The state of Florida is full of stunning beaches from coast to coast, world famous theme parks which dot the center of the state, the beautiful Keys stretching to the south, and of course the big swamp in the middle!

Biscayne Brown Anole — The Brown Anole can be found everywhere in southern Florida

After spending our last few trips in the mountains, we felt it was time to mix it up, and swap out our hiking boots for some snorkels and fins! So, it just seemed right to head south to explore Biscayne, Everglades, and the very remote Dry Tortugas National Parks.

Our journey started out of Miami International Airport which is incredibly convenient for exploring this area of the state. From there, we headed south along 874 to our Airbnb located on the eastern edge of Homestead, Fl, and just minutes from the gate to Biscayne National Park.

Commercial Palm tree farms occupy most of eastern Homestead, Fl

Our home, located on a working dragonfruit farm, made for easy access to one of the most overlooked National Parks in the park system: Biscayne National Park. Biscayne National Park is 95% water, so land activities are minimal, but the coral reefs, mangroves, aquatic life, and the Bay itself protected by this park make this a must-see place for any visitor to the area.

Biscayne National Park is open to the public 24 hours a day, and is free to visit. The Dante Fascell Visitor Center, the only one in the park, can provide fantastic information about the aquatic life, water conditions, and boat tours to help you truly experience this watery wonderland.

Getting ready to head out into Biscayne Bay

All guided boat tours in the park are managed by the Biscayne National Park Institute which is located directly inside the Dante Fascell Visitors Center. I highly suggest taking a tour if you do not have a personal watercraft of your own as it is truly the only way to experience Biscayne National Park.

Our tour gave us the opportunity to snorkel along the mangroves of Elliot Key, as well as go beyond the Keys and snorkel a few different coral reefs at the eastern edge of the Bay.

Directly next door to Biscayne National Park is the Homestead Bayfront Park, which provides an excellent area to enjoy the Biscayne Bay waterfront. Additionally, the countless waterways which flow into the Bay are fantastic areas to catch a glimpse of some of the more well known and sought after residents of Florida: The Manatees!

Manatee Biscayne National Park — A mother and manatee calf in a waterway just outside Biscayne National Park

After spending 2 water-filled days in Biscayne National Park, we made our way to the southern terminus of Florida: Key West. Taking the Overseas Highway into Key West is a gorgeous 113 mile drive through the Keys.

Robbie's Marina Islamorada — The Tarpon at Robbie’s in Islamorada

A stop we highly suggest on the way to Key West is Robbie’s Marina in Islamorada. They offer great food and drinks, some shopping, and the highly entertaining tarpon feeding. Feeding the tarpon is something that is fun for the entire family, just be aware of the Pelicans looking to steal your bait the moment you look away!

Iguana Robbie's Marina — Iguanas also enjoy spending time at Robbie’s Marina

Traveling south, we continued our drive into Key West, which was our home for the next 2 nights. The sights, restaurants, and attractions of Key West are well documented, so I’m not going to go into detail here, but for us, it served as the perfect jumping off point for our ferry trip to Dry Tortugas National Park.

Obligatory “Southern Most Point” picture in Key West

Aside from a personal boat, there are two ways to access Dry Tortugas National Park: sea plane or ferry. We opted for the Yankee Freedom Ferry to the park, which sets off from the north west bank of Key West.

Yankee Freedom Ferry Dry Tortugas — Yankee Freedom Ferry to Dry Tortugas National Park

The ferry ride from Key West to Dry Tortugas National Park is approximately 2 hours. The ferry is fully stocked with food and drink, and provides breakfast on the ride out, lunch in the middle of your day at the park, and snacks on the ride back. They also provide snorkeling gear for those looking to explore the park by water.

Fort Jefferson Dry Tortugas — Fort Jefferson at Dry Tortugas National Park

We were fortunate enough to have extremely calm, glassy water on our trip to Dry Tortugas National Park, but any visitor should come prepared as conditions can get rough, and the tour to and from the park is approximately an 8 hour tour. So feeling sea sick from a rough ride out can make for a very long day!

Dry Tortugas National Park is one of the most remote National Parks in the park system, and covers 100 square miles comprised primarily of open water and seven small islands, and of course the impressive Fort Jefferson. The 3-floored Fort Jefferson is completely accessible to the public, and I highly suggest exploring all levels of the fort as the construction of the structure and the views it affords are stunning!

Aside from walking through the fort, the moat walk surround the fort offers a unique experience and opportunity to see aquatic life virtually all around you. Additionally, snorkeling the shallow waters around Fort Jefferson will provide you with an unobstructed view of the impressive aquatic species that make this park so special!

I personally feel that all National Parks are relatively easy to photograph due to their magnificent beauty, but Dry Tortugas National Park takes that to the next level. The park actually offers the ability to camp at Fort Jefferson (reservations fill up quickly!), which will provide you with the ability to view the night sky from one of the top Dark Sky locations on the planet!

After our time in the truly remote Dry Tortugas National Park, it was time to head back up the Overseas Highway and explore Everglades National Park. Of course, no trip to the keys is complete without some Key Lime Pie!

Key Lime Pie Boondocks — Key Lime Pie from Boondocks on Ramrod Key

Driving north up the Overseas Highway, we made our way to our next Airbnb on the east side of Homestead, just minutes from the Royal Palm entrance to the park, and the fantastic and must-stop fruit stand, Robert Is Here.

After grabbing some phenomenal milkshakes from Robert is Here, we made our way into Everglades National Park via the Royal Palm entrance. Everglades National Park is a large and diverse wetland with 3 distinctly different (and completely separate) regions. Everglades National Park also experiences a dry season and a wet season, both of which have their own pros and cons. Visiting in the wet season (typically May-November) tends to be met with extreme heat, blood-thirsty mosquitoes, minimal ranger programs, but reduced crowds. Our trip in early May was right on the cusp of the start of wet season, but gave us relatively mild temperatures and virtually no crowds to speak of in any region of the park.

From the moment you enter this UNESCO World Hertiage Site, you can immediately tell it’s a special place. Unlike the highly developed areas around Everglades National Park, the protected wetlands within the park’s boundaries are teeming with wildlife and natural beauty that can be hard to find in this part of America. The hardwood hammocks, mangrove forests, sloughs, and Ten Thousand Islands are incredible sights that provide a constant reminder of the fragility of this landscape.

Mahogany Hammock Everglades — A boardwalk trail through a hardwood hammock at Everglades National Park

We allotted 2 full days to explore the Royal Palm and Flamingo regions of Everglades National Park. This gave us the ability to hike virtually every trail within both regions, and kayak up the Flamingo Canal towards Coot Bay, which provides a truly immersive experience into the Everglades.

Flamingo Canal Everglades — A perfect day to paddle up Flamingo Canal in Everglades National Park

Everglades National Park is also a certified Dark Sky place, and experiencing the Everglades after dark is like nothing else! We frequently explore the parks at night for night sky viewing, but few parks truly come alive like Everglades National Park. The near-complete darkness blanketing the park combined with the grunts and bellows of the alligators, slithering of the snakes, and rustling of the birds and mammals truly create an atmosphere not for the faint of heart!

Royal Palm Everglades — The lone light of the Royal Palm Visitor Center at night in Everglades National Park

After fully exploring the southern and eastern reaches of Everglades National Park, it was time to head to the Gulf Coast to Everglades City, FL to spend some time on the western edge of the Park. Taking the Tamiami Trail (Route 41) from Homestead towards Everglades City gives you the perfect opportunity to explore the north entrance to Everglades National Park, and see the low-lying Shark Valley region of the park.

Shark Valley Observation Tower Everglades — The Shark Valley Observation Tower at Everglades National Park

From the Shark Valley Visitors Center, a guided tram ride is available to take you through the Shark Valley region of the park and ultimately up to the iconic Shark Valley Observation Tower, which provides a 360 degree view of the “river of grass.” The observation tower is accessible by walking or biking the paved, 15 mile (round trip) path, as well.

Alligator Everglades — Alligators can be found virtually everywhere in Everglades National Park

As our trip would ultimately pass back through the Shark Valley region on our return to Miami International Airport, we were able to use the Shark Valley region as a quick break on our way to Everglades City from Homestead knowing we would revisit the area on our way out of Everglades City to Miami. Continuing down the Tamiami Trail will eventually bring you to the small, coastal town of Everglades City.

Everglades City has a steady population of approximately 400 residents, and outside of the dry season for Everglades National Park, is a small, quiet town that provides a jumping off point to access the Ten Thousand Islands region of the park.

Island Cafe Everglades City — Excellent food at the Island Cafe in Everglades City

Although many come here to begin their multi-day kayak excursions through the Ten Thousand Islands, Everglades City has an abundance of airboat tours, which take you deep into the mangrove forests surrounding the area, and are incredibly fun. We booked a tour through Jungle Erv’s Airboat tours, which was in walking distance of our hotel. I highly recommend checking them out if you are in the area, as our captain made the entire ride one to remember!

Jungle Erv's Everglades City — Private airboat tours through the many mangrove forests of Everglade City

Everglades City is also conveniently located near Marco Island, which after spending 4 straight days exploring a wetland wilderness, was a nice change of scenery! Marco Island is a short 35 minute drive west, and has endless food options and one of Florida’s famed white sand beaches.

After 2 nights in Everglades City, it was time to head back towards Miami, but not before a quick stop back at the Shark Valley Visitors Center. A few short hikes are easily accessible right out back of the visitors center, and give you a chance to catch a glimpse of a variety of wildlife found within this region.

Eastern Rat snake Everglades — A massive Eastern Rat Snake greeted us at Shark Valley Visitor Center

Leaving the impressive wetlands of Everglades National Park and entering the bustling Miami Beach was a bit of a culture shock for us after spending nearly a week exploring these sparsely populated areas.

Our 10 days exploring Florida’s southern reaches left us with a great appreciation of this fragile landscape, and the often overlooked wilderness in this part of America. From the glassy stillness of Biscayne Bay and Dry Tortugas National Park, to the untamed wilderness that is Everglades National Park, the beauty and diversity of south Florida provides a breathtaking backdrop for even the most adventurous visitor!

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