When it comes to a Florida vacation, theme parks, nightlife and resort activities certainly appeal, but eco-adventures designed by “Mother Nature” are often the top draw. Eco-minded travelers love heading out to snorkel with “gentle giant” manatees, going horseback riding along the surf, looking for migrating birds while kayaking or searching for alligators in the Everglades.
And that’s just scratching the surface as hiking, biking, scuba diving, zip lining, golfing and kiteboarding also await. Best of all, much of the eco-fun can be enjoyed year-round. Here are Travel Agent’s five top choices for outdoor adventures in the "Sunshine State," plus more suggestions for travelers.
Paddling Through Nature
Kayaking, canoeing and paddleboarding can be enjoyed “state-wide.” One great option for beginning kayakers and advanced paddlers alike is the Great Calusa Blueway Trail, a 190-mile marked canoe and kayak trail along Florida’s Gulf of Mexico coastline. Stretching through Lee County, the trail meanders along coastal waterways and inland tributaries in such eco-areas as Pine Island Sound, the Caloosahatchee River and Estero Bay.
If travelers want to enjoy the trail on a multi-day visit, the Dockside Inn in Cape Coral, the Pink Shell Beach Resort and Spa, Matanzas Inn and Lovers Key Resort in Fort Myers Beach and Tarpon Lodge on Pine Island all line the trail’s shores or alternatively, have canal access to the trail. Matlacha Cottages and the Angler’s Inn in Matlacha also have their own launch ramps. Other hotels also welcome paddlers and their vessels with storage space and transportation to/from the trail. Many area hotels are less than a 15-minute drive from the Blueway.
Farther north in the Florida Panhandle’s South Walton County, travelers can commune with nature by kayaking and paddleboarding in such destinations as Seaside, Miramar and Grayton.
One new hospitality “base” for vacationers that opened earlier this year is the 250-room Hotel Effie, a new full-service hotel within the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Miramar Beach. It offers a celebrity-chef-led restaurant (Ovide), luxury Spa Lilliana and a rooftop pool and bar.
Snorkeling With Manatees
Eco-enthusiasts often head to Citrus County, along Florida’s central Gulf of Mexico coast as it’s possible to spot and (if desired, depending on conditions) to snorkel alongside massive West Indies manatees in natural waterways. Every winter, these endangered “gentle giants” — often 10 feet long and weighing up to 1,200 pounds — flock to the spring-fed waters of Crystal River and Kings Bay for water that’s warmer than the nearby Gulf of Mexico.
Also known as “sea cows,” manatees eat sea grasses and other aquatic plants. Late December through the end of March is a great time for spotting them. Local companies offer day outings for fishing, manatee spotting and scenic cruising to Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park and other locales along Crystal River and the estuary. Beyond the manatees, the state park’s other “residents” include the elusive Florida panther, red wolves, whooping cranes, black bears, bobcats and alligators.
As for manatee viewing, yes, it’s possible to get into the water “with” the manatees, but visitors must follow strict rules and any sanctuary guidelines when in close contact with this imperiled marine species. Visitors can look but not touch or interfere with the manatees’ natural behavior. Check out the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s “manatee viewing guidelines” at www.myfwc.com
One popular resort in the area is the eco-friendly Plantation on Crystal River, surrounded by the natural springs of Kings Bay, lakes and rivers, wildlife refuges and state parks. The property’s website reports that 400 manatees typically inhabit the area in winter. This resort conducts manatee snorkeling tours year-round from an on-site Adventure Center/Dive Shop. So, resort guests just walk out their room, head to the dive shop and hop on the boat. In addition, the Plantation on Crystal River also has an 18-hole golf course and Aveda spa.
Birding Across the State
Florida is a birder’s paradise. To discover top birding spots, check out the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, a network of 510 bird, butterfly and other wildlife viewing sites across the state. Information can be found at https://floridabirdingtrail.com/. It is home to such birds as the American white pelican, great egret, anhinga, great blue heron, osprey, roseate spoonbill, wood stork and brown pelican, plus gulls, loons and many other species.
At the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, near Titusville, or within Ocala National Forest, Silver Springs, birders can spot the endangered Florida scrub-jay. The highest concentration of American bald eagle nests anywhere in the U.S.—150 or so—is in the Prairie Lakes Unit of the Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area, former ranchland that’s southeast of Orlando.
One birding “hot spot” along Florida’s northeastern coast is Tomoka Marsh Aquatic Preserve. Attracting more than 160 species, this rich estuary serves as a nursery for manatees, blue crabs and wading birds. Located along the Tomoka River and the Halifax River in Flagler and Volusia counties, the preserve is near Bulow Creek State Park nestled between Ormond Beach and Flagler Beach, which is a popular area for boating, fishing, kayaking, canoeing and birdwatching.
In southwest Florida near Naples, the National Audubon Society itself owns and administers Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, which is famed for its huge nesting colony of wood storks and an extensive boardwalk system providing access to one of Florida’ remaining cypress swamps. Besides the wood storks, birders might see herons, egrets, barred owl, limpkin, and migrant and wintering passerines such as painted bunting.
Hotels in Bonita Springs are about a 40-minute drive from Corkscrew. Among them is the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa, which is introducing new guestrooms this fall. Look for a sophisticated tropical feel with new wood flooring, modern bed frames, upscale furnishings/décor, and a color palette of light green and vibrant ocean blue. This update complements the renovation of the resort’s public spaces, completed in 2020. The resort is family friendly with a lazy river, slides and pools.
Birdwatching has been a popular activity over the decades throughout Florida. Mina Edison, inventor Thomas Edison’s wife, was a bird lover. Through January 2022, a new “Birds of Southwest Florida” exhibit is on display at the Caretaker’s House of the Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers. Visitors can see multiple panels with detailed illustrations from famed bird illustrator, John James Audubon, bird books, shell art and more.
Another Gulf Coast birding option is to visit J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. Reachable by a causeway from Fort Myers, the refuge has more than 6,000 acres of brackish marshes, mangrove swamps and hardwood hammocks, plus a five-mile-long wildlife drive that’s perfect for spotting birds. Best birding months are December through March.
Opening in 2023 on Fort Myers Beach is the new 254-room Margaritaville Beach Resort, being built at the base of the Matanzas Pass Bridge. Guests can expect tropical design, balconies for every guestroom, signature Margaritaville food and beverage concepts and an upscale, 100-seat beachside restaurant.
Bioluminescent Kayaking
For a peculiar, yet totally natural phenomenon that’s akin to magical light show in the water, head for the northern Space Coast. The area offers ideal conditions for what’s called “bioluminescent kayaking,” where visitors can paddle through glowing blue-green water in which fish, dolphins and even manatees appear strangely illuminated under a starry night sky.
That’s possible as tiny, marine organisms called dinoflagellates glow and generate cold white light. Think of it as an internal chemical reaction akin to that of a firefly. While these organisms are too small to see, some 200,000 to 300,000 are present in every quarter gallon of water.
So, any movement—from a swimming fish to swaying sea grass to the movement of a kayaker’s hand through the water—excites the organisms and they light up. The result is “glowing water” that’s the color of a fluorescent blue-green glow stick.
Many travelers who return from this experience tell local outfitters that they have no clue how to describe it, but it’s almost magical. One kayak outfitter in Titusville, that provides such bioluminescent experiences is A Day Away Kayak Tours. Kayakers can head out in the evening, watch the sun set, view a dark sky and then see light from the glow below as mullet burst into the air as if they were green popcorn.
Then when it’s time for a good night’s rest, Space Coast properties await. Despite the pandemic, in 2020, Hampton Inn, Home2Suites, Hyatt Place, Springhill Suites and Extended Stay all opened new hotels. In 2021, two new properties opened with 304 additional rooms. Between October 2021 and January 2024, Florida’s Space Coast Office of Tourism expects 16 more hotels to open, adding an additional 1,780 rooms to the Space Coast inventory.
The northern Space Coast offers ideal conditions for what’s called “bioluminescent kayaking.” (Photo by Space Coast Office of Tourism)
Spotting Alligators
Florida is home to an estimated 1.3 million alligators in the wild. For many visitors, experiencing the state’s “natural side” is all about seeing these apex predators. Popular South Florida options are airboat rides and guided or self-guided nature tours within Everglades National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the U.S.’ largest subtropical wilderness; it spans about 2,400 square miles of wetlands in three Florida counties.
Just 25 miles west of Fort Lauderdale, visitors can also hop on airboats to spot gators at Everglades Holiday Park or Sawgrass Recreation Park. One new hotel option in western Broward County is the eight-story AC Hotel Fort Lauderdale Sawgrass Mills/Sunrise, which opened in March 2021. With 174 rooms, it’s adjacent to Sawgrass Mills mall and steps away from the BB&T Center.
Many eco-areas around the state feature alligators in the wild. For example, visitors can spot them during airboat ride at the headwaters of the Everglades in central Florida. Marsh Landing Adventures/Orlando Airboat rides in Kissimmee offers hour-long and multi-hour wilderness tours.
Just keep in mind that Florida’s alligators aren’t confined solely to swampy areas. At times they venture onto golf courses, into residential swimming pools or cross busy streets. While “lumbering” in appearance, gators can actually move quite fast, both on land and in water. They’re usually not overly aggressive with humans but visitors should stay alert, corral children and pets and give these reptiles a wide berth. It’s illegal to feed or harass alligators.
Among other Sunshine State eco-activities? Florida visitors can go kiteboarding in St. Petersburg, zip lining across an Ocala quarry, horseback riding in Amelia Island or plunging into rock springs in Apopka. For more “natural Florida” activity options, visit www.visitflorida.com.
Outdoor Adventures
- Exploring Caves: Within the northern Florida Panhandle just south of the Alabama border is Florida Caverns State Park in Marianna. It offers a rarity in the state, stunningly gorgeous caves. Visitors can feel the cool air, hear sounds of dripping water and see stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones and drapery cave formations. This fall, cave tours are offered Thursday through Monday.
- Golfing in Sunshine: Sometimes enjoying the outdoors in Florida simply means heading outdoors and hitting the links. Florida is home to an estimated 1,250 golf courses. Where are the most golf courses? That honor goes to Palm Beach County in southeastern Florida. Opening this winter is the 150-room Banyan Cay Resort & Golf, a Destination Hotel; it will become the first full-service, Hyatt-branded property in Palm Beach County and offer Jack Nicklaus’ 300th signature golf course.
- Snorkeling along a Coral Reef: To gaze at colorful fish and snorkel or scuba dive along the U.S.’ only living coral barrier reef, head for John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. This 70-square-mile “undersea” park is offshore from Key Largo in the Florida Keys. Visitors can view the reef via a glass-bottom boat tour or get closer by scuba diving or snorkeling.
- Yes, Mountain Biking: Mostly flat Florida isn’t what people think of as a mountain biking mecca, but the state has hundreds of miles of trails that both welcome beginners and challenge the world’s top mountain bikers. Two mountain biking spots rated “Epic” from the International Mountain Biking Association are Alafia River State Park near Tampa and the Santos Trailhead in Ocala, which has more than 80 miles of single-track trails. For example, the trailhead’s Vortex Trail is carved from an old quarry with a challenging set of ups and downs with rocks and roots to traverse.
- Angling for Sailfish: Fishing is a popular outdoor activity on Florida rivers and along coastal waters too. Stuart in Martin County along the southeastern Atlantic coast is famed as the “Sailfish Capital of the World.” Reaching speeds of 68 mph, sailfish are the ocean’s fastest fish. Eco-minded anglers who skillfully catch a 120-pound to 220-pound “fighting fish” often snap a photo with the prize catch for “bragging right,” but then often release it back into the water. Best season to catch the big one is November through February.