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South Atlantic, Florida
Florada's
Gold Coast - the chic elegance of Palm Beach, the rythms of Miami's South Beach, the vastness of the Everglades, and the majesty of the Florida
Keys. Palm Beach offers a glimpse of the rich and famous, while Fort Lauderdale, with more than 300 miles of inland waterways and 40K resident yachts, is known as the "Venice
of America."
Across
Biscayne Bay from Miami is Miami Beach's Art Deco District, a vibrant mural of 800 pastel
buildings, making it the largest concentration of art deco in the world.
As you travel
over the 113-mile Overseas Highway to the Keys, island parks, attractions, tropical views make you
forget about all else! Finally you arrive at Florida's caboose, Key West ~ a one-of-a-kind place with the relaxed citizenry of self-styled "Conchs,"
where the sun shines brightest at the end of the day. The Sunsets here are truely unforgetable!
South Atlantic (East) Florida
is home to one of the USA’s most international cities – Greater Miami – which offers a rich array of exotic cuisine, nightlife, festivals, shopping, attractions, arts and architecture. Once strictly a winter resort, the area is
now a year-round holiday destination for tourists from all over the world. The vibrant life of the coastal area provides
a startling contrast to the Everglades National Park, which stretches across a large portion of southern Florida. The USA’s
only subtropical region, this expanse of wetlands is within easy reach of the main cities in Southeast Florida (for information on the western areas of the Everglades, see the South Gulf (West) Florida section). Stretching from Key Largo at the northern end to Key West in the south, 45 of the over 800 islands of the Florida Keys, once known as the Cayos, are linked by Overseas Highway 1.
Climate: Greater Miami and the Beaches’ subtropical climate ensures plentiful sunshine all year round. There is sufficient rainfall during the summer
and early autumn. Virtually all buildings are air conditioned. In fact, a light sweater or jacket is advisable
to take the chill off the indoor climates. The powerful rays of the sun also make it a good idea to wear a hat or protective
sunscreen when planning to be outdoors for long periods.
Miami: Today, Greater Miami is an international crossroads of commerce, culture, sports, entertainment, transport and tourism. This cosmopolitan
city boasts beautiful beaches, right next to one of the USA’s most vibrant urban centres. Often called the ‘City
of the Future’, Miami contains dramatic skyscrapers, modern hotels and an international financial district. Greater
Miami is famed for conch fritters, black beans and rice, cowbells and castanets, salsa and compas, jig and rumba. It
offers a unique blend of 21st century and Old World architecture, sports facilities and sunbathing opportunities, big-city
culture and small-town neighbourhoods.
The American Airlines Arena, a distinctive, neon-lit addition to Miami’s
futuristic skyline, has emerged as a focal point for the city’s renaissance. This home for the Miami
Heat basketball team is across from the new Miami-Dade Performing Arts Center. Ornamented by a parade of palm trees,
Brickell Avenue’s towers of mirrored glass and steel command some of the area’s most coveted views of the Atlantic
Ocean and Biscayne Bay. Bayside Marketplace is a restaurant, shopping and entertainment complex on the bay. Nearby,
the Metro-Dade Cultural Center is a Mediterranean-style complex housing the Center for the Fine Arts, the Historical Museum
of Southern Florida and one of the largest libraries in the southeast.
Trips across the half dozen causeways that span
Biscayne Bay are short and scenic, connecting mainland Miami to the seaside attractions. Bal Harbor, Surfside, Sunny
Isles, Key Biscayne and Miami Beach are minutes from the heart of the city.
Miami Beach: Renovated hotels along Ocean Drive and throughout
the Art Deco District have captured national praise for the Art Deco, Streamline Moderne and Spanish Mediterranean Revival
styles which dominate the 1 sq mile area. Just north of the Art Deco Historic District, multi-million dollar restorations
have transformed many of the well-known hotels along Collins Avenue. The striking new architecture of the recently expanded
Miami Beach Convention Center makes it an instant landmark. The updated and hip Lincoln Road Mall is a hub of the arts
and entertainment: the street now houses the South Florida Arts Center, the Colony Theatre and the headquarters of MTV Latino, the New World Symphony and Sony Latin America.
At the southernmost tip of Miami Beach, South Pointe Park offers an ideal vantage point to watch luxury cruise ships make
their way out to sea. Boat watching is also a favourite pastime at the International Yacht Harbor, one of the largest
marinas in South Florida. All year round, the warm sand, azure waters and pleasant breezes of Miami Beach beckon sunbathers,
picnickers and outdoor diners.
Elsewhere: Biscayne National Park offers glass-bottomed boat rides through mangroves and islands and out
to tropical coral reefs rising 8m (25ft). Miami Metrozoo represents state-of-the-art zoo design, with exotic animals
in habitats very similar to their original homes in the wild. Miccosukee Indian Village, west of Miami, shows how this
Native American tribe existed (and still exists) in the heart of the Florida Everglades. The Monkey Jungle gives visitors
the chance to see North America’s first colony of wild monkeys in lush tropical jungle surroundings. Vizcaya,
south of central Miami on Biscayne Bay, is a beautiful 70-room Italian Renaissance-style palace set in 10 acres of picturesque
formal gardens. The Miami Museum of Science & Space Transit Planetarium has many attractions, including a laser
show. With over 3000 exotic animals, 500 species of plants and the largest crocodile in captivity, Parrot Jungle Island
opened in June 2003, after its US$47 million relocation to Watson Island, mid way between Miami and South Beach, off the MacArthur
Causeway.
Travel: Miami International Airport (MIA) (website: www.miami-airport.com), located 7 miles from central Miami, ranks 12th in the USA for total passenger traffic, with approximately 30 million travellers
passing through its portals annually. Parking at the airport is simplified by a state-of-the-art people-mover system
that connects the parking areas to the main airport terminal via moving walkways. Airlines serving the airport include Air Canada, Air France, American Airlines, British Airways, Continental and Delta
Airlines. Miami Air International is an upmarket charter airline specialising in cruise travellers, and
incentive and corporate travel. Supershuttle offers easy, door-to-door transport to and from the
airport. Customer service representatives are on call 24 hours a day and are located outside the airport baggage claims
area. More than 19 of the 63 Dade County routes serve Greater Miami and the Beaches every day, as well as the Miami
Seaquarium, the Orange Bowl Stadium, the Cultural Centre and Metrozoo.
Fort Lauderdale:
Greater Fort Lauderdale is one of the premier tourism destinations in South Florida. During the 1920s, this
sleepy outpost boomed when real estate speculators dredged the Everglades, forming irrigation canals and creating the ‘Venice
of America’. Brick-paved pedestrian promenades, columned porticos and hundreds of new palm trees make the city’s
famed beachfront strip one of the best in the USA. In total, there are 23 miles of beach front, 300 miles of inland
waterways and 3500 restaurants.
Riverwalk, a linear park, links hotels, restaurants and attractions
along the banks of the New River, leading to the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Water taxis ply Fort Lauderdale’s
canals and the Intracoastal Waterway.
Opportunities to explore the natural world in Greater Fort Lauderdale
include Butterfly World, dedicated to the study, care and display of beautiful butterflies from all over the globe; Flamingo
Gardens; the Water Taxi; and the Museum of Discovery & Science. The Secret Woods Nature Center features wetlands,
mangrove swamps and numerous plant and animal communities. It is possible to ride an airboat through the Everglades
at Sawgrass Recreation Park or Everglades Holiday Park. The Old Fort Lauderdale Village & Museum is a historic village
in the centre of Fort Lauderdale, comprising the 1905 New River Inn (housing the museum), the 1905 Philemon Bryan House (the
administrative offices of the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society), the 1907 King-Cromartie House (museum) and the Replica
1899 Schoolhouse. The new Hoch Heritage Center opened in 2005. The Society produces exhibits on the area’s
development, the history of sports in South Florida, regional architecture, Seminole Indian culture and even a silent movie
theatre. The Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, on the Seminole Indian Reservation, includes profiles of historic leaders, artefacts, traditional
crafts, toys and jewellery exhibits.
The Von D Mizell Library is just one of several attractions in Broward County with
important affiliations to the African-American community. Displays feature the black heritage of Broward County, especially
authors and artists, as well as memorabilia of Dr Mizell, one of the area’s first African-American doctors. Bonnet
House is a historical estate of 14 hectares (35 acres) that reflects the history of South Florida. The waterfront estate
includes a plantation-style house, art gallery, a bamboo bar and shell museum and eight outbuildings.
Other attractions
include Stranahan House, the home of the area’s first ferryman, Frank Stranahan, and the Graves Museum of Archaeology
& Natural History with exhibits on the Tequesta Indians of South Florida, as well as ancient Egypt and the Near East,
marine archaeology, pre-Hispanic Americas and the Carole Jacobs Mineral Collection. Boats can be hired from Bahia Mar Marina
or visitors can hop aboard The Jungle Queen, a paddleboat. Also in the area is Sawgrass Mills Mall, the world’s
largest designer outlet mall, which features over 275 speciality shops.Travel: Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL) (website: www.fll.net) is located in Fort Lauderdale. It is served by 24 airlines including Air Canada, Air Jamaica, American
Airlines, Continental, Delta, TWA and United.
Palm Beach: This is a popular hang-out of the rich and famous, who spend their days buying jewellery
in Cartier on Worth Avenue or sipping iced-tea at the polo matches. The resort is also home to the Henry Morrison Flagler
Museum, a tribute to the railroad mogul who established the area as an exclusive holiday destination by laying out the opulent
palm-lined boulevards. Other attractions in the area include the Burt Reynolds Ranch & Film Studios, a 68 hectare
(168 acre) ranch featuring a mini-petting farm, gift shop and museum; the Rapids Water Park, with four gigantic waterslides;
the Sailfish Marine and Lion Country Safari Park, with more than 1000 wild animals, free boat cruises, miniature golf and
a dinosaur and reptile park; and the International Museum of Cartoon Art has a permanent collection which includes 100,000
original drawings, 10,000 books and hundreds of hours of film and videotape. Other museums in the area are the Children’s
Museum of Boca Raton, South Florida Science Museum and Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens. West of Palm Beach is
Lake Okeechobee, the second-largest lake in the USA, celebrated for its large-mouth bass fishing.
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