Florida Travel Guide

Florida Travel Guide and Online Tourist Information including beaches, attractions, maps, hotels, tips and more

Introducing Florida

Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA | photo © seaview99

About Modern Day Florida

Florida is located on the southeast shore of the United States. The state has 65,795 square miles of beautiful scenery and has a population of over 18 million people. There are 1,350 miles of coastline and 7700 lakes are scattered around the state. The largest city in the state is Jacksonville followed by Miami, Tampa, St Petersburg, Hialeah, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Tallahassee. There is over 890,000 acres of state forests and 159 state parks. Nicknamed the “Sunshine State”.

Twenty-first century Florida is a haven for retirees, as well as for people of all ages who love the sand and the sea.

The modern highways are well marked. A four or five hour drive can take you from Tampa down the west coast to Ft Meyers, Captiva, Naples and on to Marco Island. The east coast of the state can be seen the same way; driving down the Atlantic side to Miami from the capital of Tallahassee is loaded with great spots to visit. Daytona Beach, Boca Raton, Del Ray Beach, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach are just a few of the stops along the way and each one offers a taste of Florida that is unique, as well as attractive.

The panhandle area along the top portion of the gulf coast is an incredible adventure filled with natural beauty, white sand dunes and beaches, plus the crystal blue water of the Gulf of Mexico. The Florida Keys is a group of 1700 small islands. The islands are filled with natural beauty, diverse cultures and a lot of history. The Keys have been the home of poets, artists, eccentrics, retirees and hippies for years and they continue to attract visitors from all over the world, who want to kick back and enjoy the sun, surf and music, as well as the lifestyle that’s can only be described using the words of Jimmy Buffet’s song Margaritaville. Wasting away in Margaritaville looking for that lost shaker of salt is an experience of a lifetime, as you swing on a hammock in the salty breeze on a sandy beach in Florida.

Florida is for Everyone

The tropical climate, relatively safe cities, entertaining attractions and natural beauty make Florida one of the most visited places on the planet. The state is filled with theaters, performing art centers, theme parks, beaches, museums and residents who enjoy each sun-filled day.

Florida has many hotels and is a hugevacation destination, especially in areas such as Orlando and Miami.. The state has several professional sports teams and hosts professional tennis tournaments. There are horse racing tracks, greyhound racing tracks and Jai-Alai venues everywhere. There are learning institutions and universities all over the state so there's a large population of college students who filled the beaches and nightclubs. Florida is a magical spot that will change your perspective about life. Flip-flops, tee-shirts and shorts are the uniform of Florida and beauty can be seen and heard from one conch shell to another along the beaches of this 21st century paradise.

Miami, Florida.
Miami, Florida - photo © pepebook

Miami, Florida.

The urbanized area of Miami is ranked 4th in the nation with a population of almost 5 million people. Miami is a center for fashion, music, film and the performing arts. The city was names America’s Cleanest City in 2008 by Forbes Magazine because of its air quality, clean drinking water and vast green spaces. It is considered the 22nd richest city in the world. The hotels, restaurants and nightlife are a diverse mixture of cultural expressions that can only be found in Miami. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in Miami it probably doesn’t exist.

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