What to See in Florida, United States

Florida is a peninsula shaped by water, with the Gulf of Mexico on one side, the Atlantic Ocean on the other and the Straits of Florida to the south. Its beaches, wetlands, wildlife, historic settlements, distinctive architecture and major cultural attractions make it one of the most varied states to explore. Neywo has free audio guides for 21 cities in Florida, covering 440 narrated places in total.

Things to do in Florida

Explore Florida’s coasts and waterways

Water is central to Florida’s geography and character. About two thirds of the state lies on a peninsula, and no part of it is far from the ocean. Florida has roughly 1,350 miles of coastline, not including its many barrier islands, and is the only state bordering both the Gulf and the Atlantic.

The state’s waters support bottlenose dolphins, West Indian manatees, Florida panthers and North Atlantic right whales. Offshore, the Florida Reef is the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States. The porous karst limestone beneath much of the peninsula also helps explain Florida’s distinctive relationship with water.

For coastal cities and waterfront history, explore Miami, Key West, Key Largo, Fort Lauderdale, Naples and Saint Petersburg.

Discover Florida’s natural landscapes

Forests cover about half of Florida, and thousands of kinds of wildflowers grow across the state. The landscape is not defined by beaches alone: its forests, limestone geology and coastal habitats create a broad range of environments.

Wildlife is another reason to include the outdoors in a Florida itinerary. Manatees, dolphins, panthers and whales are among the species associated with the state, while the Florida Reef adds an important marine dimension. The state’s natural character is especially clear in places such as Sanibel, Clearwater and Venice.

Visit St Augustine and Florida’s early history

Florida’s human history reaches back at least 14,000 years, when Paleo-Indians became its first inhabitants. Many Native American groups lived in the region long before Europeans arrived.

In the early sixteenth century, Juan Ponce de León became the first European to make landfall in the region. He called the peninsula La Pascua Florida, a name linked to its green landscape and the Easter season, known to Spaniards as Pascua Florida, or Festival of Flowers.

The Spanish founded St. Augustine in 1565. It is the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the United States, and its architecture reflects several periods of Florida’s history. The city includes Spanish Revival, Florida vernacular and Mediterranean Revival forms. Key places to explore include the Castillo de San Marcos, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, the Lightner Museum and the Medieval Torture Museum. Neywo’s St Augustine audio guide covers 41 narrated places.

Florida later passed between Spanish and British control before Spain ceded the territory to the United States. The Seminole Wars took place mainly in Florida and became the longest and most extensive of the American Indian Wars. The state later seceded during the Civil War before returning to the Union.

See Miami Beach’s Art Deco and MiMo architecture

Florida has the largest collection of Art Deco and Streamline Moderne buildings in the United States, much of it in the Miami metropolitan area. Miami Beach’s Art Deco District was built as the city developed into a resort destination.

Miami also gave rise to Miami Modern, usually called MiMo, after the Second World War. The style can be seen in Miami’s MiMo Historic District. Together, these buildings show how Florida’s architecture developed alongside tourism, migration and urban growth.

Other parts of the state offer different visual traditions. Jacksonville’s early importance in banking and finance produced early skyscrapers, Prairie School buildings and Mid-Century modern architecture. In Jacksonville, Neywo covers 50 narrated places, including Duval County, the St. Johns River, Epping Forest and EverBank Field.

Explore Florida’s museums and cultural cities

Florida’s major population centers include Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, Orlando, Tallahassee and the Miami metropolitan area. Tourism, hospitality, agriculture, real estate and transportation are central to the state’s economy, but museums and historic buildings offer another way to understand its regions.

In Tampa, Neywo covers 47 narrated places, including the SS American Victory, Glazer Children’s Museum, Henry B. Plant Museum and Museum of Science & Innovation. Orlando has 21 narrated places, including the Orange County Regional History Center, Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando Science Center and St. James Cathedral.

Sarasota has 44 narrated places, with the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Art Center Sarasota, Ca’ da Zan (Ringling House) and the Circus Museum - Tibbals Learning Center among its highlights. In West Palm Beach, the Norton Museum of Art, Cox Science Center and Aquarium and Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum are among 25 narrated places.

Take a closer look at Florida’s smaller towns

Florida’s cities and towns reveal different sides of the state beyond its best-known destinations. Apalachicola has four narrated places, including First Methodist Church, St. Paul AME Church, Trinity Episcopal Church and David G. Raney House.

In central Florida, Ocala has four narrated places, including the Appleton Museum of Art, East Hall, Mount Zion A.M.E. Church and United Hebrews of Ocala. Mount Dora has two, the Mount Dora History Museum and Mount Dora Art League Gallery, while Safety Harbor includes the Safety Harbor Site.

Other Neywo destinations include Fort Myers, with 17 narrated places; Naples, with 14; and Seaside, with 20. The network also covers Fort Lauderdale, Key Largo, Key West, Clearwater, Sanibel and Venice, allowing a Florida trip to include historic districts, museums, churches, waterfront places and local architecture.

Explore Florida with Neywo’s free audio guide

Neywo offers free audio guides for 21 cities in Florida, with 30 walking tours and 440 narrated places in total. Narration is available in 11 languages. Each story plays as you reach the place, at your own pace: there is no group and no schedule. Download Neywo and explore Florida while the app tells you the story of each place as you arrive.