Florida. Ocean, islands and wild nature.

Miami & Miami Beach

Ocean air, pastel façades and a meeting of cultures

Miami has several very different faces. Glass towers rise beside the bay, Cuban coffee scents the streets of Little Havana, and Wynwood turns building walls into an open-air gallery. People, languages and flavours from the Caribbean and Latin America give the city its character.

Across the bay, Miami Beach reveals Florida's seaside mood: a broad beach, palms and pastel hotels along Ocean Drive. Geometric Art Deco façades and neon signs give South Beach its distinctive look. Miami is both the beginning and the end of our Florida loop.

Key West & the Florida Keys

An ocean road and an island state of mind

In the Florida Keys, the road itself becomes part of the landscape. The Overseas Highway links the islands with bridges, with shallow turquoise water on either side. Remnants of older crossings stand alongside the modern route, recalling the railway that once reached Key West.

At the end of the road is a town of wooden houses, tropical gardens and easy-going harbour streets. Duval Street is its lively backbone, while Ernest Hemingway's home recalls the island's literary past. Key West is a separate excursion from Miami, returning to the same base.

Everglades National Park

A river of grass, alligators and an airboat ride

Everglades reveals a Florida far removed from beaches and city lights. Wetlands, grassy expanses and islands of trees form a landscape shaped by shallow water moving slowly across almost level ground. Alongside birds and turtles live the most recognisable residents of this landscape: alligators.

Both American alligators and American crocodiles inhabit the Everglades. Alligators mainly live in fresh water and have darker skin and broad, rounded snouts. Crocodiles have narrower, more pointed snouts and more often inhabit coastal brackish and salt water. On a freshwater wetland outing, an alligator is therefore the more typical sighting; the presence of both species in the park does not mean we will see both on the same boat ride.

Shark Valley lies in the heart of this freshwater ecosystem. Its observation tower reveals the scale of the landscape, while the route through the wetlands offers opportunities to observe birds and alligators. It is a quieter way to discover the “river of grass”, from the trail and the lookout.

An airboat ride offers another perspective on the wetlands. These flat-bottomed boats are driven by a large propeller mounted at the rear, travelling across shallow water and open stretches among the grasses. A guide helps spot birds and alligators in their natural habitat, although wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.

An airboat ride can be an additional experience during a visit to the Everglades area, separate from exploring Shark Valley. Within the national park, authorised operators run airboat tours in a designated part of East Everglades. The National Park Service lists Coopertown, Everglades Safari Park and Gator Park. The operator and tour arrangements are selected when planning the journey.

Siesta Key

White sand and room to slow down

Siesta Key is the beach chapter of this journey. A wide stretch of pale sand, low-rise buildings and an open horizon invite an uncomplicated pause by the water. After Miami's city energy and the Everglades wetlands, both the scenery and the pace change.

The island lies beside Sarasota, and its small centre, Siesta Key Village, brings restaurants and shops close to the beach. Facing west, the shoreline catches the evening light. This is a place to linger by the sea rather than simply photograph another stop.

Crystal River

Clear springs and a winter refuge for manatees

Crystal River offers water with a very different character from the open ocean. Springs feeding Kings Bay create clear pools surrounded by greenery, providing a winter refuge for manatees. These large herbivorous mammals move slowly and regularly surface to breathe.

Three Sisters Springs is one of the area's most distinctive places. From above, pale underwater ground, vegetation and the outlines of animals are visible beneath the surface. Late February and early March fall within manatee season, although their numbers and locations always depend on conditions.

Orlando

Movie magic and a city among lakes

Orlando brings Disney and Universal to mind: places where screen worlds become vast sets and technology brings stories to life. Each park has its own character, from fairy-tale architecture to cinema-inspired attractions and spectacular rides.

Beyond the parks is another Orlando: lakes, green neighbourhoods and city life around Lake Eola. Nearby Winter Park adds quiet streets, gardens and waterways. This stop brings together entertainment and a less obvious, everyday side of Central Florida.

Cape Canaveral & Kennedy Space Center

The coast that helped reach the Moon

On the Space Coast, spaceflight history has a tangible scale. Huge rockets, launch structures and the Atlantis orbiter reveal the effort required to leave Earth. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex connects the Apollo story with the shuttle era and contemporary space exploration.

Cape Canaveral is often used as shorthand for the entire spaceflight region, but Kennedy Space Center itself is on Merritt Island. Ocean, natural habitats and active space infrastructure sit unusually close together here.

Fort Lauderdale Beach

A broad beach, palms and a city on the water

Fort Lauderdale Beach brings together a broad stretch of sand, a beachfront promenade, palm trees and an open Atlantic horizon. A distinctive white wave-shaped wall runs along the shore, while restaurants, cafés and hotels line the other side of the street. This is a beach woven into city life, where the water and an ocean-view table are only a short walk apart.

Behind the beachfront buildings is another side of Fort Lauderdale: canals, marinas and waterfront homes. The Las Olas area connects beach life with an urban atmosphere. This is our final seaside base, including the last overnight stay in Fort Lauderdale. We return to Miami on the day of departure.