By car in Florida: an interactive route along the west coast

Florida means “blooming” in Spanish; it is also called the Sunshine State, that is, “the state of sunshine.” Florida's climate is its most valuable natural resource, attracting beach and palm lovers year-round. Last year, the state was visited by 97 million tourists, this is already its fourth Record Florida in recent years.

Many vacationers go to Miami, but few know that there are many other interesting places within a few hours' drive. "West coast is my favorite. White sandy beaches are like flour!” writes Yulia Surin in response to the Forum’s question about the most interesting places in Florida. To get there - to the other side of Florida - from Miami, just cross the peninsula along Highways 41 or 75, right through the famous Everglades Park.

Sergey Umrikhin talks about his favorite places: “Naples, San Augustine (Florida's first city), Tampa and St. Pete with Cuban neighborhoods."

Forum journalists collected their own experience and recommendations from readers, clarified the cost of paid entertainment and created the ideal route for traveling around Central Florida by car. The beginning is the city of Naples, where you can leisurely get to from Miami in two hours.

Watch an interactive map! To see it in full screen, go here.

Crocodiles in the Everglades

What: Excursions in the Everglades reserve on the aero boat

Time: All day - 8 hours, half day - 4 hours (departures at 8:00 and 12:00)

Cost: All day - $134/$79, half day - $96/$59, adult/child (3-12 years old)

More: Everglades National Forest - The world's largest freshwater jungle swamp, filled with rare tropical plants and mangroves. Tours on flat-bottomed airboats, which can get into the thicket, are popular here. These marshes are home to 950 plant species, of which 65 are native to southern Florida. Scientists have discovered 25 species of orchids, 120 tree species and three different types of mangrove trees. 36 species of animals from the fauna inhabiting the swamp are included in The Red Book . This trip is the perfect introduction to the flora and fauna of southern Florida, complemented by beautiful and unusual views.

Alberta Tesla, in a commentary on a Forum survey, advises: “Camping or glamping in the Everglades from November to April 1 is a great opportunity to connect with nature and see a variety of wildlife in their native places. My five-year-old son was delighted."

Naples tour

What: Hiking, cycling tours

Time: Hiking - 4 hours, cycling - 2-2,5 hours

Cost: Walking - $99/$50, cycling - $59/$39, adult/children (12-14 years old). Children under 12 years old are not allowed! The price includes: transport to the starting point, snacks, water and a guidebook.

More: To stretch those muscles that have become stiff in the car, you can go on a hike or pedal a bike tour. There are several routes - the same Everglades or the city of Naples (historic center), Marco Island. If you don't have a bicycle, you can rent one. Additionally, you can invite a guide - a specialist in the flora and fauna of the region. Oksana Kuzmenko, in response to a Forum poll on Facebook, advises: “In Naples there is the Caribbean Zoo and 5th Avenue. But the most important thing, of course, is the beaches.«.

Fish places

What: Sea Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico

Time: From before 4 8 hours

Cost: 4 hours - $400, 6 hours - $600, 8 hours - $700 for a group of up to 3 people. A $100 deposit is required for pre-orders. The price includes: delivery by boat, rental of fishing rods and bait, fishing permit, photography, as well as cutting and packaging of catch.

More: For lovers of sea fishing, Naples is a real paradise, because the shallow and warm Gulf of Mexico is simply teeming with floating fish. Above is an example of prices for fishing on a small boat for a company of up to 4 people.

Naples is also famous for its seafood restaurants - for example, here are a few “delicious places” from Yelp’s selection: Gumbo limbo , The turtle club , Tommy bahama.

Jeep safari

What: Jeep Safari in the wilderness areas of southwest Florida

Time: 90 minutes, photo safari - 2,5 hours, not counting the time of arriving at the starting point

Cost: $35 – adult, $25 – children under 12 years old, from 2 to 6 people in one car; photo safari - $60 per person, from 2 to 4 people in a car.

Start location: 5076 Annunciation Circle #104, Ave Maria, FL 34142, pre-registration required Online especially in high season (from January to April).

More: Seasoned travelers know how popular jeep safari is in Europe and other resort regions. In Florida, with its plains and developed road infrastructure, there are not so many such attractions. However, before reaching Naples, we managed to find the closest analogue of jeeping. True, you will have to ride with a driver, but your hands for the camera are released. And there will be enough objects for photo hunting. Classic 90 minute introductory tour, sunrise and sunset tours, bird watching, 2,5 hour photo safari. Tours pass through wild wilderness areas in orange Wrangler jeeps with a driver guide.

Helen Gaye on site google.maps writes : “A memorable event for a long time, I recommend it to anyone who wants real adventures in the wild!”

Fort myers

Moving north on the highway number 75, minutes through 45 you get to the town of Fort Myers. This fishing village, which was a real outpost during the wars with the Seminole Indians, became a city at the end of the 19 century. Entrepreneur Hamilton Disston from Philadelphia took up work on the reclamation of marshes and connected the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, across the Kalusahatchi River, to Lake Okechobi in the center of Florida. We began to regularly run steamboats, life boiled. Winter residences, which are now available as city attractions, were built here by the famous inventor Thomas Edison and the founder of the American automotive industry, Henry Ford. Leisure will complement the white sandy beaches, a renovated historic center with shops and restaurants and a planetarium.

“The chic museum of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison and the mistery murder train theater there. I liked it,” Inna Borodkina shares her impressions.

Cape Coral

What: Various eco-tours, including meetings with dolphins, sunset cruises, picnics in nature

Time: 1,5 to 3,5 hours

Cost: From $ 30 to $ 56, depending on the tour, including lunch in nature.

More: The neighboring town of Cape Coral appeared from scratch in 1957 through the efforts of a group of realtors. The city quickly developed and even became famous. It has more than 640 kilometers of navigable canals, making it an ideal destination for yacht lovers. There are sandy beaches, fishing piers, a large yacht club, seven golf clubs, and a cozy water park (virtual tour here). Cultural rest can be in the local historical museum, theater and art studios. A site user TripAdvisor under the nickname “Cannolly” was impressed by the environmental center: “This park includes a large walking trail, a butterfly garden, a small museum and a picnic area. The Owl Festival is also held here.”

Sanibel Island

What: Segway tours (segway - two-wheeled electric vehicle) around the island, paddle boarding, kayak tours

Time: From 1,5 to 3,5 hours and above, depending on the tour

Cost: Seagway Tour — $65 per person, limit — from 14 years old, not less than 45 kg; paddle board — $60 per person; kayaks can be rented from one day - $55 (single) and $75 (double)

More: The pearl of these places is rightfully Sanibel Island, where, in addition to stunning beaches, there is a sea shell museum. You can collect beautiful shells yourself, they are in abundance here. The surroundings of the island are favored by dolphins, and kayak tour routes pass through the mangrove forests of the Dean Darling Nature Reserve, a world-famous habitat for the rarest species of birds.

Port charlotte

What: Living in a trailer in nature

Time: How much you want

Cost: $ 200 to $ 250 per week, depending on the type of trailer. Shower, sewage, electricity

More: In no more than 45 minutes you can get from Fort Myers to Port Charlotte and North Port just outside of it. There are two rivers in this area, the Peace and the Millacca, which flow into the Gulf of Mexico, forming a harbor. Thanks to artificial canals with a total length of 300 kilometers, various boats float here, where you can live in the midst of nature. At least a dozen nature reserves are scattered around, where you can walk, fish, ride a bike and swim on kayaks and boards. This area was chosen by lovers of trailers (motor homes), who live here for months and even rent them out.

Hot Springs (North Port)

Чthen: Bathing in a warm mineral spring

Time: Entry ticket valid until 17: 00

How much is: $ 20 all day

Address: 12200 San Servando Ave., North Port, FL 34287

More: Those who want to gain vitality from nature and improve their health at the warm mineral spring Worm Mineral Spring come from all states. Externally, it is a small lake, shallow and safe near the shores. In the center, under the water, there is a deep cave with stalactites, which goes deep into the earth. Water from there comes under high pressure, with a temperature of more than 36 degrees Celsius, along the way being diluted with spring water from shallower layers, cooling to 29 degrees. For thirty thousand years, the water was in a kind of trap at depths of more than 2 kilometers, saturated with minerals. Now it is pouring out of the bowels of the earth at a rate of 30 thousand cubic meters per day, ultimately ending up in the Gulf of Mexico. Mineral salts, dissolved in water, have a beneficial effect on the recovery of the body, heart and kidney function, improve blood circulation, help with arthritis.

Cheryl Lynn left such a review on the site google.maps: “I love this place. At first the smell seems unpleasant, but after being in the water you get used to it. And your skin will love it too!”

Sarasota

What: Ringling Museum Complex

Time: Full day, from 10: 00 to 17: 00

Cost: $ 25 adult, $ 5 for children from 6 to 17 years

More: The city of Sarasota is famous for the millionaire John Ringling, an American circus tycoon of the early 200th century. He spent approximately XNUMX million dollars (even those old ones) on the development of the region. There is a whole museum complex here, which includes: the Museum of Fine Arts, the Circus Museum, and the winter residence of Ringling himself. The circus museum is simply huge; inside there was even a railroad car-residence “Wisconsin”, in which the millionaire personally accompanied the circus. Thanks to the circus performer’s love for Italy, his own Lido Island appeared next to Sarasota. There are beautiful beaches with fine, dust-like white sand, and in the evenings sea sunset lovers gather. “Children and adults will be interested, as this is a museum of the history of the American circus, but there is also a museum of modern art and a luxurious villa on the bay (reminiscent of Villa Vizcaya in Miami)“,” comments Miami resident Vladislav Salaridze.

Venice

What: Tours of the fossil remains of ancient animals

Time: For all day

Cost: $ 75 adult, $ 50 for children from 6 to 12 years

More: At the end of the XIX century there was a small village (with the only mail in the district), which the locals called “Venice”. The town is very quiet and cozy, it's nice to walk around the historical center, where there is even a cathedral of Saint Epiphanius. It’s nice to sit in small street cafes where it seems that you really are in Europe. And Venice is called “the world capital of shark teeth”, here they are constantly being found, including ancient ones, from prehistoric times. It is believed that in coastal waters there are entire deposits of millions of shark teeth that have accumulated over thousands of years. That is why collectors, archaeologists, ichthyologists, as well as creative people who make crafts from these artifacts and write thematic paintings come here. Every year at the beginning of April here passes shark teeth festival. The atmosphere of carnival reigns in the city, artists present their works, many restaurants are open. In addition to shark teeth, you can find other fossils: the remains of mammoths, camels, turtles, whales and dolphins. And you can search not only on the beaches or in the shallow waters of the bay, but also in the rivers flowing into it. They arrange special tours "hunters for minerals".

Bradenton

What: Мthe bonds of south florida

Time: 2-3 hours

How much is: $ 19 adult, $ 14 for children from 4 to 12 years

More: Bradenton is named after Dr. Joseph Braden, whose fortified house from 1850 has served as a refuge for residents of the village during Indian raids. The city has places included in National Register of Historic Places of the United States: Braden Castle Park Historic Districtin which there are about two hundred buildings of the beginning of the 20th century, the Carnegie Library, the old building of the district court 1860 of the year.

One of the most interesting places in the city is the Museum of South Florida (201 10th St. W Bradenton, FL 34205), which also includes a planetarium and an aquarium. In it lives the famous Snooty, The world's oldest 67 manatee, born in captivity and tamed by human hands.

St. Petersburg

What: Salvador Dali Museum

Time: A few hours, the museum is open from 10 to 17-30, on Thursdays to 20: 00

Cost: $24 - adult ticket, $10 - for children from 6 to 12 years old, $17 - for teenagers (under 17 years old), on Thursdays from 17 to 20 - reduced hours - $10 for adults, $8 - for children

More: Another hour of the road and you cross the Tampa Bay on the picturesque bridge Sunshine Skyway Bridge, 6,67 kilometers in length, almost immediately driving into the city of St. Petersburg. It was founded at the end of the 19th century by John Williams and Peter Nomentyev, a Russian nobleman from the province of Tver. According to legend, Williams and Dementiev played in the lot, who will choose the name of the new city. He won a Russian, and called it in honor of the capital of the Russian Empire, where he studied in his youth.

“I recommend the Dali Museum in San Pete, it is very well put together, the largest Dali collection in North America,” writes Elena Bonometti in response to the Forum’s question about the most interesting places in South Florida.

Indeed, the Dali Museum (One Dali Blvd, St. Petersburg, FL 33701) is the city's most famous landmark. Here is the largest collection of works by the Spanish surrealist outside Europe, which was collected over 40 years by the spouses Albert and Eleanor Morse, close friends of the artist.

Another attraction is the pier, extending into the bay on 800 meters and topped with an inverted pyramid with a viewing platform and restaurants.

Tampa

Nearby, at a distance of another bridge, just across Old Tampa Bay, is Florida’s third largest city, Tampa. Here you will find amusement park Bush Gardens with a water park, a large zoo, one of the largest in Florida aquariums and much more.

Opening in the city cigar museum (1818 Ninth Avenue, Tampa, FL 33601) was no coincidence. In 1885, Vicente Martinez Ybor, an American industrialist of Spanish origin, moved the production of cigars from Cuba to Tampa. Cuban tobacco was delivered by sea to Tampa, and then the finished cigars were transported by rail north to other US states. Related industries, commerce, and the service sector began to develop. Tampa grew into the "Cigar Capital of the World" and in 1900 became one of the largest cities in Florida.

Every year, starting in 1947, usually in January, Tampa “Pirate Festival Gasparilla”, which attracts about 400 thousand spectators. The festival is named after the Spanish pirate José Gaspar, known as "Gasparilla", who made his raids off the coast of West Florida in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The celebration features a pirate ship invasion followed by a parade through the main streets.

What: Amusement park “Bush Gardens”

How much time will it take: All day or more, daily, on weekdays from 9-30 to 21-00, on Fridays and Saturdays to 12 hours of the night

How much is: aboutt $ 87 for adults, children up to 3-x years for free

Crystal river

What: Manatee swimming in the river

Time: On average, three hours

Cost: $65 – river cruises, $45 – swimming with manatees. The price includes masks, flippers, wetsuits. For a fee, you can take underwater photography and video

Advance reservation required at site.

More: After an hour and a half drive north, at about Orlando, there are several coastal state reserves, including the Crystal River. This natural area is famous as a place for wintering manatees, which sail here from the Gulf of Mexico to bask in the hot keys of the Crystal River. In winter, up to 600 swims here. Manatees - an endangered species, feeds on bottom vegetation, easily adapts to life in both salt and fresh water. They are absolutely safe and are not afraid of humans.

For harming this animal, and even more so killing, in the USA you can go to prison for three years, so the last poacher in these places was seen 30 years ago. There are several travel agencies that offer water cruises around the reserve, as well as swimming in the river with animals. Swimming on paddle boards and kayak tours are very popular here, during which you can observe and photograph a variety of birds, reptiles, and, of course, manatees, and if you're lucky, dolphins who occasionally swim in the fresh waters of the river.

After such a trip, you can take a look at the entertainment capital - Orlando. Fortunately, this city, famous for Disneyland, is very close.

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