Two weeks of Florida for the whole family: two park days in Orlando first, then rockets at Kennedy Space Center and sea turtles at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center. On to Zoo Miami and into the Everglades with alligators on the Anhinga Trail, then down the Overseas Highway to the Keys – the coral reef at Key Largo, dolphins, butterflies and sunset at Mallory Square in Key West. The way back follows the calm Gulf Coast with shell beaches on Sanibel, Siesta Beach and the aquarium in Tampa, ending with the manatees of Homosassa Springs.
About 1,900 kilometres, usually one or two stops a day and plenty of time by the water. The drive from the Keys back to the Gulf Coast is the longest day. From Homosassa it is a good hour and a half back to Orlando. Most pleasant from November to April; manatees are easiest to see in winter.
A sample route to look at. If you copy it, your own copy lands in your plans – there you can change days, stops and order.
Numbered stops in order · golden-hour tip shown separately.
1 Day 1
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07:31Sunrise
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09:00Magic Kingdom
Foto: CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Castles, themed lands and parades define this amusement park at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
DaylightTime at stop 9 h -
19:38Sunset
2 Day 2
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07:30Sunrise
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08:28Car · 25 km · 32 min
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09:00Universal Studios Florida
Foto: NBCUniversal, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
A theme park built around film and television franchises, with rides and shows that have been part of Orlando's attractions since 1990.
DaylightTime at stop 9 h -
19:38Sunset
3 Day 3
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07:25Sunrise
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07:43Car · 93 km · 1 h 17 min
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09:00Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
A visitor complex in Florida showcasing rockets, exhibits, and the history of American spaceflight.
DaylightTime at stop 5 h -
14:00Car · 29 km · 31 min
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14:31Cocoa Beach PierDaylightTime at stop 1 h 15 min
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19:35Sunset
4 Day 4
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07:23Sunrise
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08:09Car · 51 km · 51 min
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09:00Merritt Island National Wildlife RefugeDaylightTime at stop 2 h 30 min
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11:30Car · 235 km · 2 h 52 min
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14:22Loggerhead Marinelife CenterDaylightTime at stop 1 h 30 min
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19:35Sunset
1 campgrounds near the day’s end
- St Lucie South 34 km · US Army Corps of Engineers · 21 sites · RVs up to 45 ft (13,7 m) Recreation.gov
5 Day 5
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06:51Car · 167 km · 2 h 9 min
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07:22Sunrise
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09:00Zoo Miami
Foto: Averette, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
A sprawling zoo with botanical grounds set in Miami's subtropical climate.
DaylightTime at stop 3 h -
19:35Sunset
3 campgrounds near the day’s end
- Boca Chita Campground 25 km · National Park Service · 45 sites Recreation.gov
- Elliot Key Campground 27 km · National Park Service · 99 sites Recreation.gov
- Long Pine Key Campground 35 km · National Park Service Recreation.gov
6 Day 6
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07:23Sunrise
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08:02Car · 55 km · 58 min
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09:00Shark Valley (Everglades)DaylightTime at stop 2 h 30 min
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11:30Car · 85 km · 1 h 32 min
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13:02Anhinga TrailDaylightTime at stop 1 h 15 min
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19:37Sunset
3 campgrounds near the day’s end
- Long Pine Key Campground 5 km · National Park Service Recreation.gov
- Elliot Key Campground 42 km · National Park Service · 99 sites Recreation.gov
- Flamingo Campground 43 km · National Park Service Recreation.gov
7 Day 7
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07:22Sunrise
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07:49Car · 61 km · 1 h 11 min
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09:00John Pennekamp Coral Reef State ParkDaylightTime at stop 2 h 30 min
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11:30Car · 71 km · 1 h 10 min
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12:40Dolphin Research Center
Since 1984 dolphins have lived here in protected lagoons, letting visitors observe the animals up close.
DaylightTime at stop 3 h -
19:37Sunset
1 campgrounds near the day’s end
- Flamingo Campground 41 km · National Park Service Recreation.gov
8 Day 8
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07:24Sunrise
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08:26Car · 35 km · 34 min
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09:00Bahia Honda State ParkDaylightTime at stop 2 h 30 min
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11:30Car · 60 km · 1 h 3 min
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12:33Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory
A tropical butterfly house in Key West filled with exotic species and plants under glass.
DaylightTime at stop 1 h 30 min -
19:41Sunset
9 Day 9
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08:24Sunrise
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08:55Car · 2 km · 5 min
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09:00Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
Foto: U.S. Department of Transportation, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
A brick fort dating to before the Civil War at the southern tip of Key West, surrounded by beaches and open water.
DaylightTime at stop 2 h 30 min -
11:30Car · 2 km · 5 min
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11:35Mallory SquareDaylightTime at stop 1 h 15 min
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20:42Sunset
10 Day 10
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02:58Car · 388 km · 6 h 2 min
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08:22Sunrise
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09:00Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens
Founded in 1969, this zoo sits beneath mature trees and houses exotic animals in naturalistic enclosures.
DaylightTime at stop 3 h -
20:43Sunset
11 Day 11
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07:43Car · 72 km · 1 h 17 min
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08:23Sunrise
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09:00J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
A wildlife refuge on Sanibel Island in Florida, known for its mangrove wetlands and abundant birdlife.
DaylightTime at stop 2 h 30 min -
11:30Car · 6 km · 10 min
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11:40Bowman's Beach (Sanibel)DaylightTime at stop 1 h 15 min
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20:45Sunset
12 Day 12
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06:23Car · 184 km · 2 h 37 min
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07:23Sunrise
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09:00Mote Marine Laboratory
Foto: Will Pittenger, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
A nonprofit marine research institute founded in 1955, combining a public aquarium and zoo on Florida's Gulf Coast.
DaylightTime at stop 3 h -
12:00Car · 18 km · 27 min
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12:27Siesta Beach
This beach on Siesta Key is known for its fine white quartz sand along the Gulf of Mexico.
DaylightTime at stop 1 h 15 min -
19:47Sunset
13 Day 13
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07:36Car · 108 km · 1 h 24 min
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08:21Sunrise
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09:00Florida Aquarium
A public aquarium in Tampa showcasing marine and coastal habitats, opened in 1995.
DaylightTime at stop 3 h -
12:00Car · 10 km · 14 min
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12:14ZooTampa at Lowry Park
Founded in 1930, this Florida zoo is home to a wide range of animals across its grounds.
DaylightTime at stop 3 h -
20:48Sunset
14 Day 14
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07:20Sunrise
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07:35Car · 103 km · 1 h 25 min
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09:00Homosassa Springs Wildlife State ParkDaylightTime at stop 3 h
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19:49Sunset
Campgrounds: recreation.gov (RIDB) · Parks Canada, contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada