Cap off your Miami trip with a visit to its subtropical backyard, The Everglades. The feeling visitors experience when taking in this natural paradise is downright peaceful, whose diverse ecosystem consists of freshwater, saltwater and hardwood hammock habitats. Made up of 1.5 million acres of marshes, mangroves, and wetlands, this world heritage site is home to endangered and exotic wildlife.
With an abundance of outdoor activities to keep you entertained, The Everglades offer something for everyone. From biking to bird-watching, canoeing, camping, fishing, hiking or slogging, you’ll be sure to experience this unparalleled landscape in all its grace. Guided airboat tours through the marshes are one of the most popular activities among visitors in search of a thrill, while also hoping to see some of the famous Florida alligators that call the area home.
While spending the day in the Everglades, be sure to visit:
Everglades National Park
Spanning from Florida’s west coast down to the Gulf of Mexico across to the Florida Bay and up to Miami, 2,400 square miles of pure wilderness and natural beauty is what the country’s (lower 48 states) third largest park offers visitors who come from all over the world. Enjoy a day trip full of sight seeing—wildlife include bald eagles, white tailed deer and alligators—or any of the numerous outdoors activities.
Shark Valley
Shark Valley lies in the heart of the “True Everglades,” stretching 100 miles from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico. Animals here share a freshwater ecosystem of sawgrass marsh and tree islands. The 15-mile paved scenic loop provides excellent opportunities to view wildlife, while an observation tower located halfway around the tram road provides a spectacular view into the sawgrass marsh.
Miccosukee Indian Village
This protected reservation has been around in The Everglades for more than 100 years. Miccosukee Indian Village offers a series of educational and entertaining experiences for interested visitors like history museum tours, basket weaving demonstrations, alligator handling, displays of tribal artifacts and garments, and more. Then, enjoy an airboat ride through the marshland with the aid of a Miccosukee Indian guide to learn more about the nature and mystery of the Everglades.
Everglades Alligator Farm
Welcome to one of the oldest alligator farms in the state, home to more than 2,000 gators. In addition to the live snake shows and animal feeding, visitors can observe natural habitats and wildlife via airboat tours leaving every hour. There’s also a guided walking tour that explores lush trails, but the main attraction here has got to be Grandpa, a 14-foot alligator.
