Places to Visit in Florida

Places to Visit in Florida

Introduction– The State of Florida has a very particular physiognomy when descending towards the center. Lakes abound in this landless state, as do streams and canals, which increasingly crisscross a territory that ends up being a collection of islets covered with vegetation in the Everglades. The division between land and sea is just a little more defined along the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, where endless crowns of islands form a second shore on either side of the peninsula. Many senior Americans have settled here permanently to enjoy the benefits of the sun that shines from the first to the last day of the year on this state, nicknamed the Sunshine State. But retirees are not the only ones to take advantage of the leisure facilities that arise in the city and its surroundings: millions of tourists flock to it for a few days or a few weeks of leisure. Everything here is made for fun. The beach resorts are innumerable on the Florida coasts. North of Miami, from Fort Lauderdale to Daytona Beach, the beaches follow one another without end, clear evidence of the vocation of this state dedicated to satisfying all those who love the sea and the sun. In Fort Lauderdale, a meeting place for young Americans who have come to seek in the South, more or less permanently, a little respite from the rigors of the country’s continental winters, the atmosphere is different and relaxation can, at times, make without luxury: the 480 km of navigable canals of the “Venice of Florida” offer a truly rare sight. Among the Fort Lauderdale yachts and the buggies that take visitors through the back streets of St. Augustine is the Atlantic coast of Florida, but there are other things too. Near Orlando, the heart of Florida, the fascinating “World of Walt Disney” »Also presents American history among his shows. In this immense amusement park, all cartoon heroes welcome young and old in a magical atmosphere. The fascinating “World of Walt Disney” also features American history among its shows. In this immense amusement park, all cartoon heroes welcome young and old in a magical atmosphere. The fascinating “World of Walt Disney” also features American history among its shows. In this immense amusement park, all cartoon heroes welcome young and old in a magical atmosphere.

From the miracles of the imagination to those of science, arriving further east on the coast at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral.

However, the landscape that evokes the best of Florida remains the Everglades, in the southern tip of the state. The place that covers some 6,000 km2 may seem painful monotony: the expanse of swamps and the sea of ​​reeds of Pahayokee seem to be only a desert of questionable beauty. In reality, as you progress through the marshes, the hundreds of animals of the tropics, furred, feathers, scales, that swarm there, transform the excursion into an exciting discovery.

An extension of the Everglades, the clear waters that bathe the coral islands of the Keys are for swimmers and divers seeking adventure.

Fort Lauderdale – The area around the mouth of the New River is known as Isles and is the most beautiful area of ​​the city, with villas hidden among thick trees and yachts moored in the canals. Millions of tourists visit the islands along the coast, including the beaches. This waterway runs through Port Everglades, the second largest cruise ship port in the world after Miami. River cruises and water taxis are also available. Las Olas Boulevard, the busiest street in the city, is full of restaurants and boutiques. The Museum of Art is also located here. The center is the heart of the city. Riverwalk, a 2.5km strip along the north bank of the New River, connects much of the city’s historical and cultural landmarks. Old Fort Lauderdale features some early 1900s buildings. In this city are the liveliest beaches on the Gold Coast.

Kennedy Space Center– The historic launch of Apollo 11 took place here, in July 1969 The Visitar Complex. built in 1967 for astronauts and their families to follow the operations of the center, it is a 340 sq km structure that includes many attractions. Its most important element is the two Imax Theaters, which offer films on space exploration. To the west of the entrance, rockets representing different stages of space history can be seen in the Rocket Garden. Robot Scouts, located east of Rocket Garden, showcases the latest planetary explorer robots, while Exploration in the New Millennium shows what the future holds for space exploration. Real astronauts meet in the same building at Astronaut Encounter. Visitors can board the Explorer.

The Astronaut Memorial commemorates the astronauts who died in space, on missions from Apollo 1 to the space shuttle Columbia. The Center offers some interesting tours.

Orlando– The history of Orlando began in 1838, when a fort was built here during the wars against the seedlings, where a group of soldiers settled in 1840. The official “promotion” to civilian settlement came only several years later, in 1875. At that time the future city had only 85 inhabitants. The fact that they later became around 1.4 million is also partly due to a comic book character: Mickey Mouse. Since the opening of Disneyworld in 1971, what until then had been a sleepy town inhabited by cattle ranchers and fruit growers has in fact developed into one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, becoming the fourth largest city in the world. Florida by size.

The Keys are a chain of islands in South Florida, and each of the more than 400 islands has its own distinctive character. Some are lined with shopping malls and shops, but most are home to many unusual species of tropical plants, birds and reptiles. All are surrounded by calm blue waters, populated by wonderful marine life and with a delightful climate all year round. Consequently, fishermen, divers, snorkelers and water sports enthusiasts of all kinds come to spend their holidays here.

Key West  – The oldest of the islands, the Southernmost Point of the United States of America, is marked by a large buoy. A nearby panel indicates Cuba, which is only 145 km (90 miles) away, far less than what separates Key West from the American continent. The island has 5 million tourists a year, many of whom entertain themselves with those who live here permanently: old hippies, artists and people in search of a quiet life who meet every night in Mallory Square, populated by street performers. In addition to the places linked to Ernest Hemingway, the well-preserved Victorian villas, the Maritime Museum and the Key West Aquarium are worth visiting.

Other notable Florida resorts are: St Augustine, Daytona Beach, Tampa, and Pensacola.

Cultural tourist places– Florida has many interesting museums, among them: the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, and the Circus Museum, both in Sarasota, the Florida State Museum, in Gainesville, the Lowe Museum of Art, in Coral Gables; the Florida Pioneer Museum, in Dade City; the Marine Museum and Library, in Miami; the Morikami Museum of Japanese Culture, in Delray Beach; the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art; the Cummer Art Gallery, in Jacksonville; the Museum of Science, in Miami; the Naval Aviation Museum, in Pensacola; the Saint Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts and the Norton Gallery, in West Palm Beach.

In Florida, monuments of great cultural and historical value have been preserved, including the San Marcos Castle, the oldest fortress in the United States; this fortress was built by the Spaniards in 1670, in the city of Sant Augustine. Other notable remains are the Fortress of Matanzas, near Sant Augustine, the historic district of Pensacola; the De Soto National Memorial near Bradenton and Fort Caroline National Memorial in Jacksonville which collects traces of the presence of the French Huguenots in 1564. Everglades National Park, covering 567,000 hectares, can be considered as an authentic biological museum, as this enormous natural region is it is preserved intact to maintain a unique biodiversity in the United States.

Also interesting from a cultural point of view is the EPCOT theme park (the acronym stands for ‘Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow’), created by the Disney company, the Miami Aquarium (Seaquarium), one of the most important in the United States, and the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, managed since 1958 by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Agency).

Festivals and folklore – Thanks to its enviable climatic conditions and the diversity of its population, many festivals are celebrated throughout the year in Florida, for example, the Orange Bowl Festival, the Florida Citrus Festival, the Strawberry Festival and the Festival of States.

Curiosity– In this state there are various teams that compete in the most important leagues of the United States: Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in American football; Miami Heat and Orlando Magic, in basketball; Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, in ice hockey, and the Florida Marlins, in baseball. Other popular sports are motor racing (car racing in Daytona Beach and Sebring), tennis, various professional schools of this sport and various ATP competitions.

Places to Visit in Florida

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