An Ecotourist's Guide to the Everglades and the Florida Keys

Grab your camera and leave only your footprints!

“Shows readers how to experience natural beauty in places they would never find on their own—and makes the workings of this complicated ecosystem easy to understand.”—Dan Burkhardt, editor ofFlorida Bay Forever: A Story of Water from the Everglades to the Keys

“An alluring snapshot of the Florida Keys and the Everglades, capturing the regions’ fun side with fishing, fantasy, food, and an overall funky feel.”—Mary Barley, Everglades Trust President

Packed with adventure and a local’s expert advice, this guide is essential reading for a fun-filled trip through the world’s most famous wetland, the Everglades, and the spectacular marine environment of the 130-mile island chain formed by the Florida Keys. These two connected ecosystems, linked by the Florida Bay, offer outdoors enthusiasts and nature lovers hundreds of outings, activities, and experiences for enjoying the natural wonders of the Sunshine State.

The itinerary begins just outside Naples, where Robert Silk takes the reader to some of the area’s top eco-destinations, including the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve and the Ten Thousand Islands region. Moving eastward, he explores Big Cypress, Shark Valley, and the Miccosukee Indian Village. Although he avoids the urban areas of the Miami metroplex, Silk stops through alluring locales nearby, such as a bonsai garden and the unique Coral Castle in the Redland and Homestead areas, as well as the exceptional waterside campgrounds of Biscayne National Park. Silk’s tour of the region even features an eerie Cold War–era missile base deep in Everglades National Park, not far from an awe-inspiring mahogany hammock boardwalk. After that, he sets off for a paddle and a dive near imperiled reefs and the famous African Queen boat from the eponymous Bogart and Hepburn movie. The journey ends at Dry Tortugas National Park, but not before Silk highlights a selection of bicycling, paddling, and diving excursions in Key West.

Along the way, the reader will also learn about local history and culture and discover some of the eclectic, locally owned restaurants, watering holes, and attractions that possess the charming Old Florida character.

Robert Silk is the Florida tourism and airlines editor for Travel Weeklyand former senior staff writer for the Key West Citizen/Florida Keys Free Press. He has also written for theChicago Tribune and Miami Herald, among other publications.