Florida Things to Do

The 30-acre park, adjacent to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, offers exciting waterslides, a refreshing wave pool and relaxing sandy beaches, all in a Key West theme.

Thrilling slides and tube rides include Riptide - a four-lane mat slide, a family raft adventure Wahoo Run, Key West Rapids, Runaway Rapids, Everglides, rafting or tubing down Calypso Coaster, Aruba Tuba, the 230-foot Caribbean Corkscrew with twists and turns, Water Moccasin and Gulf Scream, a body slide.... More

The 30-acre park, adjacent to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, offers exciting waterslides, a refreshing wave pool and relaxing sandy beaches, all in a Key West theme.

Thrilling slides and tube rides include Riptide - a four-lane mat slide, a family raft adventure Wahoo Run, Key West Rapids, Runaway Rapids, Everglides, rafting or tubing down Calypso Coaster, Aruba Tuba, the 230-foot Caribbean Corkscrew with twists and turns, Water Moccasin and Gulf Scream, a body slide.

Splash Attack features a 1,000-gallon wooden bucket that empties every seven minutes on unsuspecting guests 40 feet below. It's a maze of fun, showcasing a huge tree house with more than 50 water play elements like jets, levers, and rope pulls, plus twisting slides, bridges, cargo nets and web crawls.

A special area is set-aside for young children. Guests can also stretch out on the beach or in the 17,000-square-foot wave pool, play one of 11 professional sand volleyball courts or let the current sweep them through a half-mile of lush landscapes and tropical waterfalls on the Rambling Bayou.

Note: this is a sister park to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and Aquatic, Discovery Cove and SeaWorld, all in Orlando.

Explore the Blackwater River or Coldwater Creek on a kayak or canoe excursion. Shallow waters allow families to take small children, while sandbars make a great spot to stop and picnic or even camp. Pure sandy bottoms lie beneath dark, tannin-stain colored water.

The Blackwater River Canoe Trail is officially designated as part of Florida's statewide system of greenways and trails. Located in the middle of Florida's western highlands, this 31-mile canoe trail flows through the... More

Explore the Blackwater River or Coldwater Creek on a kayak or canoe excursion. Shallow waters allow families to take small children, while sandbars make a great spot to stop and picnic or even camp. Pure sandy bottoms lie beneath dark, tannin-stain colored water.

The Blackwater River Canoe Trail is officially designated as part of Florida's statewide system of greenways and trails. Located in the middle of Florida's western highlands, this 31-mile canoe trail flows through the Blackwater River State Forest. Cedar, maple, and cypress trees often form a dense canopy over the river. Also find high bluffs where pine and cedar trees tower above paddlers. The trail ends in the state park at Deaton Bridge.

The Creek Indians called the river "Oka Lusa" (water-black). The trail provides opportunity to observe wildlife including deer, turkey and bobcat. The Mississippi Kite soars overhead in the summer. Fish in Coldwater Creek or in nearby lakes.

The Nature Conservancy designated the Florida Panhandle as a national hot spot for biodiversity and the rustic woodlands and creeks have earned this area of Florida the title "Canoe Capital of Florida."

The 59-acre South Seas-inspired waterpark features everything from serene to extreme. Aquatica has 36 water slides, six rivers and lagoons and more than 80,000-square feet of sandy beach. Add to the mix encounters with dolphins, giant anteaters and brightly colored birds.

The park's signature attraction, Dolphin Plunge allows riders to jet through dolphin habitat via a clear 250-foot long tube and see these marine mammals. Find the world's only side-by-side wave pools capable of generating... More

The 59-acre South Seas-inspired waterpark features everything from serene to extreme. Aquatica has 36 water slides, six rivers and lagoons and more than 80,000-square feet of sandy beach. Add to the mix encounters with dolphins, giant anteaters and brightly colored birds.

The park's signature attraction, Dolphin Plunge allows riders to jet through dolphin habitat via a clear 250-foot long tube and see these marine mammals. Find the world's only side-by-side wave pools capable of generating one immense wave or dueling waves. Winding rivers offer two different experiences. Guests can float on Loggerhead Lane through gentle waterfalls and an underwater grotto that is home to thousands of exotic fish. Roa's Rapids sends riders through racing waters and rushing geysers.

Lots of fun awaits the little ones, too. Walkabout Waters is one of the world's largest interactive water playgrounds, where children can zip down slides and blast water cannons.

Aquatica has eight-lane racing slides, triple-drop raft rides, double inner-tube adventures and a six-story family ride.

For guests feeling a little less adventurous, tranquil beaches and refreshing pools are available as are private cabanas (fee).

Note: this is a sister attraction to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Discovery Cove, SeaWorld and Adventure Island.

When artist and ornithologist John James Audubon visited Key West and the Dry Tortugas in 1832, he sighted and drew 19 new species for his monumental "Birds of America" folio. It is believed that many of those detailed paintings were conceived in this garden.

The 19th-century home, originally built by ships' carpenters for harbor pilot and shipwreck salvager Captain John Geiger - whose family occupied the house for approximately 100 years, is a museum that showcases both the... More

When artist and ornithologist John James Audubon visited Key West and the Dry Tortugas in 1832, he sighted and drew 19 new species for his monumental "Birds of America" folio. It is believed that many of those detailed paintings were conceived in this garden.

The 19th-century home, originally built by ships' carpenters for harbor pilot and shipwreck salvager Captain John Geiger - whose family occupied the house for approximately 100 years, is a museum that showcases both the Audubon connection and Key West's early years. The antique-filled house contains nearly 30 first-edition Audubon works and adjoins a gallery featuring 500 Audubon lithographs.

The gardens surrounding the house, encompasses nearly an acre and contains a breathtaking variety of tropical foliage, native plants and exotics believed to attract Audubon's birds. In the front yard stands three Geiger trees - one of which appears in Audubon's painting of the white-crowned pigeon.

Bahia Honda State Park straddles U.S. Highway 1 just after the Seven Mile Bridge. Guest using the park on the south side have views and use of the Atlantic Ocean beaches, while those on the north side can play in Florida Bay.

Dr. Stephan Leatherman, also known as 'Dr. Beach,' recognizes Bahia Honda as having one of the Top 10 beaches in the U.S.

The 524-acre park on Bahia... More

Bahia Honda State Park straddles U.S. Highway 1 just after the Seven Mile Bridge. Guest using the park on the south side have views and use of the Atlantic Ocean beaches, while those on the north side can play in Florida Bay.

Dr. Stephan Leatherman, also known as 'Dr. Beach,' recognizes Bahia Honda as having one of the Top 10 beaches in the U.S.

The 524-acre park on Bahia Honda Key offers camping, picnicking, sunbathing, watersports including snorkeling and boating (marina and launch on site) and fishing - reputed to be the best tarpon fishing in the state.

The park and its nature center showcase the unique Caribbean flora and fauna - including wading and shorebirds, found nowhere else in the continental U.S. At the park, rent kayaks and dive and snorkel gear.

Walk to the southwest end of the island to see the old Bahia Honda Bridge, reminiscent of Henry Flagler's days.

The park with sabal palms and sea grapes and a one-mile nature trail is comprised of 342 acres on a barrier island. It is the home to gopher tortoise and loggerhead sea turtle. Barefoot Beach is separated from the mainland by tidal creeks and mangrove swamps - an extremely important part of the ecosystem as it is a nursery for young fish. More

The park with sabal palms and sea grapes and a one-mile nature trail is comprised of 342 acres on a barrier island. It is the home to gopher tortoise and loggerhead sea turtle. Barefoot Beach is separated from the mainland by tidal creeks and mangrove swamps - an extremely important part of the ecosystem as it is a nursery for young fish.