Known as “The Sunshine State”, Florida is heavily focused on the tourist trade. The beaches are one of the most popular
tourist attractions in Florida,
along with some of the world’s best known theme parks, including Disney
World, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld. However some of the state’s
best secrets are in secluded locations away from tourist areas and well
worth seeing. Regardless of preference Florida has something to offer
for any kind of traveler.
10Amelia Island
Amelia Island
is one of the southernmost of the Sea Islands, a chain of barrier
islands that stretches from South Carolina to Florida. Amelia Island is
home to Fernandina Beach, a charming shrimping village with 50 blocks of
historic buildings, delightful eateries, and unique B&Bs and six
golf courses.
9Castillo de San Marcos
Located in the city of
St. Augustine,
The Castillo de San Marcos site is the oldest masonry fort in the
United States. Given the fine state of the Castillo de San Marcos
National Monument it’s difficult to believe that the fortress was built
in the late 1600s. Its longevity is due to its design: a diamond-shaped
rampart at each corner maximized firepower, and 14 feet thick walls
reduced its vulnerability to attack. St Augustine itself is a small
jewel of a city known as the oldest European settlement in the United
States, full of romantic ambiance and old world charm.
8Universal Orlando Resort
Universal
Orlando Resort is the top ranked challenger to Disney, as the largest
of the Universal Studios Theme Parks. The resort consists of two theme
parks: The original Universal Studios Florida and the second theme park,
Islands of Adventure. Other attractions include a nightclub and
restaurant complex, CityWalk, and three resort hotels.
7Fort Lauderdale Beach
Located on the Atlantic coast,
Fort Lauderdale
is known as the “Venice of America” due to its expansive and intricate
canal system. The city is most famous for its beaches and boats. Once a
major spring break destination it is now a stylish and sophisticated
city. Central along the beach strip is Fort Lauderdale Beach, with its
crisp, new, wavy-walked promenade separating the beach from the low-rise
lodgings, restaurants, and beach shops.
6Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy
Space Center has been the launch site for every US human space flight
since 1968 and currently operates as a launch site for unmanned rockets.
It is also one of Florida’s tourist attractions and the Kennedy Space
Center Visitor Complex offers museums, movies, a rocket garden and bus
tours of important shuttle preparation and launch facilities. Before a
rocket launch, the Visitor Complex also sells “launch passes” but keep
in mind that for safety reasons, the closest approach available is at
least 4 miles away, and often much further.
5Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World, located in
Lake Buena Vista
near Orlando, is the flagship of Disney’s worldwide theme park empire
and the most popular tourist attraction in Florida. It is also by far,
the world’s largest and most-visited theme park resort. The centerpieces
of Walt Disney World are the four theme parks: The Magic Kingdom,
Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Some
visitors describe it as a place of fun, magic and fantasy while others
complain of crowds, artifice, and unrelenting tackiness.
4Key West
Key West
is known as the southernmost city in the continental United States and
is located closer to Havana than to Miami. For many years, Key West was
the largest town in Florida, and it grew prosperous from the valuables
of shipwrecks. Improved navigation led to fewer shipwrecks, and Key West
went into a decline in the late 19th century. Although Key West today
has been heavily restored and revitalized for the one million tourists
that visit the island each year, the town has retained some of its sense
of individualism and isolation, somewhat detached from the rest of
Florida. Tourist attractions on Key West include Ernest Hemingway’s
former home, the Southernmost Point, the lighthouse and several drinking
establishments.
3Everglades
To
the uninitiated, the Everglades might appear as a big swamp but it is
actually a vast, shallow, slow moving river of grass that extends from
Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay. During the dry season it dries up except
for the deeper places. It is an incredibly unique ecosystem, a
subtropical wilderness that supports creatures such as alligators,
bottlenose dolphins, manatees and bald eagles. And amid the mangroves,
cypress, hardwood hammocks and miles of grass, there are endless
opportunities in the everglades for hiking, bicycling, canoing,
kayaking, boating, camping and fishing.
2South Beach
Before
Miami Vice, South Beach was a place where crime kept residents indoors
at night and hotels stood mostly vacant. In the late 1980s helped by the
TV show’s popularity a renaissance began in South Beach, with an influx
of fashion industry professionals moving into the area. Today South
Beach is the most popular and richest area of
Miami Beach
and one of the top tourist attractions in Florida. The area is known
for its hip clubs and wild nightlife as well as its famous art deco
design.
1Florida Keys
The
Florida Keys
are a 120 mile long chain of tropical islands curving around the base
of the Florida peninsula, connected to the mainland by a series of
bridges. The most spectacular bridge, the Seven Mile Bridge in the Lower
Keys, has been frequently used as a location for films including True
Lies and Fast 2 Furious. US Highway 1, the “Overseas Highway” runs from
Key Largo, Islamadora, Marathon, Lower Keys and finally to Key West, the
most distant and most famous of the Florida Keys.
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