Florida Travel Guide

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Top Things to See

Hit the heritage trail
Tour St Augustine (www.historicstaugustine.com), the USA's oldest city, originally settled by the Spanish. The town is a time capsule capturing nearly 500 years of fascinating history.

Master strokes
Visit St Petersburg, home to world-class museums, including the Salvador Dali Museum (www.salvadordalimuseum.org), which contains the world's most comprehensive collection by this famous Spanish surrealist. See the Ringling Museum Complex (www.ringling.org), the official State Museum of Florida. It is a major attraction with superb old masterpieces and a fine contemporary art collection.

Presidential paraphernalia
Explore the Florida International Museum (website: www.floridamuseum.org), home to the largest private collection of John F Kennedy memorabilia, including a recreation of JFK's Oval Office.

Take a spin
Drive down Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road in Miami's South Beach past over 800 candy-colored art deco buildings in the Art Deco Historic District (www.visitsouthbeachonline.com).

Jewish history
Walk through the Florida Holocaust Museum (www.flholocaustmuseum.org) in St Petersburg, one of the largest museums in the country and dedicated to the memory of millions of innocent Jews who died or suffered in the Holocaust.

Eyes to the skies
Catch an air show at Wings Over Miami (www.wingsovermiami.com), a museum with an extensive collection of military and classic aircraft on display.

Speed demons
Thrill to the sounds of thunder at Daytona International Speedway (www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com) which hosts the famous Daytona 500 race each February and the Pepsi 400 NASCAR Winston Cup series in summer.

Outta this world
Coincide a visit to Cape Canaveral with one of NASA's space shuttle launches from the Kennedy Space Center. See launchpads, astronaut training centers, museums and exhibits (www.kennedyspacecenter.com). IMAX presentations give visitors the illusion of space travel.

Island living
Explore Marco Island (www.marco-island-florida.com), an area of stunning beauty and a retreat for the wealthy on the Gulf Coast. The exclusive island is nearly nestled among the Ten Thousand Islands, a maze of mangrove isles that stretch from Naples to the Florida Keys.

Gator spotting
Venture into the tangled wildness and sweeping sawgrass prairies of Florida's subtropical Everglades National Park (www.nps.gov/ever) by airboat tours, nature trails and safari vans. The Everglades is the USA's third-largest national park and home to wild alligators.

National parks
Take a glass-bottomed boat ride through mangroves and islands and out to tropical coral reefs rising 8m (25ft) in Biscayne National Park (www.nps.gov/bisc).

Waterways
Cruise Fort Lauderdale's canals and the Intracoastal Waterway by local water taxi past luxurious homes of the rich and famous. Discover the city's Riverwalk (www.goriverwalk.com), a linear park linking hotels, restaurants and attractions along the banks of the New River.

Head south
Drive south of Miami to the Florida Keys, a long chain of coral reef islands linked by highway US-1 from Key Largo (www.fla-keys.com/keylargo) to Key West (www.floridakeys.com). The keys offer diving, fishing, swimming with dolphins, eco-tours and birdwatching.

Discover Hemmingway's haunts
Explore Key West, the jewel of Florida's keys. Visit Ernest Hemingway's home (www.hemingwayhome.com), tour museums, art galleries, restaurants and quaint bed & breakfasts. Indulge in a variety of water-based activities.

Top Things to Do

Go fishing
Cast out your line at the ‘World's Luckiest Fishing Village', Destin's East Pass, for the best selection of deep-sea fishing excursions on the northern Gulf Coast. Join sportfishermen and anglers in The Keys (www.fla-keys.com) for some of the best fishing off America's coast. Compete with world records for catches of sailfish, marlin, kingfish, snapper, barracuda and grouper.

Wild encounters
Venture to Busch Gardens (www.buschgardens.com), a huge amusement park in Tampa Bay featuring African wildlife. Giraffes, zebras and antelope roam freely through the park's 24-hectare (60-acre) plain, next to thrilling rides such as the Kumba.

Potter around
Experience The Wizarding World of Harry Potter or the terrifying attack of a great white shark on the Jaws Ride at Universal Studios, Orlando, (www.universalorlando.com).

Family fun
Take the family to Walt Disney World Resort (www.disney.go.com), the biggest amusement park in the world. Visit Magic Kingdom; explore science at the Epcot Center; take a safari adventure through Animal Kingdom; see the world of movies at Disney MGM Studios.

Marine life
Meet Shamu and his pod of fellow killer whales at SeaWorld Orlando (www.seaworld.com), southwest of Orlando (journey time - 20 minutes) and one of the country's largest marine parks featuring whales, dolphins, sea lions, seals and otters.

Life's a beach
Swim at New Smyrna Beach (www.nsbfla.com), billed as the ‘World's Safest Bathing Beach' and ‘Best Beach in Florida'. Enjoy backwater fishing, fresh seafood, historical sites and museums, and long seasons of sunshine.Get away to Fort Myers Beach, ideal for family holidays with its safe, gently sloping shoreline and numerous activities.

Play golf
Tee off at one of southwest Florida's beautiful golf courses, where there are more golf holes per capita than any other destination in the USA.

Seaside visit
Relax in Naples (www.naples-florida.com), a charming city of understated elegance, cosy beach cottages and 5-star resorts. Naples is also known for its pristine shoreline and abundant wildlife.

Take the plunge
• Dive in and experience the different watersports offered at Miami Beach (www.miamiandbeaches.com), including kayaking, windsurfing, boogie-boarding and scuba-diving.

Swim with the dolphins
For an unforgettable experience, head for Key Largo or sign on for Dolphin Camp (www.dolphinsplus.com) and learn about these amazing mammals from a resident marine biologist and trainers.