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MiamiMiami may be the retirement capital of the United States, but there is nothing old fashioned about this bright, brash playground city that shines under the sunny Florida skies. This coastal city was a sleepy holiday town until the 1920s, when the 'in crowd' decided to make it their own. The town bloomed into a fun seaside capital and was blessed with a legacy of Art Deco architecture, particularly along South Beach, which has been carefully preserved. During World War II the forces came to town when Miami was an important military base. Today, apart from being a favorite holiday
Mecca and sunny spot for retirees, it is also the gateway to the Caribbean and Latin America.
Miami's large Cuban community add to the atmosphere in the sultry neighborhood of Little Havana. Trendsetters hang out in Coconut Grove, while sunlovers strew the miles of white sandy beaches. For families there are entertaining attractions like the Seaquarium and Metrozoo. The nightlife is sophisticated and varied. The city also gives easy access to Florida's popular Gold Coast resorts and attractions, as well as the natural wonder of the Florida Everglades.
No wonder Miami is America's favorite holiday destination and the hub of a vibrant cruise ship industry, its port jammed constantly with sleek passenger liners. North of the city, miles of beautiful sandy beaches of the Gold Coast are hemmed in by southeast Florida's major tourist resorts: Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pompano Beach and Palm Beach.
Getting Around: The mainstay of the Miami public transport system is the Metrobus; however, the network is large, and it takes some time to get used to. The fare is standard to any destination. If you need to change buses, ask for a transfer when buying your ticket, which costs extra. There is also an elevated train service called the Metrorail, which connects North and South Miami with stations at one mile intervals, and an elevated monorail, the Metromover, which offers great views of downtown Miami and Biscayne Bay and connects with buses and trains. Most visitors, however, take taxis or hire a car. This can be more convenient, as the city is sprawled out over a large area. To rent a car, the driver must be over 21, have a valid credit card and, if from abroad, hold a passport and English language driving license. Local drivers can be aggressive.
TampaMulti-ethnic Tampa on the Florida peninsula's west coast is a thriving city where quaint historic neighborhoods co-exist happily with sleek skyscrapers, and shrimp boats vie with cruise liners for space in the busy port. It was the Cuban immigrant community, led by Vicente Martinez Ybor, who put Tampa on the map when they introduced the cigar industry in the 1880s and developed Ybor City, now fully restored to its Latin Quarter elegance and a favorite neighborhood for tourists to explore, by day or night.
Most visitors to the Tampa area stay in the resorts of St Petersburg and Clearwater, across Tampa Bay from the city. Most pay at least one visit to Tampa itself, however, for the exciting attractions and excellent museums on offer, particularly families with children in tow. The most popular attraction is the Busch Gardens entertainment park. Tampa is also within easy reach of Orlando, site of the world-famous Walt Disney World's theme and adventure park.
Getting Around: Like in most American cities, a hire car is the easiest way to get around Tampa, because public transport is limited. The HARTline provides local and express bus services for the Tampa area, serving all the major malls and attractions and connecting to nearby beaches. Gray Line motor coaches and minibuses also serve the entire area, operating out of Orlando, St Petersburg and Sarasota. The Tampa Tours transport company offers charter trips, tours and hotel and airport shuttles in and around the city. Tampa is served by several taxi and limousine hire companies. The TECO Line streetcar system operates in Tampa's historic district, connecting the downtown area, Channelside, and Ybor City.
OrlandoThe most famous resident of this central Florida city is Mickey Mouse, the cartoon creation of animated movie tycoon, Walt Disney, whose vision has turned Orlando, and the adjacent Lake Buena Vista and Kissimee areas, into the world's busiest, biggest and best-known concentrated tourist Mecca. Disney bought up land in the area with the aim of establishing his dream theme park back in the 1960s. He died before the first park, the Magic Kingdom, officially opened in 1971, but his legacy has taken root and is still growing. Currently the Disney empire in Orlando includes four theme parks, dozens of smaller attractions, thousands of hotel rooms and holiday apartments, hundreds of restaurants and snack bars and even two cruise ships. It is not only the Disney dazzle that draws visitors to Orlando. There are other attractions here too, like Universal Studios and Sea World, all adding to the maelstrom of thrills and pleasure palaces that this city is now renowned for. Just a trip down attraction-rich International Drive is a mind-boggling experience.
Getting Around: Anyone staying at a Disney resort or official Disney hotel need have no qualms about getting around the Orlando magic kingdom. An unlimited free transportation network runs throughout, with buses, monorails, ferries and water taxis connecting all the parks and attractions before, during and for a couple of hours after opening hours. The I-Ride Trolley operates exclusively in the busy International Drive resort area; the fare is $1 per ride, and various passes are available. Those wishing to take a break from the world of Disney and travel elsewhere are advised to hire a car, particularly as during peak holiday seasons, buses are likely to be crowded. Mears Transportation runs a bus service covering all Orlando's surrounding attractions, even as far away as Busch Gardens in Tampa. Taxis queue for passengers in front of most of the resorts in the area; they can also be ordered by telephone. Fares tend to be high, however.
PensacolaPensacola, close to the Alabama state border on the Gulf coast, is yet another of Florida's resort Meccas; but instead of theme parks and excitement, the city relies on real history and natural attractions to draw the crowds and the ambience is relaxed and laid-back among fountains and parks.
Ancient Native Americans left their mark here around the natural deep-water harbor, before European settlement arrived in 1559, in the form of a group of Spanish colonists. It was the start of a long rivalry for control of the port, with France, Great Britain, the United States and the Confederacy battling it out over the years, leaving the city with a blended architectural legacy ranging from Spanish brickwork and French wrought-iron balconies to Victorian mansions. Pensacola also now boasts the Seville Historic District to showcase its heritage, containing treasures such as Florida's oldest church. With plenty of interesting history, the city also has a noteworthy Historical Museum.
Apart from ancient history, Pensacola is known for its current stars, the Blue Angels precision flying team of the US Navy, who are based here and hold thrilling exhibitions. The US Naval Air Station is situated to the west of the city and also boasts the National Museum of Naval Aviation.
In and around Pensacola powdery white sandy beaches abound along the coastline and on the Gulf Islands, particularly at Perdido Key and Pensacola Beach with their luxury resorts. The coast and islands are a paradise for fishermen, and 'foodies' will enjoy the plentiful local oysters.
Getting Around: The best way to see the sights in the center of Pensacola is to board the Five Flags Trolley, run by the Escambia County Area Transit System; it departs frequently from the Pensacola Visitor Center. The route passes through the historic Pensacola Village every weekday, with two lines serving the downtown area, Palafox Street, the waterfront and North Hill Preservation District. Another trolley service, the Tiki Trolley, runs along Pensacola Beach on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend. Escambia also runs public buses around the city daily except Sundays, but these do not access the beach. There are bicycles and scooters for hire, and taxis can be ordered by telephone from various companies.
Gold CoastStretching for about 60 miles (97km) down Florida's southeast coast from luxurious Palm Beach in the north to Miami Beach lie a string of tropical, sunny and sandy beach resorts, collectively known as the Gold Coast. The popular strip currently attracts close on nine million holidaymakers every year. Development is proceeding apace as the natural landscape of sprawling grassland is replaced with opulent resorts and high-rise apartment blocks. The larger resort cities along the coast, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, are experiencing unprecedented building booms as the number of immigrants rises. Visitors and residents alike come to enjoy the natural attractions of the area, the laid-back atmosphere, the almost constant warm, sunny weather, the luxurious 'country-club' lifestyle and the hundreds of sophisticated shopping malls. The best way to explore it all is to take a meander by car along Florida A1A, a narrow road that winds along the coast connecting the long thin barrier islands that give the area its myriad golden sandy beaches. Alternatively, pick a resort, kick off your shoes and enjoy a summer vacation, any time of year.
Getting Around: The attractions and places of interest among the urban sprawl of the Florida Gold Coast are spaced far apart, and visitors wishing to explore need a car. There are numerous car hire companies operating in the area and rates are extremely competitive. The Broward County Transit authority provides a public bus service serving 410 square miles (1,062 sq km) in the greater Fort Lauderdale area, covering 40 routes. Also available is the Tri-Rail 67-mile (108km) commuter line linking Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties. A variety of taxis and limousine hire companies operate in the area. The myriad waterways around Fort Lauderdale are served by waterbuses. In Palm Beach the Palm Tran bus service covers 32 routes and insists on exact change. Palm Beach Transportation is an umbrella body for several taxi companies using a single telephone number: 561 689 4222. In West Palm Beach there is a free shuttle service between City Place and Clematis Street.
Gulf CoastOff Florida's west coast adjacent to the pretty inland city of Fort Myers is a sprinkling of dozens of coastal islands resting in the tranquil Gulf waters. Many have been carefully developed as pristine and appealing resorts which, together with Fort Myers Beach and the sophisticated town of Naples further down the coast on the mainland, have made this area with its subtropical climate an extremely desirable holiday destination. South west Florida is the ideal place to enjoy leisure and pleasure in the great outdoors, it being one of the warmest areas of the United States. In the height of summer ocean breezes keep things cool while visitors enjoy swimming, sunning, shelling or playing a round of golf. Nature lovers are drawn here because of the area's close proximity to the Everglades National Park, the Big Cypress Swamp and numerous other wetland reserves, wildlife refuges and habitats. Then, of course, there are the miles of beautiful beaches, washed by the warm Gulf waters and covered in a fascinating array of seashells. Winter is 'in season' in this part of the world, which stays warm while the more northerly states freeze. Little wonder that the Gulf Coast has become a magnet for visitors whom locals term 'snowbirds' migrating from the north to winter here.
Getting Around: The main Gulf coast cities of Fort Myers and Naples both have public buses. Greater Fort Myers is served by Lee Tran, which connects to the beach trolley service on Estero Island and the resort area of Fort Myers Beach. The beach trolleys operate every 15 minutes from 7am to 9.30pm and cover the full length of Estero Boulevard on the barrier island. In Naples visitors enjoy riding the trolley, which makes 25 stops between Olde Naples and Vanderbilt Beach every day. Not only is this a useful transportation service, but the two-hour loop comes with a narration from the driver, which makes it an informative sightseeing tour as well. There is no public bus service connecting to Sanibel and Captiva Islands, and no public transportation on the small islands themselves. Cars are not encouraged on the streets with no parking permitted anywhere except on the Sanibel Causeway or some municipal pay lots. Bicycles are the favored means of transportation on the resort islands. The resorts and cities of the Gulf Coast all have cab services available.
Florida KeysStretching from Miami to Key West, the southern leg of US Highway 1 covers 113 miles (182km) across 42 bridges, leapfrogging the Florida Keys, a necklace of coral islands strung across the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Key West, the very last of the Keys, is the southernmost point of the continental United States.
The Keys are a favorite destination for Americans and international tourists, who are drawn by the world-renowned seafood restaurants, funky towns, shopping, nightlife and laid-back ambience of the local communities. Others come to enjoy watery activities like scuba diving and deep-sea fishing, or explore the relics of this historically rich area.
The city of Key West can be reached from Miami in less than four hours by road, passing through the scenic vistas of the individual keys, a world of emerald-green lagoons, deep blue sea, nodding palms, rustling pines and mangrove swamps. Seabirds populate this eco-paradise and offshore countless sea creatures are protected in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Key Largo, longest island in the chain and closest to Miami, is particularly popular for diving, and is famed for its underwater preserve, the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, and an underwater hotel where couples can tie the knot below the waves.
Between Key Largo and Key West the highway crosses the amazing Seven Mile Bridge, largest segmental bridge in the world, situated at Marathon, where visitors can swim with dolphins at the Dolphin Research Center.
Getting Around: The best way to explore the Florida Keys is by car, but the Overseas Highway can be extremely busy, particularly at weekends and over holiday periods, so patience is required. This is the only main road in and out of the Keys. In Key West, parking can be difficult; park-and-ride shuttles and taxis are available and recommended. Buses are available as well. The Dade-Monroe Express bus runs from Key Marathon to Florida City, offering round trips on the hour and stopping on demand. Greyhound runs a Keys shuttle bus several times a day between Miami International Airport, stopping at all major points along the Keys. Cycling is a pleasant way to explore the individual Keys, and scooter rentals are also popular.
JacksonvilleAnyone who thought that Florida was all about theme parks, glitz and kitsch should take a trip to the north-east coast of the Sunshine State, where the St John's River meets the Atlantic in Duval County, to explore the sprawling delights of the biggest city (by area) in the United States, Jacksonville.
The city's tourist authority boasts that Jacksonville hosts more than five million visitors a year, and 'luckily we have room for a few more'. Not surprising, because those who come in search of winter sunshine have many pleasures in store in this attractive city, which offers miles of uncrowded sandy beaches and some of the world's greatest green golf courses, coupled with historic sites and neighborhoods, culture, unique shopping and dining, lively nightlife and entertainment, river cruises, and a plethora of events. There are also several nature and wildlife reserves within the city limits.
It is no wonder that a major cruise line uses its busy
Jaxportterminal as a base for Bahamian cruises. Many visitors who enjoy what Jacksonville has to offer are cruise passengers who spend a few days before or after their cruise to explore the city and surrounds.
It may be a big, modern city today, but Jacksonville still retains its tranquil southern charm with oaks lining the avenues and lawns spreading alongside the river, with friendly locals greeting passers-by from their porch-swings. For visitors there is seldom a dull moment with art galleries to marvel at, a brewery tour to totter through, warm water to dip in, museums to trawl, the riverside market to browse through, historic architecture to admire, delectable restaurants to sample, and so much more.
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