manatees |

Some sections of the 2.5 mile beach remain closed. Otherwise, the park is open every day from 8 a.m. until sunset.

Weeki Wachee Springs State Park is known for its iconic mermaid show and water park. The gorgeous spring-fed river is also a great place for kayak and SUP rentals, although the route from the park has been shortened.

The magic of manatees draws thousands to the Crystal River on the Gulf Coast each winter. Here’s a practical guide to manatee experiences in Three Sisters Springs and Kings Bay — kayaking with manatees, swimming with manatees or admiring them from a boardwalk.

Crystal River is the only river in Florida where you are allowed to swim with the manatees, and it’s undergoing a remarkable restoration.

Chilly weather brings manatees back to springs and rivers throughout Florida. If you’re lucky, you can see manatees in lots of waterways around Florida, but here are a few locations where, in winter, you can reliably admire these charming creatures — and even kayak with them.

The park, home to hundreds of manatees in the winter, is beautiful and paddling opportunities are numerous. There’s something special year-round. In summer 2024, however, habitat restoration will close all swimming.

Hutchinson Island boasts some of the nicest beaches in Florida with easy public access on sandy paths through the dunes, the way Atlantic beaches used to be.

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.

Many people miss it, sticking to Duval Street, but one of the most scenic strolls in Key West — and a top freebie — is the harbor walk along Key West Bight, also known as the Historic Key West Seaport.

Ponce Inlet is a calm ocean-front town at the tip of a barrier island. It has free parking, the tallest lighthouse in Florida (which you can tour) plus parks, a beach and places to eat fresh seafood.