St Augustine
Looking like a faux Spanish castle from a medieval theme park, this gray edifice was built out of a mix of concrete and local coquina shells in 1883. The…
Must-see attractions in Florida
Miami
David Fairchild, the Indiana Jones of the botanical world and founder of Fairchild Tropical Garden, would rest at the Kampong (Malay/Indonesian for …
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
St Augustine
This photogenic fort is an atmospheric monument to longevity: it's the country's oldest masonry fort, completed by the Spanish in 1695. In its time, the…
Tampa
Why is there a Buddhist Thai temple in the middle of Tampa? Who cares, the noodle soup is amazing. On Sundays hundreds of people show up for the food and…
Key West
Key West locals have a love-hate relationship with the most famous road in Key West (if not the Keys). Duval, Old Town Key West’s main strip, is a miracle…
Tampa
This 30-acre water park has everything a modern, top-flight water park requires: a long lazy river, a huge wave pool, bucket-dumping splash zones, a…
South Beach
The Cardozo and its neighbor, the Carlyle, were the first deco hotels saved by the Miami Design Preservation League, and in the case of the Cardozo, we…
Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters
Florida Keys
A visit to this small, interactive aquarium starts with a free 20-minute guided tour of some fascinating marine ecosystems. There are also more immersive…
Florida Keys
This is one of the nicest spots on the island to stop and smell the roses. And the pinelands. And the palm hammock – a sort of palm jungle (imagine…
Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center
Key West
This 6000-sq-ft center is one of the best places in the Keys to learn about the extraordinary marine environments of South Florida. Start off with the 20…
Florida Keys
Perhaps the best-named island in the Keys, No Name gets few visitors, as it’s basically a residential island. It’s one of the most reliable spots for Key…
Walt Disney World
Quintessential Disney, Fantasyland is the highlight of any Disney trip for both the eight-and-under crowd and grown-ups looking for a nostalgic taste of…
Orlando
One of Orlando’s largest theme parks, SeaWorld is an aquatic-themed park filled with marine animal shows, roller coasters and up-close sea-life encounters…
Miami
Finding a fully intact medieval monastery in North Miami Beach is yet another reason why the moniker 'Magic City' seems so fitting. Constructed in 1141 in…
South Beach
The best art museum in Miami Beach has a playfully futuristic facade, a crisp interplay of lines and a bright, white-walled space – like an Orthodox…
Everglades National Park
Shark Valley sounds like it should be the headquarters for the villain in a James Bond movie, but it is in fact a slice of National Park Service grounds…
Fort Zachary Taylor State Park
Key West
‘America’s Southernmost State Park’ is home to an impressive fort, built in the mid-1800s that played roles in the American Civil War and in the Spanish…
Key West
A darkly alluring Gothic labyrinth beckons at the center of this pastel town. Built in 1847, the cemetery crowns Solares Hill, the highest point on the…
Miami
Tequesta people were boating the Oleta River estuary as early as 500 BC, so you’re following a long tradition if you canoe or kayak in this park. At…
Fort East Martello Museum & Gardens
Key West
This old fortress was built to resemble an old Italian Martello-style coastal watchtower (hence the name), a design that quickly became obsolete with the…
Key West
This former hotel (known as the Trev-Mor), built in 1919, was where Hemingway and Pauline first stayed after returning from Paris in 1928.
Fort Lauderdale
Constructed from Dade County pine, grand Stranahan House is a fine example of Florida vernacular design, and one of the state's oldest homes. It served as…
Orlando
Housed in a hard-to-miss, upside-down building, this is yet another bright, loud, frenetic landmark trying to make its mark in Orlando. This one is a…
Miami
When Parrot Jungle – now Jungle Island – flew the coop for the big city, the village of Pinecrest purchased the property in order to keep it as a…
Orlando
Changing exhibits on dinosaurs, the human body, the solar system and more offer candy-coated science education geared towards children aged five to 12. A…
Miami
As you proceed north on Collins, the condos and apartment buildings grow in grandeur and embellishment until you enter an area nicknamed Millionaire’s Row…
Alligator Farm Zoological Park
St Augustine
Herpetophobes should run in the other direction of this facility – the only one on the planet with every species of crocodilian in residence. Nature…
Orlando
Just when you thought Orlando had every water-themed park and attraction available, along comes Sea Life (one of a chain that operates around the world)…
NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale
A curvaceous Florida standout with an interesting spilled rainbow design outside, the museum is known for its William Glackens collection (among Glackens…
Orlando
This water park filled with tropical greenery offers a sense of Polynesia. You can float about in lazy rivers, splash zones, wave pools and water slides…
Miami
The Deering estate is sort of ‘Vizcaya lite,’ which makes sense as it was built by Charles, brother of James Deering (of Vizcaya mansion fame). The 150…
Miami
This grand building has housed boring city-commission meetings since it opened in 1928. It’s impressive from any angle, certainly befitting its importance…
Miami
Step into the cage while monkeys run around, wild and free! Indeed, you’ll be walking through screened-in trails, with primates swinging, screeching and…
Miami
Miami's tropical weather makes strolling around the Metrozoo almost feel like a day in the wild. Look for Asian and African elephants, rare and regal…
Key West
This is where President Harry S Truman used to vacation when he wasn’t molding post-WWII geopolitics. It's beautifully preserved and open only for guided…
Walt Disney World
Adventure Disney-style means pirates and jungles, magic carpets and tree houses, and whimsical and silly representations of the exotic locales from…
St Augustine
This striking former luxury hotel, built in the 1880s, is now the world's most gorgeous dormitory, belonging to Flagler College, who purchased and saved…
Fort Lauderdale Beach & Promenade
Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale's promenade – a wide, brick, palm-tree-dotted pathway swooping along the beach and the A1A – is a magnet for runners, in-line skaters,…
Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami
Miami
The Museum of Contemporary Art has long been a reason to hike up to North Miami – its galleries feature excellent rotating exhibitions of contemporary art…
Miami
Primarily of interest to train buffs, this museum displays more than 30 antique railway cars, including the Ferdinand Magellan presidential car, where…
