Miami 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 favourite
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 neighbourhood 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 favourite 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.
Multi-ethnic Tampa on the Florida peninsula's west coast is a
thriving city where quaint historic neighbourhoods 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 favourite
neighbourhood 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.
The 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.
Pensacola, 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 harbour, 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.
Stretching 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.
Off 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.
Stretching 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 favourite 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.
Anyone 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 neighbourhoods, 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.
