Getaways to the authentic Florida
In Dunedin, we love bicycling the Pinellas Trail, but this charming Tampa Bay area town has more to offer, with eight breweries plus great restaurants and coffee shops in its walkable historic downtown. Twenty minutes away are two excellent state parks with award-winning beaches. Plus it’s a great place to catch a Spring Training game.
No doubt about it: Key West is expensive. But despite its small size, Key West is packed with things to do and see — and some are even free. Here are 10 places to go where you’ll soak up Key West culture without opening your wallet.
This 46-mile paved Central Florida rail trail is a smooth, safe ride. But what makes it special is the scenery, parks & towns to explore along the way.
St. Augustine’s Fort Matanzas is a small stone Spanish fort on a pristine island. You take a short and scenic ferry ride and a ranger-led tour — and it’s all free.
These weekend getaways are for people who want to explore new destinations where they can hike, bike, paddle and experience historic sites. We picked our favorites from years of exploring Florida.
National Wildlife Refuges are sometimes called “America’s best kept secret.” Florida has 29 refuges, the third most of any state. We think these eight are particularly worth discovering.
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.
Florida has a remarkable collection of freshwater springs, but they are no longer secrets. We visited three favorites and saw how popularity is affecting them.
Sanibel has bounced back from a series of hurricanes in 2022-24. The latest reopening: the beachfront bar and restaurant, the Mucky Duck on Captiva.
Emerson Point Preserve is an exceptional county park, off the beaten path on the southern end of Tampa Bay. There is excellent hiking and kayaking, and the real gem is the Portavant temple mound.