8 Surprising Reasons To Visit Florida

1. Biscayne National Park

This oceanic expanse of 173,000 acres encompasses most of Biscayne Bay, the Keys and living coral reefs south of Miami. It's one of the largest marine preserves in the United States. The waters are turquoise and crystal clear, making it ideal for fishing, boating, snorkeling, scuba diving and marine gazing in general.

The most obvious way to explore this watery paradise is by boat. Visitors can launch their own at one of the adjacent county marinas or take one of the tours available from the visitors center. A three-hour excursion in a glass-bottomed boat gives you a marvelously colorful view of the reefs and grassy meadows, as well as lobsters, turtles, sponges and exotic tropical fish lurking there. For an even better view, you may wish to try snorkeling.

To savour the special appeal of a subtropical island, you can take an excursion boat to one of the park's islands seven miles offshore. Elliott Key offers an opportunity to stroll through a tropical hardwood forest and along the rocky shoreline, while Boca Chita Key harkens back to a time when the area was millionaire Mark Honeywell's personal retreat. His private lighthouse affords one of the park's best views.

(Photo courtesy of dgeichert/Flickr Creative Commons)