Have
you ever found yourself thinking that in Florida the only cool things
to do are the fun theme parks and the wonderful shopping? Yeah, but
not only that!
On our honeymoon trip, a route through this
state that has an average of 300 days of sunshine a year and is full
of rivers and lakes! Its name was chosen by the Spanish Ponce de León
in 1513, and nowadays its main source of income is tourism.
Over
the course of two weeks, we chose to visit four cities (plus two in
transit): Fort Lauderdale, Key West and Miami. Check below some of
our findings there!
1.
Key West
Key West is a very charming South Florida island with
a very pleasant climate, full of natural beauty, water sports and
history. To get there, you can go by plane or car by the extensive
bridges. Believe me, it’s worth every minute. We left Fort Lauderdale
and drove there. It takes something around 3 hours and is a landscape
more impressive than the other. As we were driving, it was worth it
for being cheaper than those near Duval St., which is the most famous
street there, full of restaurants, bars with live music and little
shops.
It’s really nice to walk down this street. It ends (or
begins) in a square called Mallory, which is said to be one of the
best places in the world to watch the sunset, celebrate and interact
with the street performers. In addition to delighting in the food and
beverage stands, we saw a small show of a French gentleman, owner of
an NGO that rescues street cats and some of them do tricks, raising
funds for the NGO.
2. Adventures in nature
Still in Key
West, we got to do lots of water adventures. The city has several
business options to perform these tours. At our hotel, they
recommended Fury, and we chose a package that had snorkeling to see
the corals and marine life. We also did kayaking, played some toys in
the water park, and finally flew a jet ski in a space in the middle
of the sea. Amazing!
3.
Good restaurants
On Duval St. in Key West, we found a very
lively bar called Sloppy Joes! Food and drinks for all palates, live
music and as it gets late, they will transform a part of the dining
area into a dance pistol. This bar has been around since 1933 and was
named after writer Ernest Hemingway, who was a friend of Joe Russell,
the owner of the establishment. Another restaurant that is also worth
a visit if it’s called Islamorada Fish Company, it’s halfway between
Miami and Key West, so you can plan to have lunch there on the way or
the return. They are known for the delicious dishes and because the
restaurant is by the sea. The place has existed since 1948 and has a
very nice climate. We were very well served and we will never forget
the grilled lobster they served us. In Key West, you can find the
best
restaurants in Florida.
4.
Beautiful beaches
From Fort Lauderdale to Key West you will
find lots of sea, but it is not any sea, it is a turquoise sea,
beautiful too. And at the end of the day you can visit the Las Olas
region, which has many bars and restaurants with good food, drink and
live music. It’s very lively there.
There are still other reasons to visit Florida but the 4 points above are enough to encourage anyone to travel to Florida.
