Florida Holidays

The Florida Keys are one of the state’s strongest areas for snorkelling and scuba diving. Coral reefs, tropical marine life and shipwreck sites sit throughout the island chain, with the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary protecting much of the surrounding marine environment.

Canoes and kayaks give visitors a quieter way to travel through parts of Everglades National Park. Paddling routes cross freshwater marshes, mangrove areas and coastal waterways, with conditions and wildlife changing significantly between the wet and dry seasons.

Airboats offer a faster way to experience parts of the Everglades. Three authorised airboat businesses operate within Everglades National Park along the Tamiami Trail, while other operators work throughout the wider Everglades region.

Florida’s Atlantic coast has an established surfing culture, with Cocoa Beach among its best-known locations. Its relatively consistent waves can work well for beginners, while more experienced surfers find stronger conditions at other breaks along the east coast.

The Florida Keys offer fishing across flats, backcountry waters and the open sea. Depending on the area and season, anglers target species including mahi-mahi and other offshore sportfish. Fishing licences, seasons and catch regulations should always be checked before heading out.

Florida’s walks tend to be more about landscape and wildlife than steep climbs. Boardwalks and trails through the Everglades lead across sawgrass marshes, hammocks and wetland habitats, with cycling and birdwatching also available in parts of the national park.

People lived in Florida for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. Different communities developed across the peninsula, including the Calusa, Tequesta, Timucua and other peoples whose archaeological sites, waterways and settlement areas remain part of the state’s historical record.

Spanish settlers established St Augustine in 1565, creating a permanent European settlement on Florida’s Atlantic coast. The city later changed hands between Spain, Britain and the United States, leaving layers of colonial history that remain visible around the old centre.

During the 19th century, US attempts to remove Seminole communities from Florida led to a series of conflicts known as the Seminole Wars. Many people were forcibly removed, while others remained in remote parts of Florida. Their descendants form part of the state’s living Seminole and Miccosukee communities today.

Cuban migration has shaped several parts of Florida, from the cigar industry of Key West and Ybor City to Miami’s Little Havana. Large numbers of Cuban exiles settled in Miami during the 1960s and 1970s, leaving a lasting mark on the city’s food, language, music and neighbourhood life.

Florida’s Atlantic coast became central to the United States space programme, with Kennedy Space Center supporting historic Apollo and Space Shuttle missions as well as current launches. Its enormous Vehicle Assembly Building and launch facilities remain part of an active spaceport today.

Orlando is Florida’s main centre for large-scale theme park entertainment. Walt Disney World Resort alone has four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, alongside water parks and other entertainment.

Miami and Miami Beach have one of Florida’s busiest nightlife scenes, with restaurants, bars, music venues and clubs ranging from the beach districts to Downtown and Little Havana. The atmosphere changes noticeably between neighbourhoods, so evenings can be as lively or low-key as the trip requires.

Key West stays active after sunset, particularly around its central streets and waterfront. Live music, restaurants and bars sit close enough together to make evenings easy to explore on foot, while sunset cruises provide a quieter alternative to the busier nightlife.

Professional and major sporting events are a big part of Florida’s entertainment calendar. American football, basketball, baseball, ice hockey, motorsport and football are all represented across the state, while Daytona brings an especially strong motor-racing identity.

Florida’s larger cities regularly host concerts, theatre, dance and touring productions. Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville and other urban centres all have established performance venues, while the Florida Keys add smaller galleries, theatres and live-music spaces to the mix.

Held at Daytona International Speedway, the Daytona 500 is one of the biggest events on the NASCAR calendar and usually takes place in February as part of Daytona’s Speedweeks programme.

Calle Ocho Music Festival fills part of Miami’s Little Havana with live music, food and cultural performances. The annual event usually takes place in March and forms one of the headline celebrations within Carnaval Miami.

Art Basel Miami Beach brings international galleries, collectors and contemporary art to Miami Beach each December, with exhibitors and visitors arriving from around the world.

Little Havana is one of the clearest places to experience Miami’s Cuban heritage. Calle Ocho runs through the heart of the neighbourhood, with Cuban coffee windows, restaurants, cigar shops, music venues, murals and Domino Park all woven into everyday local life.

Founded by the Spanish in 1565, St Augustine preserves one of Florida’s strongest links with its colonial past. The historic centre still follows elements of its early Spanish town plan, while the waterfront Castillo de San Marcos remains the oldest surviving masonry fortification in the continental United States.

Ybor City grew around Tampa’s cigar industry in the late 19th century, bringing together Cuban, Spanish, Italian and other immigrant communities. Historic buildings, cigar-making traditions, restaurants and social clubs still give the neighbourhood a character quite different from modern downtown Tampa.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida are distinct tribal nations with deep connections to the state, particularly South Florida and the Everglades. Museums and tribal cultural sites offer a more informed way to learn about their history and present-day communities.

Key West’s history has been shaped by seafaring, fishing, wrecking, immigration and its position close to Cuba and the Caribbean. The historic district brings these different threads together through timber houses, old waterfront streets, museums and places associated with writers including Ernest Hemingway.