The west side of the Indian River Lagoon has an Old Florida flavor — especially the scenic 20-mile drive between Stuart and Fort Pierce. The region has enough places to explore to make a great getaway.
Southeast Florida
Southeast Florida Getaways
Things to do in Southeast Florida, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Stuart and getaways to outdoor recreation, hiking, biking, trails, canoeing, kayaking, places to camp, places to stay, unique restaurants, road trips, historic places and Funky Florida.
Discover Hobe Sound’s ‘secret’ wild beach and wildlife refuge
Secret beaches are the stuff of vacation dreams. But I found one — more than 5 miles of wild, broad unspoiled sandy shore, lined with thick native vegetation and without a condo or T-shirt shop in sight.
Jupiter: Discover unspoiled nature near urban centers
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 .
11 ways to enjoy Palm Beach island history, beauty & recreation
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.
Miami Beachwalk offers best oceanfront biking in South Florida
All bicyclists love traffic-free paved paths with great views. In traffic-choked South Florida, the Miami Beachwalk is as good as it gets — a recently completed paved path offering nine miles hugging the beach with views of the Atlantic Ocean and not a single intersection.
Miami’s Stiltsville: See it by boat on tours in Biscayne National Park
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.
Delray Beach: Walkable town with award-winning beach is a great weekend getaway
The beach in Delray Beach is so special that it was one of only three in the US to win the Blue Flag Beach Award in April 2025. Delray makes a great beach getaway because of its charming, downtown and some unusual attractions, like an authentic Japanese garden.
Visit Hillsboro Lighthouse for boat ride, Florida history & great view
A trip to Hillsboro lighthouse, a historic and romantic landmark in Broward County, is a fun day trip that starts with the boat ride to the lighthouse.
Kayaking the Indian River Lagoon: Island hopping to picnic, even camp
Folks who dream of picnicking or even camping on their own little island can do just that quite easily by kayaking the Indian River Lagoon. There are dozens of spoil islands in the lagoon that make great paddling destinations.
Jupiter Lighthouse: Food, fun and five ways to enjoy historic site
Jupiter Lighthouse offers a spectacular view, an interesting history, plus great spots nearby to kayak, hike or relax for a waterfront lunch.
In spring, see wood storks nesting up close at Wakodahatchee in Delray
One of the best places to see wood storks and other wading birds nesting up close in spring is Wakodahatchee Preserve in Delray Beach. In February to April, dozens of storks build nests close to an easy-to-walk .75 mile boardwalk.
St. Lucie River South Fork deserves discovery, especially by South Florida paddlers
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.