Page 13 - 2024-2025 Travel Guide to Florida

also where you’ll find wild hog, which acclimated after the Spanish brought over their native pigs 500 years ago.
Beyond the rivers and lakes, bodies of water on either shore of the Florida peninsula offer deep-sea fishing and diving opportunities galore.
HIT THE BEACH
Blessed with climates ranging from subtrop- ical in the north to tropical in the coastal and southern regions, Florida is known as the “Sunshine State.” Temperatures average a balmy 70oF daily, with highs usually peaking in the 90s in July and August. And while the lowest temperature ever recorded in the winter of 1899 was –2oF in Tallahassee, the normal lows, which last only a couple of days, hover around the 40s or 50s during January or February. Although Florida has its share of inclement weather, it’s renowned for being the warmest state in the U.S. mainland.
The currents of Key Biscayne and the coastal areas around Fort Myers, particularly Sanibel and Captiva islands, are perfect for learning the rudiments of paddleboarding, ocean kayaking and other water sports. For shell hunters, the Gulf Coast, from Fort Myers to Sarasota, is where to go.
WEATHER
ADVISORY
Heat exhaustion can affect anyone, especially young children and the elderly. Symptoms include mild muscle cramps to dehydration. If you feel faint, head for air conditioning and start drinking fluids.
Also keep in mind that Florida is the lightning capital of the United States. Afternoon storms start and stop quickly and often without much warning. However, most parks and some other public places are equipped with lightning detectors. Heed the saying, “If thunder roars, go indoors.”
Hurricane season runs May 15–November 30, but there is no need to worry as your hotel (and the local news) will keep you well informed. If you plan a trip during hurricane season, it is wise to buy travel insurance.
FAMILY EXPLORATIONS
Resorts and attractions are an inescapable part of Florida’s identity and some are destinations in their own right.
Head south to the 173,000-acre, mostly underwater, Biscayne National Park where all sorts of outdoor activities are available together with snorkeling, diving and glass- bottom boat tours. It is certainly worth renting a watercraft to search the islands for evidence of early Indigenous groups, to explore shipwrecks and to drift above the coral reef system, where more than 200 species of fish thrive.
Popular water parks in Southeast Florida include Rapids Water Park in Palm Beach County and Broward County’s collection of child-pleasing soakers: Paradise Cove Water Park at C.B. Smith Park, Splash Adventure Water Park at Quiet Waters Park, Castaway Island Water Park at Topeekeegee Yugnee Park, and Tropical Splash Water Park at Central Broward Regional Park.
Water parks, such as Shipwreck Island Waterpark in Panama City Beach and Adventure Island in Tampa, offer thrilling experiences for the whole family, and are especially refreshing in the summertime when the air can be quite humid.
American alligators and crocodiles are found in the state’s 67 counties. Wherever you see a body of water—even a large puddle that has formed on the side of a highway—you should assume a reptile is in it. Do not feed alligators. It is dangerous and illegal. Never swim in a canal or wade into an unknown body of fresh or brackish water, especially at dawn or dusk, which are their feeding times. And keep small children and pets away from fresh or brackish water shorelines at all times.
ALLIGATOR IN THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES • SHUTTERSTOCK/MIKE BAUER
GATOR ALERT
EXPLORE FLORIDA’S SPACE COAST BIKE TRAILS • FLORIDA’S SPACE COAST OFFICE OF TOURISM
2024-25 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA 11