Welcome to the Sunshine State, where even the pelicans seem to be wearing sunglasses. Florida is much more than a postcard in flip-flops: it's a condensed version of America XXL with Caribbean accents, a pinch of Latin culture, a cloud of Disney-style excess and a touch of wet mystery made in the Everglades. Between the white sand beaches, the exuberant cities, the supercharged theme parks and the mangroves full of eyes that blink at night, it's hard to know where to put your palm.
Here you can have a Cuban breakfast in Miami, lunch with Mickey in Orlando and dine in an oyster bar while watching a neon pink sunset over the Gulf of Mexico. All the while coming across a crocodile, an iguana and maybe even an old Key West hippy in flip-flops. That's Florida: a joyous tropical bazaar, deeply alive, excessive, warm - and strangely poetic.
Arriving in Florida
Arriving in Florida is like plunging into a warm orange-scented bath. Three major airports open their arms (and air-conditioned automatic doors) to you: Miami, Orlando and Tampa. You often arrive here with sunglasses already on and a programme worthy of a marathon: beach, theme parks, nature, burgers, sunset, repeat. Air France, Delta, American Airlines, everyone lands here, often on time, often with a bit of jet lag... but who cares, you're in Florida.
Once you're here, everything is designed to move. Hiring a car is almost compulsory, unless you plan to stay in South Beach sipping mojitos all week (and frankly, we're not judging you). The road network is fluid (apart from traffic jams in Miami and surprise tropical storms), and everything is signposted with that typical American charm: clear, giant and a little kitsch. You can cross the state from north to south in a day - or three weeks if you stop at every diner, beach or attraction (which we highly recommend).
Choosing accommodation in Florida
Sleeping in Florida means choosing between a pastel ambience and a waterfront cabin. À MiamiArt Deco hotels in South Beach offer stylish nights out, with pink neon lights, well-combed palm trees and cocktails by square pools. À OrlandoDisney resorts transform you into a princess from the moment you enter the lobby, with star-spangled carpets and cartoon music in the lifts. And if you prefer to go natural, the west coast (Côte du Golfe) offers bungalows with their feet in the sand and small family hotels with built-in barbecues.
But the best of all are the villas with swimming pool and mosquito net. A Florida institution. Here you can bask in the protection of thirsty mosquitoes, sipping iced tea and listening to the weather forecast of a "high risk of sunshine". And for lovers of unspoilt nature, there are a number of lodges nestling in the EvergladesYou'll sleep to the sound of frogs and the occasional alligator saying good night.
Floridian gastronomy
Forget everything you think you know about American cuisine: in Florida, we eat local, tropical and cosmopolitan. From a Cuban food truck to a beachside ceviche bar, every bite tells the story of a cultural melting pot worthy of a Garcia Márquez novel on acid. À MiamiLatin cuisine will tickle your taste buds: Cuban sandwiches, arroz con pollo, empanadas... everything is good, everything is generous, everything is finger food.
On the west coast seafood giant prawns, Apalachicola oysters, blue crabs, and of course the group sandwichthe star of Clearwater's menu in Naples. And if you don't try the key lime pie in Key West, you won't really have set foot in Florida. This dessert, sweet and tangy like a summer fling, is the local madeleine de Proust. And of course, brunch is an institution: pancakes, crispy bacon, freshly squeezed orange juice (probably picked 200 metres away), and unlimited filtered coffee. Here, we eat for pleasure. And sometimes, for Instagram.
Tourist attractions in Florida
Florida is a melting pot of visual and emotional contrasts. On the one hand, the theme parks ofOrlando Disney, Universal, SeaWorld... Parallel worlds where you can meet a dragon, a moustachioed plumber and a mermaid all in the same day. On the other, the EvergladesIt's a land of swamps and mystery, where alligators watch you pass with a philosopher's phlegm.
MiamiIt's a salsa version of America: white beaches, turquoise buildings, giant graffiti in Wynwood and a caliente atmosphere. St. Augustinefurther north, takes you back in time with its cobbled streets and Spanish ghosts. And Key WestAt the very end of the Overseas Highway, you enter a bohemian dream where Hemingway would have forgotten to leave.
Add to this the beaches some of the most beautiful in the country: Siesta Key, Clearwater Beach, Sanibel Island... white sand, warm water, palm trees dancing in the wind. A paradise, with mandatory sun cream.
Activities and entertainment in Florida
Florida is like a huge open-air theme park: you just have to choose your world. Dreaming of a wild adventure? Climb aboard a airboat in the Everglades It's a whirring, splashing ride that brings you up close and personal with crocodiles that smile... a little too sincerely. The bravest can even go night kayaking in mangrove swamps, where bioluminescent plankton turns every paddle stroke into an aquatic firework display.
If you prefer team sensations fortesFor the more adventurous, head for Orlando, with its dizzying rollercoasters, 4D simulators, interactive magic wands and dragons coughing fire every 30 minutes. And for those who prefer the elegance of Florida sports: paddle at sunrise in Sarasota, golf on luxurious greens in Palm Beach, or snorkelling in the crystal-clear waters of the Keyswith rainbow fish swimming more gracefully than you.
But sometimes the most typical activity is also the simplest: walking barefoot on the beach, collecting shells and watching the sun set in a palette of pinks, oranges and purples while a pelican takes a dip in the water.
Florida shopping guide
Shopping in Florida is an experience in itself - a national sport played out in air-conditioned malls, bohemian markets and tiny boutiques scattered between palm trees. À Miamifashionistas are flocking to Lincoln Road or Bal Harbour ShopsHere, shopping is synonymous with XXL glasses and mango-coloured leather bags. Here, even the dogs wear Ralph Lauren polo shirts. Yes, they do.
For a more local feel, head to the craft markets in St. Petevintage thrift shops Key Westor the charming, eco-friendly boutiques of Gainesville. You'll find T-shirts flocked with poetic alligators, handmade jewellery made from shark teeth (it's true), moisture-proof straw hats and even recycled works of art created by passionate pensioners.
And of course, there are the outlets. These temples of "-70 %" where you lose all sense of budget and dignity, but emerge with a suitcase full of trainers, swimwear, sunglasses and after-sun cream. In Florida, you shop like you tan: intensely.
Diving into Florida culture
Floridian culture is a tasty melting pot of Caribbean, Latin and South American influences, with a laid-back seaside vibe. It's a Little Havana you'll come across abuelos playing dominoes between two hand-rolled cigars, while a musician hums Buena Vista Social Club under the jacarandas. It's in St. AugustineHere, you can follow in the footsteps of the Spanish colonists and nibble on a cinnamon doughnut.
The museums are also up to the task: the Pérez Art Museum in Miami catapults you into contemporary Latin American art under a suspended tropical canopy, while the Salvador Dalí Museum of St. Pete offers a surreal immersion in futuristic architecture. And don't forget the festivals, parades, jazz concerts on the beaches and Caribbean carnivals where salsa and reggae take centre stage to the rhythm of the percussion.
And above all, there are the people. In Florida, you'll meet pensioners from Ohio, Cuban artists, vegetarian surfers, eel fishermen and country music tattoo artists. Florida is a living novel, written in a thousand voices.
Calendar of events in Florida
In Florida, there's always a party somewhere. Sometimes two. Sometimes a party within a party. The calendar of events is as full as a fairground hot dog, and it starts off strong with the Miami Art Basel December: the world's art elite, galleries, glitter and giant sand sculptures. In January, the Gasparilla Pirate Festival turns Tampa into a buccaneer's den with ornate boats, improbable costumes and lots and lots of rum.
In February, it's time for Miami CarnivalWith its Latin concerts, frenzied dancing and Cuban dishes, it'll have you dancing salsa on an empty stomach. Spring arrives with the Spring Breaks from Orlando to Panama City Beach, where you can discover festive America in neon shorts and a crooked cap.
Summer is punctuated by the fireworks of the 4th Julymusic festivals in St. Augustine, or the jet-ski competitions on the Atlantic coast. And in October, the must: Fantasy Fest in Key WestThe costumes are crazy, the creativity boundless, and the atmosphere more offbeat than a Salvador Dalí dream on acid.
In short, every month in Florida has its share of reasons to dance, drink, eat, dress up or just marvel. It's up to you to choose your tempo.
Florida: much more than just a trip
Visiting Florida isn't about ticking a box on a map, it's about opening a giant surprise box, where every street corner can hide a pink flamingo, a tattooed pin-up girl, a philosophical alligator or a dragon fruit smoothie seller. It's a state of mind, a cocktail of cultures and climates, a place where the sky isn't just blue, it's electric, moving and alive.
You come here to sunbathe, and you leave with crazy memories: a paddleboard session at sunrise, an encounter with a giant tortoise, a giggle on a roller coaster, a sunset lazing on the warm sand. You can't really tell people about Florida, it's all about the colours, the smell of sun cream, the salty laughter and the music wafting in from the open windows.
So if you're looking for a place where anything can happen - anything at all - grab your sunglasses and let yourself be carried away. Florida awaits you with open arms, iced cocktails and a calypso soundtrack in the background.
