Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Outdoor Activities
South Florida has neither elevation or topography, but it does have a gentle,
user-friendly prettiness, and water. And not just bodies of water (ocean, bays,
rivers, marsh, swamp) but water existing in countless permutations and evol-
utions thanks to its complicated relationship with the land: flooded prairies,
blackwater cypress domes, mangrove coastlines, squidgy mudflats, 10,000
Islands and beach, beach, beach. Getting the most out of the outdoors here
means navigating the land, the water, and the delicate balance they exist in.
Bikes, Boats & Beaches
Likely as not you came here for the beach. Good for you! There's a lot to do on that beach,
and perhaps more pertinently, off of it: fishing, swimming, boating, snorkeling, diving - and
several different brands of boarding. Why not get under the water while you're at it? Herein
you will find the largest coral reef system in North America in Key Largo, and just north of
there is the nation's only national park dedicated to underwater exploration.
South Florida can give the Netherlands a run for its money in the race to the bottom of
the topographic map, and as such, should be traversed by the means of exploring areas that
are either at or below sea level: via bicycle, or boat or scuba gear (ie really below sea level).
Enjoy the land, and the water too. They exist in tandem, and are almost always experienced
as such.
Wildlife-Watching Resources
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (
http://myfwc.com
)
Audubon of Florida (
www.audubonofflorida.org
)
Great Florida Birding Trail (
http://floridabirdingtrail.com
)
Florida Wildlife Viewing (
www.floridawildlifeviewing.com
)
Get in a Hammock
All across South Florida, you'll run into displays and educational signage that rambles on
about the local hammocks. You may read these and think, 'Jeez, people in Florida are wor-
