Top 20 Florida

Sea Worlds

SeaWorld Orlando is a marine zoological park and at the same time a theme park in Florida. It is situated on the borders of Orlando. The SeaWorld Orlando is operated and owned by the SeaWorld Entertainment. It is part of the entertainment complex SeaWorld Parks and Resorts Orlando together with the neighboring parks Aquatica and Discovery Cove. SeaWorld Orlando is one of the most popular and most visited theme parks in Florida. In fact, around 5 million guests were hosted by the park in the year 2013. It is also ranked as the 10th most visited theme park in the US and  the 19th most visited amusement park in the whole world.

Walt Disney World

The Walt Disney World, or simply Disney World, was opened on October 1, 1971. It was logically the successor of the famous Disneyland in California. The Walt Disney World Resort is an entertainment complex that is ranked as the world’s most visited and most popular vacation resort. It is located in Bay Lake, Florida. It includes theme parks like Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, water parks like Typhoon Lagoon, and Blizzard Beach, golf and recreation as well as other attractions like the Disney Spring, BoardWalk, Wedding Pavilion, and DisneyQuest.

Busch Gardens

Another tourists’ attraction owned and ran by SeaWorld Entertainment is the Busch Gardens. These gardens are consist of two popular amusement parks in Florida- the Busch Gardens Williamsburg  and the Busch Gardens Tampa. Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a European themed amusement park in Williamsburg, Virginia. When it was launched on May 16, 1975, it was originally called The Old Country. Among the attractions that guests can enjoy in Busch Gardens Williamsburg are Loch Ness Monster, The Curse of DarKastle, from Pompeii, Alpengeist, Apollo’s Chariot, and Griffon. Busch Gardens Tampa, on the other hand, is the original Busch Garden. It was opened on March 31, 1959. This African themed park is considered the thrill ride leader in Florida.

Kennedy Space Center

The John F. Kennedy Space Center, also known as Kennedy Space Center or simply KSC, is a major tourist destination in central Florida. It is situated on Merritt Island, just an hour drive away from Orlando. It is located nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station or CCAFS. KSC is one of the 10 field centers of the Aeronautics and Space Administration . It is also the Center of Excellence of NASA for payload and launch processing systems. Aside from the around 700 facilities in KSC, there is also a few wildlife sanctuary within its premise. For instance, the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Indian River,  Mosquito Lagoon, and Canaveral National Seashore.

Everglades or Shark Valley

The Everglades or shark valley is known as among the most unique and fascinating eco-systems in the world. The area contains wide expanses of oolitic limestone, sawgrass prairie,  and wildlife like white-tailed deer, roseate spoonbills, ibis, raccoons, alligators, wood storks, and various kinds of amphibians. Touring around the area of the Shark Valley will not only let you enjoy a time with nature but will also allow you to learn a lot more about the environment. You can enter the valley from the Tamiami Trail that is located near the Miami-Dade–Collier County line.

City of Sunny Isles Beach

City of Sunny Isles Beach or simply Sunny Isles Beach is a white sand and pristine beach northeastern part of Miami-Dade County. If you are one of those who prefer a more private and less touristy beach, the best place to be is the Sunny Isles Beach. Because there are only a few tourists visiting the beach, you will surely enjoy a more relaxing and serene beach moment. The beach is also a perfect destination for sun bathing, swimming, unwinding, diving, and snorkeling. There is an oceanfront park nearby the beach where kids can enjoy. And there are as well a number of shops, restaurants, bar, eateries and cafes nearby. The City of Sunny Isles Beach is also known as Little Moscow.

Key West

Key West is the southernmost city in the United States. It is popular for its lively nightlife, intriguing architecture, gardens, courtyards, watersports, historic sites, and beaches. This city in the Monroe County of Florida is also a well-known seaport destination for different passenger cruise ships. Among the must-visit sites in the city are the Duval Street where you can find a good number of cafes, shops, and bars; Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum; novelist Ernest Hemingway’s favorite bar, the Sloppy Joe; the Key West City Cemetery where you can find a couple of entertaining and unique gravestone exhibitions. Some of the gravestones include an offbeat sense of humor engraves like “I told you I was sick”.

Florida Aquarium

The Florida Aquarium is a publicly operated and an Association of Zoos and Aquariums accredited institution owned by a nonprofit organization. This large scale aquarium measures 23,000 square meters. The Florida Aquarium preserves and houses over 20,000 aquatic animals and plants that are collected not only from Florida but also from around the world. It is situated in the Channel District of Tampa and was opened in March 1995.

Discovery Cove

Discovery Cove is an amusement park on the outskirts of Orlando where the whole family can learn, relax, explore and create memorable moments together. It is one of the parks being owned, managed and ran by  SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. At the Discovery Cove, the guests are given the opportunity to touch, talk, play and swim with bottlenose dolphins, sting rays, and other thousands of tropical fish. Guests can as well enjoy looking at the tigerfish and underwater shark which are preserved behind a protective glass. Discovery Cove has also an aviary which holds more than 30 exotic bird species and 250 tropical birds like toucans and parrots. Other attractions of the park include rainforest landscape, waterfalls, white-sand beaches, freshwater resort pool, and the Grand Reef.

Jungle Island

Jungle Island is a popular interactive zoological garden in Florida. It was originally known as the Parrot Jungle. This zoological park in Watson Island, Miami takes pride of its title as one among the only few zoos and theme parks in the United States that are entirely sustainable. Its rich flora and fauna are naturally planted and nourished without using any pesticides or artificial fertilizers. With its-its petting zoo, guests can be able to interact with both the exotic and domestic birds and animals including the 900 pounds cross breed of a tiger and a lion called the liger, Parrot Bowl, flamingos, reptiles, penguins, king vulture, Andean condor, and trained cassowary.

Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Who does not know about the famous Harry Potter? I bet everyone has already heard and know about this talented wizard. How about visiting Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the Universal Parks and Resorts theme parks? This newly added attraction to the Islands of Adventure highlights a chain of sites that are themed based on the popular Harry Potter movie series.

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, formerly known as Villa Vizcaya, used to be a villa and estate owned by James Deering, a businessman. It was used as the subtropical winter home of the businessman in the 1910s. Today, the Vizcaya property is owned and operated by Miami-Dade County and is now being opened for public visit. The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is also now known as a National Historic Landmark and is being accredited as one of the museums in Florida. The former villa has large Italian Renaissance gardens, an ancient village, a native woodland landscape.

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park Beach

Miami is widely known worldwide for its beautiful beaches and resorts. One of the must visit and most relaxing beaches in Miami is the Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park Beach. This beach offers a sunny bit of paradise and a scenic place for relaxation in the heart of such a hectic place like Florida. Going out with your family? Well, the whole family will surely enjoy a day of the picnic, bicycling by the shore and spending a calm time by the sea with the sunset at the beach. Aside from swimming and biking, the whole family can as well fishing, sunbathing, snorkeling, kayaking, and canoeing. Want to see the most ancient still standing structure in Miami-Dade County? See the historical lighthouse at the Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. The lighthouse was built in 1825.

Haulover Beach Park

Want to enjoy endless leisure activities while relaxing by the beach? How about a visit to the spacious Haulover Beach? Here you can enjoy landlubber sports including golf and tennis as well as water activities like swimming and surfing. The park also hosts kite flying and kite creating workshops. Tourists and locals alike can also enjoy the fishing coves and hike trails. Among the other facilities that guests can enjoy at the park are six tennis courts, the nine-hole 27-par golf course, and the marina.

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden or simply Fairchild is a botanical garden that was opened in 1938. This 83 acres botanical garden houses a great collection of rare tropical plants like flowering trees, cycads, vines, and palms. Fairchild has situated in Miami, nearby Coral Gables in Florida. If you want to explore and learn how tropical plants are best conserved, the best place you should go to is Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Aside from being the home of the American Orchid Society, Fairchild is one of the world’s leading education and conservation based botanical gardens.

Castillo de San Marcos

The Castillo de San Marcos is a masonry fort in Matanzas Bay, St. Augustine, Florida. It is the oldest of its kind in the United States. The Castillo de San Marcos was designed Ignacio Daza, a Spanish engineer. Its construction was started in 1672 under the order of Governor Francisco de la Guerra y de la Vega.

Lummus Park Beach

Lummus Park Beach is an urban park in Miami-Dade County. This 74 acres wide park beach is located in the eastern part of Ocean Drive. Want to get a nice background for your memorable photographs? Well, Lummus Park Beach is a nice spot for you to capture memorable and beautiful photos. In fact, the park beach is often used as a location for various movies, photo shoots, and television series like the Miami Vice.

Crandon Park

Crandon Park is a beach in metropolitan Miami that stretches up to two miles. Aside from the beach, Crandon Park also maintains cookout and picnic areas, concessions, and walking trails. There is also a Visitors’ and Nature Center in the area where guests can shop at the gift shop and enjoy the number of programs and nature walks hosted by the center. Crandon Park also has a family amusement center where the whole family can enjoy riding on the carousel, spending time at the beachfront playground, relaxing at the splash fountain and skating at the outdoor rink. Sports enthusiasts can enjoy playing golf and tennis at the Crandon Park Golf Course and Tennis Center which can be found just adjacent to the park. The Crandon Park Marina which is located across the street has a number of boats, and fishing charters available for rent. The park takes pride of its beautifully landscaped botanical gardens and tropical habitat that occupy an area that measures more than 200 acres.

Miami Seaquarium

The Miami Seaquarium is one of the most ancient oceanaria in the United States and the second marine life park in South Florida. This 38-acre oceanarium is situated on the Virginia Key Island in Biscayne Bay in the county of Miami-Dade, Florida. The Miami Seaquarium was founded in 1955 by Captain W.B. Gray andFred D. Coppock. It houses various kinds of marine mammals, sea turtles, manatees, birds, sharks, and reptiles.

Long Key State Park

The Long Key State Park is located in Long Key Island which was once the site of the Long Key Fishing Camp of Henry Flagler. The Long Key Fishing Camp was once a very famous luxury destination. Today, the Long Key State Park is a famous service campground where you can spend the whole night and day camping and fishing. Apart from the 60 campsites at the front of the ocean, there are as well a number of picnic tables in the area. You can also enjoy kayaking, hiking, swimming, bird watching and snorkeling at the park.