hour from Orlando.

Walt Disney World Resort

This sprawling theme park and resort destination includes Magic Kingdom Park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park; two water parks; an entertainment district and themed resort hotels. The Walt Disney World Resort offers a magical world of wonder just waiting to be explored.

Universal Orlando Resort

From jaw-dropping thrills to unforgettable dining,The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, Universal Orlando Resort offers three theme parks, six on-site hotels and the entertainment complex CityWalk.

Wynwood Walls

These days, a trip to lively Miami isn’t complete without a stop in the Wynwood District. One of the city’s most happening districts houses a funky art scene with an outdoor, always-changing mural museum. Hip restaurants, craft breweries and inspired galleries pepper the area as well.

Southernmost Point Buoy

No trip to the Florida Keys is complete without a stop by this colorful buoy, which is believed to mark both the southernmost point in Key West and the southernmost point in the continental USA. After catching the sunset from Mallory Square, checking out Key West’s museums and enjoying an evening on Duval Street, a selfie at the Southernmost Point with its gorgeous blue-water backdrop is the perfect way to cap off a vacation.