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Florida Into the Unknown
Spanning hundreds of years and hundreds of miles, Florida is a multifaceted gem. It is graceful canopy roads and trails through dense jungle. Coastal islands and inland springs. Sprawling cities brimming with culture, and small towns where nothing’s changed for a hundred years. The middle of everything and the middle of nowhere.
The Florida you’ve heard about—beaches, watersports, sunscreen—is here, but so is the Florida that remains a secret—mysterious wilderness, historical relics and the hidden depths of caves that few have seen.
This is the Florida that awaits discovery. Within a landscape of palms and magnolias, the Old South meets the Caribbean, theme parks meet wilderness parks and the past meets the future. Only in Florida.
Our guide begins in North Florida, where both the state and the nation began. Where a city was established by Spanish explorers more than 40 years before Jamestown was founded.
In the heartland of Central Florida, prepare for the unexpected, because a typical day might include river rafting, antique hunting and cattle roping. Not to mention encountering art and nature at every turn.
Meanwhile, South Florida goes big on adventure. It’s home to the biggest cities. The biggest lake. The biggest wilderness preserve. And not one or two but Ten Thousand Islands. Finally, just when you thought the end was near, South Florida keeps going, into the Florida Keys and Key West.
If you don’t want to (or can’t) confine your Florida visit to one region, our many trails and byways span the state. The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail (floridabirdingtrail.com) is a network of more than 500 premier wildlife viewing sites across the state. When you want to know where to go in Florida to see native birds, butterflies and more, head for the Trail.
Take in Florida’s landscape from bottom to top via the 1,500-mile Florida National Scenic Trail (floridatrail.org), beginning at Big Cypress National Preserve in Southwest Florida and ending at Gulf Islands National Seashore in Northwest Florida.
Or take a detour into the past via one of Florida’s Heritage Trails, honoring the many cultures and people who have impacted Florida through the centuries. Check visitflorida.com for more information.