Things to do in Florida

Florida is a long peninsula. Tours in Florida on this page cluster at its southern tip, and Miami is the base. The rest is a drive away.

Distances from Miami

• Fort Lauderdale. About 48 km north, forty minutes when the roads are clear.
• The Everglades. About an hour west, where the suburbs stop and the sawgrass starts.
• Key West. About 260 km by road over 42 bridges. It lies closer to Havana than to Miami.
• Orlando. Roughly 380 km north, three and a half to four hours by road, so its theme parks are a separate trip.

What each direction gives

Things to do in Florida follow the compass. The bay gives boat trips, and the marsh gives airboats and alligators in half a day.

The Keys give the longest day, twelve to sixteen hours door to door, with a snorkel stop on some tours. A railway reached Key West in 1912, and the 1935 Labor Day hurricane ruined it. The highway that replaced it opened in 1938.

Practical

• Weather. Miami's afternoon highs run from 25C in January to 33C in July. November to April is the dry half, with highs of 25 to 29C. From late May to mid-October, storms come almost daily.
• Hurricanes. The season runs from 1 June to 30 November and peaks around 10 September.
• Driving. On Florida's Turnpike tolls are billed electronically and cash is not accepted. Most rental firms offer a toll programme, so ask at the desk.
• Everglades fee. Everglades National Park charges $100 on top of the entrance fee to anyone aged 16 or older who lives abroad. Tour groups pay it too. Private airboat parks outside the boundary set their own fares.
• Languages. Group tours run in English and Spanish, some also in French and Italian. A few private tours run in Russian.
• Refunds. Many group tours here are sold as non-refundable, so read the terms first.