11 Things to See & Do in the Sunshine State – Florida, USA

While many people come from all over the globe to experience the thrills and delights of Florida’s theme parks, the state has a wealth of other amusements and attractions for travellers. Next time you’re in the US and think about heading to Florida, forget about the theme parks and check these out:

• If you are planning on going to Florida during February book a villa and flights package with Florida4Less and head to the Florida State Fair to see examples of historic villages and county displays. You’ll see the huge variety of Florida’s people and cultures. If you miss the State Fair check out the early March Strawberry Festival in Plant City.

• Head to the Kennedy Space Centre Visitor’s Complex to learn about our journeys into space.

• The Salvador Dali Museum in St Petersburg is host to the largest collection of the works of Dali to be found outside Europe. St Petersburg is also the home to one of the US’s largest Holocaust museums.

• Take an airboat ride through the swamps of the Florida Everglades. Keep an eye out for alligators and flamingos!

• Florida is home to Miccosukee and Seminole Indian reservations. You can visit these reservations to learn about their culture and history and maybe win some money in the casinos.

• Take a charter fishing boat out and grapple with Sailfish, Tarpon, Largemouth Bass and other fine examples of Florida’s fish.

• Head to Biscayne National Park to see Mangrove forests, seagrass beds and the remains of shipwrecks. Scuba divers can get up close and personal with the wrecks and a glass-bottomed boat trip can show visitors the reefs and wildlife of the sea.

• Pop along to Canaveral National Seashore for pristine, undeveloped beaches and, in June and July, the chance to see sea-turtles laying their eggs.

• Visit St Augustine, which is the oldest settlement by Europeans in the United States. The land was claimed for Spain in 1513 and the city founded in 1565. It’s also the location of America’s first free black settlement.

• Literary types might want to check out the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West.

• Visit some of Florida’s beautiful lighthouses.

Florida clearly has so much more to offer a backpacker than just the theme parks, so why not take the time to enjoy it?

Why not check out our USA Travel Guide or other destinations in North America to get your travel juices flowing…