Today there’s a designated viewing center, complete with a boardwalk pier, that’s free to visit and open to the public 10am-5pm between November and mid-April. And while your chances of encountering a manatee in the wild are fairly slim elsewhere, here you’ll likely see not just dozens but hundreds of the aquatic mammals enjoying the toasty water. Manatees are friendly and curious, and will often approach the pier and even emerge from the water for a close-up photo. And Trichechus manatus isn’t the only species that likes the warmth, either—there’s a good chance you’ll see eagle rays and spinner sharks leaping out of the shallow water, as well as Atlantic tarpon, sheepshead, jack, fiddler crabs and assorted birds.

There’s a 900-foot birding trail just a little ways away that makes its way through a coastal berm, and is lined with mangroves and all the flora and fauna they support. A butterfly garden further enhances the nature experience. If you can’t handle free, there’s the gift shop and concessions, and a tiny museum that educates visitors on both manatees and the power station, including not only the usual informational displays but hands-on exhibits like an assembleable manatee skeleton, video games, and a hurricane simulator.

The center can be found at 6990 Dickman Road, Apollo Beach, FL 33572.

Over half of the beach is actually part of Lummus Park, which extends inland past the sand itself to include a wavy walkway known as the Promenade and a beautiful palm grove. If you want to take a seaside stroll this is the perfect place to do it—or you can relax on the grassy lawn beneath the palm trees and enjoy the shade and the ocean view. Rollerblading, biking and Segwaying are also popular activities. Head down to the beach to catch some rays or enjoy the waves. The park and beach are among the best-cared-for around, with immaculate grass and sparkling white sand, graded and cleaned each morning by the city of Miami Beach. Here you can play some volleyball on the courts or work out with the pull-up bars and other equipment installed on the beach. And topless sunbathing is A-ok at South Beach—no tan-lines required. If architecture’s more your thing, look in the other direction at the classic Art Deco buildings that line the park, or check out the colorful lifeguard stands, each one unique, designed by architect William Lane.

The beach and the park are completely free to access, but if you feel like spending money there’s plenty of opportunities to do so. Finding parking space can be very difficult in the area, so be prepared to either walk several blocks or pay top dollar. The parking conundrum may be South Beach’s biggest drawback—no matter how much you’re willing to spend, it can be almost impossible to find a place to leave your car nearby on the busiest days. The spending opportunities once you’re on the beach are much more enjoyable. Concession stands abound, and you can rent almost anything you want—beach chairs, umbrellas, bikes, Segways, and even parasailing equipment. Different vendors supply different stretches of beaches, so if you’re price-conscious, shop around. Umbrella and chair rentals are all-day (until 5pm), so arrive early to get your money’s worth. And note that club and party promoters tend to cruise the beach for tourists—whether you consider that your ticket to Miami Beach nightlife or a vacation annoyance, it’s something to be aware of.

The beach can be found between 5th and 21st Streets, Miami Beach, FL 33139.

The most important thing for visitors from more temperate climates to understand about the Everglades is the distinction between the dry and rainy seasons. The rainy season covers the months between May and October, and generally makes for a less enjoyable vacation. Higher water levels and increased rainfall means that mosquitoes are plentiful—in some areas, so plentiful that hiking the trails becomes unbearable. Humidity is usually very high and temperatures tend to be in the vicinity of 80°F, but that doesn’t mean that you should stay out of the Everglades entirely. A summer visit allows you to experience nature without the company of the millions of mosquito-shy tourists that visit during the winter, and is the season when the most gorgeous blooms can be found. The beautiful flowering plants and the incredible towering storm clouds are enough to justify seeing the Everglades in July. If you can’t handle the bugs, however, the November–April dry season has a lot to offer. The Everglades are teeming with life—both human and animal—during the winter. Hundreds of species of migratory birds hang out here while the snow is falling in their usual domains. And even the animals that call the Everglades their home year-round are easier to find in the dry season. Lower water levels means that animals must travel to ponds and canals for sustenance, and if you happen to be there too, you’re almost guaranteed to see something amazing.

Everglades National Park is unlike the vast majority of national parks in its purpose for existence—while most of the parks were created to protect notable landmarks and geographic features, the Everglades are all about the ecosystem. There are no mountains, canyons or geysers here, but the wildlife is truly amazing. A total of 36 protected or threatened animal species are found within the park, including the nearly-extinct Florida panther, with less than a hundred individuals in the wild. The Everglades are home to a fascinating variety of wading birds, including ibises, herons, spoonbills, and brown pelicans, as well as birds of prey like the Everglades snail kite, found nowhere else in the world. Alligators, American crocodiles and West Indies manatees are also a classic part of the Everglades population. Much of the park is made up of freshwater sloughs and marl prairies, frequently-submerged ecosystems that are dominated by 6-foot-tall sawgrass. There are also mangrove and cypress swamps, and rises of dry ground known as hammocks, where live oak, poisonwood and saw palmetto grow.

As the third-largest park in the lower 48, there’s understandably quite a lot to see and do in the Everglades. Hiking and biking trails can be found in every part of the park—few of them are very long (usually between 2 and 8 miles), making the trails the perfect choice for an afternoon encounter with nature. If you’re here in the summer, you’ll probably want to stay on the water to avoid the mosquitoes. Everglades National Park has numerous “canoe trails” which you can navigate in your own craft or with a rental, following a marked path through the parts of the park too wet for travel on foot. You can go boating and fishing in many parts of the park as well, or take a tram tour along many of the paved trails. There’s boat tours, too, and if you want you can even rent a houseboat. Staying overnight but want to sleep on land? Take your pick of the two main campgrounds—Long Pine Key Campground, just 7 miles from the park entrance, which operates on a first-come-first-serve basis and has everything you could want for tent or RV camping except for showers, and the even-larger Flamingo Campground, deep within the park, where campers can and should make reservations ahead of time.

And for the more adventurous, there’s wilderness camping. At most national parks, that means backpacking to some remote location, but in the Everglades you’ll do it by canoe, kayak or motorboat. The park has 46 back-country campsites—some on high ground, some on the beach, and some on elevated platforms called chickees in the middle of the swamp. This can be one of the most exciting ways to experience the park, but be sure to carefully plan ahead before you set out.

The park entrance can be found at 40001 State Road 9336, Homestead, FL 33034.