The Sunshine State, Florida’s friendly nickname, is flanked by the Gulf of Mexico on its West and the Atlantic Ocean on its East. Florida is named after Juan Ponce De Leon, who landed at the coast on April 02,1513 during Pascua Florida (Spanish for ‘flowery Easter’). The climate is warm, subtropical and humid, and Floridians like to joke that there are only two seasons: hot and hotter!
The warm weather lends itself to an active outdoor life and many recreational activities can be found in Florida. Miami, Florida’s most dynamic city, boasts seductive Caribbean charms, showcasing a colourful arts scene, world-class shopping facilities, an electrically charged nightlife, a multitude of watersport activities and boatloads of family entertainment. The city’s greatest influence comes with the Cubans, who began arriving in the 1960’s where they settled into an area affectionately dubbed Little Havana. The result has been a culmination of cultures, which can be found in Miami’s unique cuisine – Floribbean – an exotic fusion of Cuban and other Caribbean island gourmet techniques. The Cuban influence has also made its mark on the local art and music scene, and you can find locals salsa-ing the night away in one of Miami’s many pulsating and vibrant nightclubs. Key Biscayne offers busy recreational marinas and beautiful beaches, where the more adventurous-inclined can take advantage of windsurfing and sailing along its windy causeway. Miami’s Seaquarium, which studies dolphin interaction, is a very popular family excursion.
An hour’s ride north of Miami is Fort Lauderdale, also known as the “Venice of America” with its backdrop of waterfront clubs, shops and resorts. This city stands for fun with a capital F, and its palate is spread wide over a myriad of cultural, historical and social activities. A favoured destination for families and couples, the city boasts one of the country’s best hands-on science museum (Museum of Discovery and Science), excellent shopping facilities – particularly in the posh Las Olas strip, a mind-boggling array of restaurants and a host of beachside festivities along the Atlantic Boulevard and Beach Promenade. For those interested in culture, one can venture into the Everglades, which belongs to the Seminole Tribe and learn more about them at the Ah-Tah-Ki Museum.
Palm Beach remains the playground for the rich and famous and is synonymous with luxury. Apart from window-shopping for mansions, the city offers two major attractions - the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, which protects indigenous animals in the Everglades environment, and excellent resorts and clubs for PGA pros and golf tournaments, as well as year-round golf for passionate golfers.
Finally, no piece on Florida is complete without mention of Orlando, home of theme parks, notably Disney World, SeaWorld and Universal where there is something for kids of all ages, and yes, that includes the adults too. Universal Orlando Resort’s two parks – Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida – are famed for their roller coasters and movie-themed attractions such as the Jurassic Park River Adventure where you can catch a ride on the Pteranodon Flyers. Universal Studios will have normally cool teenagers clutching mommy’s hand while experiencing the wrath of the Revenge of the Mummy, where they meet face to face with nasty scarab beetles, fireballs and warrior mummies – not for the faint-hearted. Alien-butt can be kicked in Men in Black Alien Attack, or the whole family can enjoy a wild honeymoon adventure with Shrek, Princess Fiona and Donkey in Shrek 4-D.
SeaWorld has unveiled an ambitious new project called ‘Believe’, featuring a complex three-story set and magnificent killer whales. You and your loved ones can discover the mystical undersea world in Odyssea, and be dazzled by the spectacular Blue Horizons, where the boundary between sea and sky is blurred with daring acrobatic performers, dolphins, false killer whales and exotic birds. For the Journey to Atlantis a change of dry clothes is recommended as this adventure combines roller coaster and water rides and is bound to get very wet.
Disney World offers a variety of themes to kids and teenagers. Magic Mountain showcases Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain Roailroad and older kids can enjoy a 140 km/hour limo ride on the Rock ‘n’Roll Coaster with Aerosmith at the Disney-MGM Studios. Adrenalin junkies might want to brave The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, which simulates a random 13 story free-fall in an abandoned hotel lift shaft.
Florida presents an ideal holiday with its many attractions and people-friendly activities. Whether you are a sun-worshiper, a surfer or family, Florida offers something for everybody and your holiday is guaranteed to be great fun and filled with wonderful memories. For more information, please visit http://www.myflorida.com.
Quick Facts: Capital: Tallahassee Largest City: Jacksonville Language: English (but Spanish widely spoken in Miami) Size: 170,451 km2 (ranked 22nd in USA) Weather: Summer (June – Sept) mean temperatures average 28 – 32ºC Winter (Oct – Feb) mean temperatures range from 4 - 9ºC in the North and 13 – 16ºC in the South. Major Airports: Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Jacksonville Flight Duration: 20 – 22 hours (ex Jhb) Time Difference: Six hours in Winter (daylight saving hours), seven hours in Summer Visa Required? Yes. Please contact the U.S. Visa Information Service on 011 275 6300 to schedule an appointment