Things to do / Travel Guide
Being known as the “Sunshine State” certainly doesn't hurt when attracting visitors who are interested in outdoor experiences. Spanish explorer Juan Ponce De Leon had the right idea in hitting the beaches of southern Florida in his quest for the fountain of youth. Today, visitors to this region will find a bit more in the way of options than Señor De Leon had. If you are into the outdoor lifestyle, southern Florida is a “can't miss,” with great weather and terrain to make it all happen.
Water Activities around Miami and Key West, Florida
Once such activity is diving. Since there is no appreciable “winter” in this region, divers can hit the depths year-round. However, it may be necessary to don a wetsuit at some depths. There is a large variety of environments to dive in, including large living coral in the Florida Keys, many artificial reefs off the Gold Coast, and a multitude of wrecks. You can even try diving for treasure in southern Florida!
After you return from your dive, perhaps some time on the beach is in order. Not a problem here. The southern Florida region offers a myriad of beaches to choose from. The classic example is the venerable Miami Beach with its kiosks and hotel row looming along the sand. Another good choice is Hollywood Beach, with gleaming white sand and well-placed breakers for a nice, gentle surf. However, if it's surfing you want, then Delray Beach is a good choice. Further north, Palm Beach's Reef Road is home to 15-foot waves. Bahia Honda Key is a tropical favorite in the Keys and Captiva and Sanibel Islands are known for sunsets (they are on the eastern coast of Florida), seashells, and long, white sand on the Gulf Coast.
If you're getting a sense that water plays a big part of outdoor life in southern Florida, well, yes, it does. That bodes well for the fishing fans out there. There are literally hundreds of places to fish from, with the many bridges, beaches, bays, piers, and jetties throughout the region. Although there is some freshwater fishing available in the region's many canals, the most popular fishing by far is saltwater fishing. Big-game fishing and deep-sea fishing in the region's waters are also available via chartered boat.
In Everglades City you can take an airboat tour (those special swamp skimmer boats with the giant fan on the back), rent a canoe, or go paddling. Everglades residents include alligators, snakes, lizards, snails, frogs, otters, and many various species of birds.
Visitors to southern Florida may also enjoy swimming with dolphins. Dolphin World, in Miami, Key Largo, and Fort Lauderdale, offers simple encounter programs as well as more in-depth programs, where you can learn about animal behaviors and training.
Land-based Activities around Miami and Key West, Florida
Not wanting to neglect you land lubbers out there, let's look at some fun on good old terra firma. Biking in southern Florida has a lot to offer, even though the terrain is pretty much flat. Nonetheless, it offers excellent road biking opportunities. There are marked bike lanes in many places throughout the region, and most of the state parks in southern Florida have paved biking paths. In fact, almost the entire island of Key West is marked for bike trails, as well as the beach and park areas of Key Biscayne, neighborhood trails of Coral Gables and Coconut Grove, the beachfront promenade in South Beach, at Miami Beach, the boardwalk at Hollywood Beach, the riverwalk area of Fort Lauderdale and all of downtown Naples.
Even though you won't find any hills or mountains in southern Florida, there are places for off-road biking. What you will find are some rugged, natural, and interesting terrain and surroundings. For example, Shark Valley Tram Road is a unique 15-mile-long loop path off of the Tamiami Trail, in the Everglades, where you can bike in the middle of the swamplands.
There's also Oleta River in north Miami, which features many trails for all skill levels, and Markham Park in Sunrise, which features a challenging single-track trail.
Southern Florida offers still more in active, fun options. One popular outdoor activity is a wildlife encounter. There are a couple of options in this realm found here. If you have a desire to go face to face with the king of the jungle, albeit from the safety of your automobile, then Lion Country Safari is a great choice. Leo and his friends roam free in an open savannah while you drive along a designated path. Just don't get out to check the tires, ok?
Southern Florida from Above
If jumping out of a perfectly good aircraft is your idea of a good time, then perhaps you can visit the fine folks at Skydive Miami. They offer tandem jumps, lessons and…uh…insurance. They may have a few “openings.” Indeed, there's no better way to get a grand perspective of the region than from above while skydiving - Geronimo!
For an outdoor adventure that combines both water and flying, perhaps parasailing is the activity for you. Seat yourself in either a single or double gondola that's attached to a parachute. A speedboat will then take off, sending you flying up to 300 feet into the air for a riveting thrill along with a beautiful scenic view of the region's coastline.
As you can see, the southern Florida region is chock full of fun, interesting and very exciting options for those visitors who seek an adventurous, active, outdoor-style vacation.
Outdoor Recreation in Key West, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami Beach, Boca Raton and Southern Florida
Outdoor-Sports-Recreation
Naples Municipal Beach - Florida
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