The best historic places in Florida will entertain, inform, and probably surprise you. As a bonus, they are also some of the most beautiful places in the state.
Did we miss your favorite?
The best historic places in Florida will entertain, inform, and probably surprise you. As a bonus, they are also some of the most beautiful places in the state.
Did we miss your favorite?
Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park in New Port Richey is not well known outside its area. But it’s a good place to kayak both to see springs in the park and to paddle into the Gulf to see historic stilt houses.
Loop Road is famous for being a wild place. (That once applied to the people as well as the animals.) It’s a gravel road off the Tamiami Trail in the Everglades. If you’re not in a hurry, it’s a rewarding place to explore.
The St. Lucie River is not a well-known kayaking destination — and it should be. It’s wild and gorgeous — a jungly forest of old live oaks thick with airplants and Spanish moss. After paddling about two hours, you reach a remote area where you can picnic and take a hike.
Twenty minutes off I-4 between Orlando and Tampa, there is a little-known wildlife preserve that one visitor calls “a free safari.” It attracts thousands of migrating birds in winter, but it has more to offer than just excellent birding.
Caladesi Island State Park off Dunedin is a pristine white-powder beach with clear water. It’s a perfect kayak destination & one of the top 10 beaches in the US.
This state park is so worth a drive to explore. It would take days to experience it all – a beautiful beach, a well-preserved Civil War fort, hiking, biking, wildlife, great camping.
Cabbage Key is reachable only by boat. It’s popular as a lunch-cruise destination. But stay overnight in the inn or cabins to discover its true charms. On our visit, we also found it’s a great base for exploring by kayak.
Apalachicola is a charming, walkable small town full of history, good food & shops. It’s 20 minutes from the nation’s No. 4 beach on St. George Island.
Florida loves a good festival. Here are 75 hand-picked festivals around the state that range from funky local bashes to huge nationally known cultural events.
One of the classic experiences of an Old Florida vacation was a scenic boat tour. Here are nine iconic boat tours. How many of these have you taken?
Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, like the lake it encircles, is big. You can ride for miles on a smooth paved path with lake views and no traffic or intersections.
Renting a houseboat in Everglades National Park lets you glide into the wilderness of Whitewater Bay and experience its splendor at dawn, at sunset and marvel at its starry skies. Fishermen will love it, but even without fishing, there’s plenty to enjoy.
Chinsegut Hill Historic Site in Brooksville is a rare Antebellum plantation in Florida. Beautifully preserved atop a high hill, it introduces you to remarkable people, black and white, who lived here over 180 years. What a great place to discover!
You need a boat to see most of Biscayne National Park, east of Homestead. About 95 percent of its 172,971 acres are underwater. Fortunately, if you don’t have a boat, there are a variety of experiences available to visitors including snorkeling outings and boat tours to islands.
The historic Gilbert’s Bar House of Refuge couldn’t be in a prettier spot. It tells the story of a wild Florida of tall ships and pioneers. It’s one-of-a-kind, the last surviving refuge for shipwrecked sailors, and it recently reopened.
Florida A1A stretches the whole length of the state’s Atlantic coast. But the can’t-miss part is this 30 miles in Northeast Florida. Here are the best stops along that route, some you might miss without our tips.
This region may be known for its theme parks, but it should really be famous for its springs and rivers. If you like paddling, you’ll find some of the Florida’s best kayaking in Central Florida.
A peaceful park shaded by magnificent live oaks is a good place to soak up some Florida history and take a walk or have a picnic. The battlefield tells a dramatic and thought-provoking story.
Between Lake Okeechobee and Fort Myers, a stretch of the Caloosahatchee River offers a taste of Old Florida — small towns, rivers ideal for kayaking and good public campgrounds.