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Starting just at the northern tip of Miami Beach is a stretch of beautiful, wealthy communities that goes on for at least 50 miles (80 km). As diverse in their own ways as the Greater Miami area, they add immeasurably to the cultural richness of South Florida and make an unsurpassed choice for beaching it, too (see Gold Coast Highway A1A).

Palm Beach, on the Gold Coast, is the winter playground and shopping mecca of the rich (see Worth Avenue, Palm Beach). If you continue on A1A north of Palm Beach, the megalopolis gives way to the smaller, quieter towns of the Treasure Coast. These include Vero, the largest; Jupiter, which has no barrier islands; Stuart, with its charming historic district; rural-feeling Fort Pierce; and, at the northern extension of the Treasure Coast, the little fishing village of Sebastian. Vist these if you want to experience South Florida beach life without the hurly-burly of Miami.

You can travel to the wonderful islands of the Dry Tortugas by seaplane or ferry from Key West. Companies offering trips include the Yankee Freedom and the Fast Cat. The day-long tours include food and snorkeling gear. Camping overnight is also possible.The most visited island is Garden Key, the site of Fort Jefferson (see Dry Tortugas National Park).

Though the town is historically famous as the base of operations for the 19th-century inventor Thomas Alva Edison, modern Fort Myers has become one of the main escapes for Midwesterners seeking a holiday by the sea, especially in winter. Its beaches have the feel of Indiana or Iowa about them, full of families without any of the Miami obsessions with style. The only problems you’re likely to encounter are traffic snarls.

This huge lake – the name means “big water” in the language of the Native American Seminoles – is the second largest freshwater lake in the US, covering 750 sq miles (1,942 sq km). Though not particularly scenic because of a high dike that was built all the way around it, it is well known for its excellent fishing opportunities. The towns around the lake are relatively undeveloped for tourism, some even rather grim. The best to use as a fishing base is pleasant little Clewiston. The main industry south of the lake is sugar cane – growers are often at odds with environmentalists who are trying to preserve the Everglades.

If you cross the Everglades, your inevitable first stop on the Gulf Coast will be Naples. This wealthy beach city prides itself on a manicured beauty, 55 golf courses, and a soigné downtown area. There’s a pleasant pier where you can commune with pelicans or do some fishing, and 10 miles (16 km) of pristine, sugary beaches, with warmer waters than the Atlantic. Nearby Marco Island, the most northerly of the Ten Thousand Islands archipelago, is a good base for delving into the western fringe of the Everglades. It has been the source of significant Calusa Native American finds, some dating back 3,500 years.

The Lee Island Coast offers an irresistible combination of sandy beaches, exotic wildlife, lush vegetation, and wonderful sunsets. The jewels in the crown are Sanibel and Captiva Islands, which offer a Caribbean-style laid-back atmosphere mixed with upscale shops and restaurants. Much of the territory is protected, and development has been limited: there are no condos and very few large hotels, mainly just houses and cottages scattered among the greenery.

This is probably the easiest, fastest route across the Everglades: an Interstate toll-road with two lanes of traffic in each direction. It keeps you at arm’s length from the swampy, teeming mass of it all, but there are several great stops along the way, as you pass through Big Cypress National Preserve and just to the north of Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve.

Highway 41 was the first cut across the Everglades and from its inception has been called the Tamiami Trail, which sounds like a Native American word but simply stands for Tampa-Miami, the cities connected by the road. However, it does take you deep into Seminole country, where you can experience the wonders of the Everglades. As you make your way to the Gulf coast, be sure to stop at Everglades City and Naples (see The Everglades, across the Tamiami Trail (Hwy 41)).