When people think of South Florida, Miami’s storied nightlife or Palm Beach’s upscale shopping are likely the first things that come to mind. But the region is also home to some of America's superlative national parks and preserves: The Everglades, which is the country’s largest subtropical wilderness; Dry Tortugas, an island cluster that’s one of the most remote national parks in the Lower 48; Big Cypress National Preserve, which is bigger than the state of Rhode Island; and Biscayne National Park, the largest marine park in the system.

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Because these parks are all relatively close, clustered to the south and west of Miami, with the right planning it’s possible to see all of South Florida’s varied landscapes, from mangrove forests to coral reefs, in one fell swoop. Here’s how.

The trip: Four days, about 320 miles

When to go

The November to April dry season draws more visitors but is better for wildlife sightings and has fewer mosquitoes.

What to drive

You’ll want a relatively rugged car with all-wheel drive (something like a Subaru Outback) that can handle the dirt and gravel roads on Big Cypress Preserve’s Big Loop Road. From Miami International Airport, take the MIA Mover shuttle directly to the rental car area.

Day 1

Get an early start out of Miami and stop for a guava pastelito and a breakfast sandwich at the takeout window of Coral Gables’ Tinta y Café, which is a quick detour off of Highway 41.

Then, it's off to the Everglades. While the national park is currently the largest protected wilderness east of the Mississippi at 1.5 million acres, this expanse of tropical wetlands is only half of its original size. Throughout most of the 20th century, the landscape was decimated as its water, flowing 100 miles south from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico, was diverted to South Florida’s growing cities.

Your first destination, the Everglades’ Shark Valley Visitor Center, is 45 minutes west of Miami on 41. There, you can hop on a naturalist-narrated, open-air tram tour, which offers a solid two-hour overview of the park. Amid COVID-19, the park is operating fewer tram tours with limited capacity as of mid-July, so make a reservation online beforehand to ensure your spot.

As the trams loop 15 miles through the “River of Grass,” keep your eyes peeled for alligators, herons, egrets, turtles, and snail kites (an endangered bird that feeds almost exclusively on apple snails). Halfway through, climb to the top of the 45-foot-tall, spaceship-like Shark Valley Observation Tower for 360-degree views of the marshes.

Lunch options are few and far between on this stretch of 41, but if you can make it another 30 miles west, crab cakes and gator nuggets await at Joanie’s Blue Crab Café, an old-school glades roadhouse. (For a quicker option, Glades Eats, across the street from the Shark Valley Visitor’s Center on the Miccosukee Reservation, offers burgers and Indian tacos.)

After lunch, it’s time to explore Big Cypress National Preserve via the Big Loop Scenic Drive. (A “preserve,” compared to a national park, allows for recreational activities like hunting and fishing.) The preserve’s 729,000 acres provide the largest contiguous habitat for the elusive Florida panther, one of the most endangered animals in North America. The 24-mile drive is somewhat rugged (roads are primarily dirt and gravel), cutting through Spanish moss-draped cypress swamps and pine forests. While the preserve’s roads and trails are currently open, it’s worth noting that all of its other public buildings and facilities are closed due to the pandemic.

The loop will take you back to 41, and from there turn south on Krome Avenue towards Homestead, a Miami suburb nestled between the Everglades and Biscayne Bay. Stop for jerk chicken or curry goat at Yardie Spice, a family-run Jamaican and Haitian restaurant, before settling in for the night at Hilton’s Home2 Suites.

Day 2

Start the day with a made-to-order smoothie at Robert Is Here, a 50-year-old Homestead produce stand known for its wide selection of homegrown tropical fruits, like canistel and sapodilla. The stand is currently open for drive-through orders.

Smoothie in hand, drive 25 minutes east on State Highway 9336 and you’ll arrive at the Dante Fascell Visitor Center at Biscayne National Park. (The visitor center building is closed for social-distancing reasons, but staff are still facilitating some services on site.) Comprising four different ecosystems—mangrove swamp, lagoon, island key, and offshore reef—the park is 95 percent water, and includes a portion of the Florida Reef, the third largest coral barrier reef system in the world.

Head out on the water with the Biscayne National Park Institute. Arrive by 10 a.m. to go out on their Snorkel & Paddle Eco-Adventure (reservations strongly recommended), a six-hour trip capped at six guests. Depending on the weather, the tour could include paddleboarding through Jones Lagoon, where you can see roseate spoonbills and snorkeling at one of the six shipwrecks on the Maritime Heritage Trail, which span from the late 19th to early 20th centuries, or in some of the vibrant coral reefs that cover about half of the park and are home to more than 500 species of fish. Look out for loggerhead sea turtles, stingrays, manatees, and nurse sharks. Customers should bring their own snorkel gear as rentals won’t be available to limit COVID-19 exposure.

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After the tour concludes back at the visitor center around 4 p.m., it’s time to get back in the car and drive about one hour south to Islamorada, a Keys town just about halfway between Miami and Key West.

Catch the sunset—and happy hour—at Islamorada’s Lorelei Restaurant & Cabana Bar, which hosts Sunset Celebrations every night, featuring live music. Get a table out on the sand and feast on key lime peppercorn snapper or a blackened Mahi sandwich, washed down with a Lorelei Sunset, made with tangerine-infused vodka.

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After the whirlwind of the past two days, the luxe Moorings Village is the perfect place to recharge, with 18 private villas scattered across 18 acres, interspersed with hammock-slung coconut palms and a private beach.

Day 3

Fuel up with a breakfast burrito or avocado toast (and take some fresh-baked cookies to go) at Islamorada’s funky Midway Cafe & Coffee Bar. Today, the goal is to reach Key West, which will be your launchpad for Dry Tortugas.

Drive 30 miles south on Route 1 to the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, which has been rehabilitating and releasing injured sea turtles since 1986. Hour-long facility tours, which run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., include the chance to feed some of the recovering turtles, which have suffered everything from boat strikes to choking on garbage.

After the Turtle Hospital comes one of the most spectacular sections of the drive: the Seven Mile Bridge, which offers uninterrupted views of the Keys’ aquamarine waters. Soon after the bridge’s western end you’ll arrive at the 524-acre Bahia Honda State Park, known for its secluded beaches. Hike up the old rail bridge, built in 1908 as part of oil baron Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railway, for a view of the Keys from one of its highest points.

For lunch, take a slight detour to No Name Pub on Big Pine Key. Dating back to 1938 (past lives include a bait and tackle shop and a brothel), this dive is known for its dollar-bill-covered walls, and, surprisingly, its pizza. The bar is currently serving up food and drinks under its palapa.

After another 30 or so miles, you’ll reach Key West, the southernmost point of the continental United States. Throughout its history, this eccentric city has drawn transient Cuban, Bahamian, and New England fishermen, and attracted literary luminaries from Ernest Hemingway to Elizabeth Bishop and Tennessee Williams; it was also the site of President Harry Truman’s winter White House.

Check into your room at Winslow’s Bungalows, an Old Town hotel with 85 rooms spread across the city’s first motel and some of its oldest homes, and the first of five historic inns reimagined by Kimpton.

For dinner, walk a few blocks to local favorite Blue Heaven, and grab a table amidst the lush foliage (and wandering chickens) of the outdoor patio, where you can order yellowtail snapper served with citrus beurre blanc and a slice of their famous key lime pie.

Day 4

Wake up thankful you didn’t go bar hopping on Duval Street last night, because there’s a 7:30 a.m. ferry to catch, and one more park to explore.

Situated about 70 miles west of Key West, Dry Tortugas National Park accessible only by boat or seaplane. Ponce de León came across this cluster of seven islands in 1513, and named them the Dry Tortugas after the abundance of sea turtles and the scarcity of fresh water. The U.S. annexed Florida from Spain in 1822, and soon after began planning Fort Jefferson, the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere, made of 16 million handmade bricks. After the Civil War, the fort was used as a prison until the late 19th century (its most famous occupant was Samuel Mudd, one of John Wilkes Booth’s co-conspirators in the assassination of President Lincoln).

This history, and much more, are detailed on an expedition via the Yankee Freedom III. This high-speed catamaran provides day trips from Key West to the Dry Tortugas, with breakfast and background from an onboard naturalist. (For those looking to splurge, Seaplane Adventures also offers half- and full-day trips.) You’ll cruise past the mangrove-covered Marquesas Keys and Boca Grande Key, with turtle and dolphin sightings along the way, and land at Fort Jefferson.

After a 45-minute tour of the fort and lunch onboard, spend the afternoon snorkeling near the fort’s moat wall (gear is provided), where you might see reef squid or hogfish among old cement barrels and anchor chains; looking for rare sooty terns; or simply strolling the island’s pristine white sand beaches.

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The boat returns back to Key West by 5:15 p.m. After freshening up at your hotel, walk to Sunset Pier at the Ocean Key Resort for oceanfront views and a Rum Runner cocktail. From there it’s a 10-minute walk to Café Marquesa, where Iron Chef alum Graham Dailey prepares seasonal new American dishes like crispy hogfish with parmesan grits and crab coleslaw.

Once bars reopen in the state, you'll have one final stop. Three blocks away, you'll find the Green Parrot, a Key West institution since 1890 where there’s only one rule, posted behind the bar: “No sniveling.”