Florida Gulf Coast and the Everglades

Route description

From Tampa, follow I-75 or US-41 south along the Gulf Coast to Fort Myers, then take the causeway, where a toll is charged, to Sanibel. The island is known for shell beaches and the J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, where a one-way wildlife drive passes wading birds. The island is still recovering from Hurricane Ian in 2022.

Continue south to Naples, a neat resort town with a long pier and beaches on the Gulf. Just south, US-41 becomes the Tamiami Trail and runs east through Big Cypress National Preserve, a landscape of cypress swamps and prairies. A short detour on FL-29 leads to Everglades City, the gateway to the Ten Thousand Islands, with boat tours of the mangroves.

Farther east on the Tamiami Trail, Shark Valley has a 15-mile paved loop through sawgrass marsh, which you can cycle with a rented bike or ride on a tram tour. An observation tower at the halfway point offers wide views over the Everglades, and alligators often bask along the edges. The trail ends at Miami, where the city begins abruptly at the edge of the Everglades.

The dry season, from December to April, is the best time to visit, with more wildlife and fewer mosquitoes. Summer brings heat, afternoon thunderstorms and hurricanes. The Shark Valley parking lot fills early on winter weekends, so arrive in the morning.