Fodors Travel Guides - Fodors Florida 2015

Miami and Miami Beach. Greater Miami is hotand were not just talking about the weather. Art-deco buildings and balmy beaches set the scene. Vacations here are as much about lifestyle as locale, so prepare for power shopping, club-hopping, and decadent dining.

The Everglades. Covering more than 1.5 million acres, the fabled River of Grass is the states greatest natural treasure. Biscayne National Park (95% of which is underwater) runs a close second. Its the largest marine park in the United States.

The Florida Keys. This slender necklace of landfalls, strung together by a 113-mile highway, marks the southern edge of the continental United States. Its nirvana for anglers, divers, literature lovers, and Jimmy Buffett wannabes.

Fort Lauderdale with Broward County. The town Where the Boys Are has grown up. The beaches that first attracted college kids are now complemented by luxe lodgings and upscale entertainment options.

Palm Beach with the Treasure Coast. This area scores points for diversity. Palm Beach and environs are famous for their golden sand and glitzy residents, whereas the Treasure Coast has unspoiled natural delights.

The Tampa Bay Area. Tampas Busch Gardens and Ybor City are only part of the areas appeal. Culture vultures flock to St. Petersburg and Sarasota for concerts and museums, and eco-adventurers veer north to the Nature Coast.

The Lower Gulf Coast. Blessed with beaches, this was the last bit of coast to be settled. But as Napless manicured golf greens and Fort Myerss mansions-cum-museums prove, it is far from uncivilized.

Orlando and Environs. Theme parks are what draw most visitors to the area, yet downtown Orlando, Kissimmee, and Winter Park have enough sights, shops, and restaurants to make them destinations in their own right.

Walt Disney World. The granddaddy of attractions, Disney is four theme parks in oneMagic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. Plus, it has a pair of water parks and Downtown Disney (an entertainment zone featuring Cirque du Soleil).

Universal Orlando. The movies are brought to life at Universal Studios, while Islands of Adventure delivers gravity-defying rides and special-effects surprisesand the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Nearby Wet n Wild is full of watery adventures.

SeaWorld Orlando. Marine mammals perform in SeaWorlds meticulously choreographed shows, and thrill seekers find their adrenaline rush on coasters. Sister park Discovery Cove offers a daylong, swim-with-the-dolphins escape. At Aquatica water park, one slide even dips into a dolphin habitat.

Northeast Florida. Though time rewinds in historic St. Augustine, its on fast-forward in Daytona Beach and the Space Coast, where horse-drawn carriages are replaced by race cars and rocket ships.

The Panhandle. Southern gentility and redneck rambunctiousness make the Panhandle a colorful placebut its the green gulf waters and sugar-white sand that keep devotees coming back.

Walt Disney World

Like one of Snow Whites dwarfs, Orlando was sleepy until Uncle Walt turned this swampland into the worlds most famous tourist attraction. Nowadays Walt Disney World is a 39-square-mile complex and growing, with four separate parks, scores of hotels, and satellite attractions. Thanks to innovative rides and dazzling animatronics, these parks feature prominently in every childs holiday fantasy. Walt Disney World also has grown-up amenities, including championship golf courses, sublime hotels and spas, and fine restaurants. If you have time for only one megapark, choose the original: Walt Disney Worlds Magic Kingdom.

South Beach

You cant miss the distinctive forms, vibrant colors, and extravagant flourishes of SoBes architectural gems. The worlds largest concentration of art deco edifices is right here. The neighborhood also has enough beautiful people to qualify for the Register of Hippest Places. The glitterati, along with assorted vacationing hedonists, are drawn by bertrendy shops and a surfeit of celeb-studded clubs. Divine eateries are the icingumm, better make that the ganacheon South Beachs proverbial cake.

Key West

These 800-plus islands in the Florida Keys are at once a unique landmass and a mass of contradictions. At the far end of this island chain, Key West is the main attraction. Its laid-back vibe is intoxicating. Eating, drinking, water sports, sunset cruises, kayaking, and more drinking are high on the agenda. Visitors never grow tired of the walking tours through the gingerbread-house-filled streets and channeling the spirit of Ernest Hemingway, who lived and worked here. Today, touring his former digs and toasting his memory at Sloppy Joes Bar on Duval Street is almost mandatory.

Shopping in Fort Lauderdale and Miami