Featuring unique ecosystems, vibrant gardens, stunning bodies of water, and amazing national and state parks, the Magic City is the perfect destination for nature lovers. If you love the great outdoors, here are some places you should definitely add to your Miami bucket list.
When you think of Miami, the first things that pop into the head include a vibrant nightlife scene, supercars, and the sprawling white-sand beaches. And it's undeniable--these attractions are the primary reason why millions of tourists flock to this beautiful city every year.
However, the Magic City offers much, much more than that. Although many know Miami as a bustling metropolis that's home to some world-class eateries, entertainment venues, and shopping plazas, it's also the ideal destination for outdoor exploration.
The Everglades
With a watery, lush landscape that stretches over a hundred miles, the Everglades is as unique and exotic as an ecosystem you'll find anywhere in the continental U.S. It's teeming with a wide array of exotic species, such as the Florida panther, the American crocodile, and manatees. It's also the only place on earth where crocodiles and alligators live together.
As much as you'd want to see all the attractions of the Everglades, it's virtually impossible to do that in a single trip, considering that they're spread across more than a million acres. Therefore, make sure you plan your trip accordingly so you can see the highlights.
Biscayne National Park
Another one of Miami's stunningly preserved natural habitats for nature lovers, is Biscayne National Park, is unique in the sense that more than 95% of it is underwater. It's filled with 170,000 acres of marine wildlife, coral reefs, and even shipwrecks, making it a true adventurer's paradise.
Numerous private enterprises offer guided tours for nature lovers of Biscayne National Park so that you can experience this unique haven of nature by kayaking, canoeing, camping, fishing, snorkeling, and more.
Miami's Gardens
The Magic City is also home to some stunning natural gardens. In Pinecrest's South Dade area, you have the Pinecrest Gardens, the only natural rainforest in the United States. The 12-acre garden is also listed on the National Register for Historic Places. If you're into botany, Pinecrest Gardens truly is the place for you. In addition to being the most desert gardens in the Sunshine State, it features more than one thousand species of palm trees and tropical plants for all you nature lovers.
Then, we have the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Located in Coral Gables and spread over 83 acres, this park features one of the most extensive and diverse collections of plant species in the continental United States. It also has sculpture gardens, sunken gardens, butterfly gardens, a nature trail, and more. There are guided walking tours and free tram tours on offer as well.
For more about things to do in Miami.
