Biscayne National Park is 95% underwater. Boat trips to shipwrecks, reefs and islands are the best way to see this park. The shipwreck snorkel tour often goes to the wreck of the Mandalay, which has a fascinating story.
Southeast Florida
This laid-back beach town isn’t famous, but it charms visitors with its funky Florida history, gorgeous beaches and a cute downtown with interesting restaurants and shops.
This Palm Beach Island garden is an insider’s secret. It’s the only botanic garden in Florida devoted only to native plants and it is full of delights. It’s free and is one of many things that makes the exclusive Palm Beach town worth a visit.
With expansive state parks and a national wildlife refuge plus several attractive county and city facilities, Jupiter offers many excellent places to kayak, hike, bike and learn about native wildlife. Within a two hour drive of 6 million people in South Florida, it’s a good getaway for lovers of the outdoors .
Natural beauty makes Riverbend Park a delightful place to explore. Its 10 miles of bike trails are particularly suited to family bicycle outings. It’s also the site of a historic battleground and is where you launch for kayaking the Loxahatchee River.
Within an hour’s drive of the urban tangle of South Florida, one of Florida’s two nationally designated “wild and scenic” rivers meanders through a spectacularly lovely cypress swamp. Kayak trips range from an hour or two to a strenuous all-day adventure.
With a toddler to entertain, we began the search for great safe beaches, the best playgrounds and a place to see flamingos up close near our Fort Lauderdale home. Our mission was accomplished, and we share our five best finds.
The best South Florida camping can be found in these 17 public parks, which are managed by counties, the state and federal governments.
Folks have been fascinated with Stiltsville since the first shack went up in Biscayne Bay a mile from land in the 1930s. Biscayne National Park and a non-profit partner offer regular boat tours that tell the Stiltsville story and take you close to the houses.
Masking the spine of suburban sprawl from Fort Pierce to Jensen Beach is an unexpected escape into the wild.
Beach cams and current weather for Deerfield Beach, FL
Jonathan Dickinson State park can keep a lover of the outdoors busy for days with hiking, biking, kayaking, camping, wildlife watching and soaking up the natural beauty.
Flamingo Gardens has the biggest tree and the largest collection of native wildlife in Florida. It combines history, beauty, flora and fauna for a fun outing.
This state park fits my definition of a hidden paradise: A scenic kayak trail on a wild island that ends at a spectacular hidden beach you’ll have all to yourself. This little-known state park is accessible only by boat.
These havens for injured birds and wildlife are free to visit as you explore Florida. Animal lovers and children will especially enjoy these quick stops.
Snorkeling in Florida doesn’t require a boat. Here are some great places where you can snorkel and see fish and other sea creatures right from the beach.
Crossing the state on Alligator Alley? Here are tips on a how to spend 15 minutes, a half hour or a half day exploring the Everglades from I-75. This mile marker guide helps you decide where to stop and what to do along the way.
Jupiter Island offers a scenic two-lane beachfront road with well-kept landscaping, very little traffic and excellent biking. It goes on for mile after mile past the estates of the rich and famous. And you can build in a stop at a hidden beach.
Hutchinson Island has an abundance of pristine beaches with easy public access, the way Atlantic beaches used to be. You remember the days — when you could just pull off State Road A1A almost anywhere, park on the sand and stroll through the dunes to the ocean.
Cabins bring the “comfort camping” experience to this big, varied state park where you can kayak on a wild river, bicycle, hike for miles and explore an interesting area.
There are 35 pawrific dog beaches in Florida. Find one near you.
Archie’s Seabreeze is an iconic beach bar on Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce that has been drawing a mix of tourists, locals, young & old since 1947.
The island of Palm Beach is the exclusive winter home of billionaires. For the rest of us, it’s a fun place to gawk at mansions and their ficus hedges sculpted into works of art. The town is full of history, too, from Henry Flagler to JFK to Donald Trump.
We’ve spent several great days kayaking the waterways along the St. Lucie River in the Treasure Coast. Here are three kayak trails we like: St. Lucie south branch , St. Lucie Inlet Preserve and Ten Mile Creek.
Big Cypress National Preserve offers excellent Everglades experiences. It’s adjacent to the famous national park, is free and has some spectacular scenery.
A 22,000-acre wilderness with 60 miles of trails for hiking, biking and equestrians through five thriving wildlife habitats. Six primitive camping areas, or try this secret campground with river access.
Delray Beach makes a great weekend getaway: It’s a charming, walkable urban area with outstanding gardens, historic buildings, a great downtown main street and an open, natural beach.
Looking for a camp easily accessible from Interstate 95? These scenic Florida State Parks offer well-maintained campgrounds for your tent or RV.
Cape Sable is 11 miles from Flamingo, the end of the road in Everglades National Park. It’s a wild and wonderful destination for a canoe/kayak camping adventure.
A Virginia Key kayak outing offers an amazing combo – views of the Miami skyline rising out of Biscayne Bay in one direction, mangrove lagoons with shore birds in the other. An extra treat: It’s the best way to see the old Miami Marine Stadium.