Miami Excursions

For a Half Day

Fort Lauderdale: Only 40km (25 miles) north of Miami, this smart east coast resort and international yachting centre is often described as the ‘Venice of America' because of its many canals and waterways. It is easily accessible by train from Miami railway station but really has so much to recommend it that a full day could happily be passed here. It boasts magnificent sandy beaches, as well as excellent shopping and nightlife. Attractions include the contemporary collections of the Museum of Art, the Museum of Discovery and Science and the spectacular Hugh Taylor Birch State Park and Recreation Area. The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau, Suite 200, 100 East Broward Boulevard (tel: (954) 765 4466 or 1 800 227 8669; website: www.sunny.org), provides further information.

Dolphins, Key Largo: First stop on the Florida Keys is Key Largo, home to Dolphins Plus and Dolphin Cove, where ‘students' of all ages can swim with dolphins in a variety of hands-on experiences. At Dolphins Plus, 31 Corrine Place, Key Largo (tel: (305) 451 1993 or 1 866 860 7946; website: www.dolphinsplus.com), a resident marine biologist leads research and teaching programmes that have drawn educators from around the world. Learn about these friendly and highly intelligent marine mammals while swimming and playing with them. Sign on for Dolphin Camp or the Trainer for a Day programme, or one of the natural or structured swims.

For a Whole Day

Everglades: South of Miami, the Everglades National Park is the second largest national park in America, with its 6,070 sq km (2,344 sq miles) of marshes, mangrove forests, freshwater and saltwater areas and open grass prairies. Gator-spotting is one of the main attractions in this vast subtropical wilderness, which is also home to an abundance of rare plants, birds and animals - including wild orchids, Florida panthers, ospreys, manatees, giant loggerhead turtles, the Everglades mink, the Florida black bear and the only saltwater crocodiles in America. There are several entry points, each with Visitor Centres that organise ranger-led walks and talks, boat and tram tours, as well as canoe trails. The main Visitor Centre (tel: (305) 242 7700; website: www.nps.gov/ever) is just southwest of Homestead, south on the Florida Turnpike (Route 821) until it merges with US-1 at Florida City, where drivers should turn right onto Palm Drive (State Road 9336/SW 344th Street) and follow the signposts. The park is open 24 hours a day, year-round. The Visitor Centres are open daily 0800-1700.

The Keys and Key West: This chain of small coral-and-limestone islands (‘Keys') south of Miami, stretches 202km (126 miles) out across Florida Bay and is linked by just one highway, the US-1. The Keys have a unique atmosphere (more slow Caribbean than fast-paced American) and offer some of the best sport fishing, scuba diving, boating, swimming and snorkelling in the world. At Mile Marker 99.2 in Key Largo, acclaimed marine artist Wyland has recently completed his 95th landmark Whaling Wall mural (his final and 100th will be near the Great Wall of China in time for the 2008 Olympics). Further information is available from the Florida Keys and Key West Visitor's Bureau, 402 Wall Street, Key West (tel: (305) 294 2587; website: www.fla-Keys.com).

Immortalised by Jimmy Buffet and the Coral Reefers band in his song Margaritaville, Key West is the ultimate destination in Florida's Keys. At the southernmost spit of land on the North American continent, Key West is the quaint and festive jewel at the end the 203km- (126-mile) long chain of narrow tropical reefs linked by 42 bridges. Birds nest in the surrounding mangroves or high on top of the long line of electricity poles. People come to scuba dive North America's only living coral reef, or indulge in some of the best sport fishing available. Ecotourism thrives, and conserving the natural order of things is pre-eminent. Swimming, fishing, relaxing, sailing, snorkelling, diving, visiting myriad fascinating museums, dining on Caribbean-influenced seafood dishes or exploring dozens of art galleries, the Keys have something for everyone.

In Key West's Old Town, quaint narrow streets are lined with beautifully restored Victorian shotgun cottages (so called because of one long passage from the front to the back door, through which one could fire a shotgun clear through the house) painted in tropical pastels, hiding a multitude of delightful bed and breakfasts, like Ambrosia (see Hotels). Perfumed flowering vines and wild orchids scramble over walls and pathways amid gardens ablaze with tropical foliage. The town invites casual wandering and exploring, with the reward of untold treasures. It has always drawn writers, artists and musicians, the scented breezes and island lifestyle encouraging creativity and a sense of limitless possibilities. Follow in Hemingway's footsteps with a visit to his house, where the famous six-toed cats still lounge lazily (see Literary Notes in Culture). Ernest Hemingway lived there for eight years and wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls among other classics, in between extended sport fishing trips to Cuba, 145km (90 miles) to the south.

Join the nightly revellers who line the waterfront of Mallory Square to watch the setting sun bleed into the ocean, or sail offshore on an evening champagne cruise. Dining in Key West is mostly an outdoor affair, where the tropical breezes and overhead fans pleasantly cool after a day in the sun. Enjoy one of the many waterfront restaurants, like Turtle Kraals (Land's End Marina, 231 Margaret Street), once the site of a turtle cannery when green turtles were exported worldwide as a delicacy. Today the only vestige of that trade is the nightly turtle races in the restaurant's open courtyard. So forget the turtle soup and instead indulge in spicy Bahamian conch chowder, crispy lobster rolls served with jalapeno chutney, or a platter of fresh seafood broiled in a Key lime butter. The finale to every meal is the famous Key lime pie.

Life in the Keys is all about relaxing and having fun. In fact, the hardest thing to do is say goodbye! The Key West Information Centre, 1601 North Roosevelt Boulevard, Key West (tel: (305) 292 5000; website: www.keywestinfo.com), is an excellent information source.