Venture beyond Orlando and its theme parks, and you'll find an oasis of peace and calm on the idyllic shores of the Gulf and Gold Coast.  Their fine sandy beaches provide the perfect place to rest up after days of action packed adventure.

Glide through the Everglades on an airboat, or sail through the Florida Keys, mix with the rich and famous on Marco Island or sway to the Cuban rhythm in Miami 's South Beach.

Florida Everglades National Park, Florida Keys, St Petersburg, St Augustine, Miami, Daytona Beach, Cocoa Beach, Mount Dora, Naples, Venice, Bok Tower Gardens, Silver Springs, Homossassa Springs

Florida Everglades National Park
The Florida Everglades National Park covers 1.4 million acres and still makes up only one –fifth of the Everglades area.  There are a variety of boat trips and excursions available to explore the wildlife and scenery of the area.

Florida Keys
Starting in Florida City, green roadside signs, known as mile markers provide a countdown from MM 126 to MM 00 (Mile Zero) in Key West.  At the end of the chain, Key West is closer to Havana than Miam.  Here you can have your photograph taken at the Southernmost Point and look around the many museums including Ernest Hemingway's home.

St Petersburg
St Petersburg 's claim to be a lively cultural centre which is greatly boosted by the presence of the many prestigious museums including the Salvador Dali Museum.  There is also The Pier, The Sunshine Skyway Bridge, and 28 miles of superb beaches.

St Augustine
The oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the United States.   Here there are numerous museums including Ripley's Believe it or Not, Jailhouse, Fort, the Oldest School House, or why not try the wine tasting at The San Sebastian winery.

Miami
Miami has been called the Magic City, because what was merely a trading post a century ago now sprawls for 2,000 square miles. Visitors are most likely to remember Miami for its lustrous beaches, Ocean Drive with its Deco style buildings, Downtown and Little Havana.

Daytona Beach
The traditional attractions include a pier, bandstand, and open-air amphitheatre.  Beach Street is lined with shops, restaurants, and clubs.  Classics Auto attraction features 120 cars, both vintage and one-offs, and of course there's Daytona Speedway, home to the Daytona 500 and the other NASCAR races.

Cocoa Beach
Just 60 miles west of the Interstate Highway 4, via the Bee Line Express, Cocoa Beach is the closest beach to Orlando.  Surfing is taken seriously here, due to the presence of the Ron Jon Surf Shop, a vast surfing mecca that sells surf wear, beach gear and boards and every imaginable beach accessory.

Mount Dora
Just 25 miles from Orlando, charming Mount Dora seems plucked from the 1950's.   The cosy downtown is unmarred by strip malls or chain stores.  Instead the local industry is antiques with dozens of small shops around Donnelly Street .

Naples
Naples prides itself on its manicured appearance and its golf courses, with 55 of them, it has the greatest per capital concentration of courses in the state.  Downtown, most of what is called ‘historic' Naples dates back from the early 20 th Century with its pastel coloured buildings which are a pleasant area to explore.

Venice
Venice is a sleepy seaside town, slightly off the beaten track and awash with flowers and palm trees, which run down to the centre of the main shopping street, Venice Avenue.  The town also has a fine collection of carefully restored buildings including the Venice Little Theatre on Tampa Avenue which dates from 1927.

Bok Tower GardensGGardensG

Edward W Bok arrived in the US from Holland in 1870.  Shortly before his death 1n 1930, he presented 128 acres of lovely woodland gardens to the American public.  Sitting at the highest spot in peninsular Florida they centre on the Singing Tower, which soars above the tree tops and shelters Bok's grave at its base.   You cannot climb the tower, but try to attend its 45 minute live carillon service, rung daily at 3 pm.

Silver Springs

A 350 acre nature theme park surrounds the headwaters of the beautiful Silver River, the largest artesian spring formation in the world.  Located 90 miles north of Orlando, just east of Ocala, Florida.  Here you can view the underground springs from our famous glass-bottom boats, where you’ll see fish, shellfish, turtles and alligators in water that’s up to 80 feet deep and 99.8% pure. Walk the beautiful grounds and experience the natural habitats of Florida’s largest alligators, endangered bears and panthers, Kritter Korral petting zoo, plus an entertaining variety of wildlife shows from Birds of Prey to snakes and reptiles.  There are rides and exhibits for all ages in a natural setting of stunning beauty.

Homosassa Springs

Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park a showcase for Florida Wildlife, offers visitors an excellent opportunity to observe native animals, birds and plants in their natural setting.  Walk along a naturally beautiful boardwalk and view many Florida species such as cougars, bear, white-tailed deer, bobcats, otters and fox.

 

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