Destination Florida

Stop 1: South Florida

A tropical melting pot with serious Caribbean flair

• General Location: Palm Beach to Miami
• Population: 6 million+ (4th largest urban area in the U.S.)
• TowBoatU.S. Ports: 10

Most people think of Miami when South Florida comes to mind, though it really encompasses the entire southeast costal region from Palm Beach down to the Big City, including Fort Lauderdale, yachting capital of the world.

Setting foot into South Florida can feel like walking into a foreign country. People from all nationalities bustle around at breakneck speed (everyone in South Florida is in a hurry), bright colors and elaborate street murals draw the eye, and aromas of traditional Latin dishes like ropa vieja or mofongo are in the air.

Flashiness is embraced, if not expected, and it can seem as if the entirety of South Florida is saying, “Stop and look at me!” And people love that about it. There are transplants from every corner of the globe, cultural enclaves throughout, and a bustling city life more reminiscent of Rio than Riviera Beach. But even with all the diversity, what you’ll notice most is the huge Latin American presence. If you don’t speak Spanish, learn some key phrases before you tie off.

Home to two of the world’s largest in-water boat shows, South Florida has some of the clearest tropical waters in the state; the Gulf Stream current wraps in and nearly kisses the coast here, coming within a mile of the sand and flooding the area with deep blue ocean water, as well as the sought-after pelagic fish that follow it – like wahoo, sailfish, and dorado.

If you’re fortunate to have a home or lodging with docking, lucky you. Boat ramps are limited and consistently crowded. Marina slips are even more scarce and extremely pricey. Driving in South Florida is a headache – or nightmare, depending on your perspective – with heavy traffic making the most routine drive a test of patience. Add a boat trailer behind you and things get exponentially more interesting.

Due to its proximity to the Bahamas, South Florida is a good jumping-off point for cruisers making their way to the Caribbean. With Bimini approximately 50 nautical miles east of Miami, and West End less than 60 nautical miles from Palm Beach, the islands are in striking distance for even small boaters. The closeness to the Caribbean also allows the island culture to emanate onto the coast of South Florida, giving what could be any other bustling metro a warm, tropical vibe.

Boating in South Florida comes with a few challenges. The ICW becomes quite narrow in parts of this region, and the many lift bridges that connect the barrier island to the mainland can bottleneck boat traffic and create chaotic conditions. The waters are also very busy, especially on the weekends. Expect to see boats of every shape and size, from the world’s largest superyachts to an unequal share of personal watercraft; South Florida is the number one PWC market in the world.

Despite the few hurdles to boating in this area, South Florida’s world-class waterways such as Biscayne Bay, an arts and culture scene rivalling those of the world’s largest cities, its legendary cultural fusion, and its nearly unlimited opportunities for offshore boating and fishing in the deep blue Gulf Stream make it all worthwhile.

Stop 2: The Florida Keys

A cruiser’s delight and sportsman’s promised land

• General Location: Florida’s southernmost point, from Key West to Key Largo
• Population: 83,000
• TowBoatU.S. Ports: 7

Many boaters dream of cruising the Caribbean, but don’t have the time, inclination, or right boat for the journey. Or maybe cruising isn’t on the agenda, and nights in a climate-controlled waterside hotel after a day of fishing and diving fit the bill, with the boat safely moored in an adjacent marina. Whatever the circumstance, you may find just what you’re looking for in the Florida Keys, which make any boater feel a million miles from wherever they came from.

The Keys archipelago includes more than 1,700 named islands connected by a 113-mile road known as the Overseas Highway, or “the highway that goes to sea.” This main artery of the Keys – the only way in or out – includes 42 bridges leapfrogging from one isle to the next. It’s a mixed blessing as it limits traffic in, but try getting out ahead of an approaching hurricane. It’s a slow exit.

The Keys is the land of Jimmy Buffett and Ernest Hemingway, where time and people slow down, coconut trees outnumber offices, and almost every dockside bar has a guy with a guitar covering a Buffett tune. Grouper fingers, conch fritters, and fresh Florida lobster are the vital vittles of the land, while gourmet boat-to-table seafood is offered at plenty of fashionable restaurants, which are always busy.

It’s only a short drive from the chaos of Miami, yet people who live in the Keys take pride in their tribe. And they’ve tried to make it official, too. Despite a failed, yet passionate, secession attempt in 1982, their independent sentiment is still alive and well, even though the Conch Republic now exists in spirit only.

Marinas, charters, and boat services are plentiful. Cruisers can spend years gunkholing through myriad islands, cuts, and hidden lagoons with no loss of new water to explore. Fishermen know Islamorada as the “Sportfishing Capital of the World,” though world-class angling opportunities exist throughout the island chain, with everything from snapper to swordfish in play.

Key West could easily be a story of its own, proudly flaunting an eclectic culture that welcomes all and embraces the eccentric. Other than the main touristy part of town, Key West is the colorful home of a pretty sophisticated population of folks who’ve moved from up north, bringing with them a taste for culture, art, music, and old Florida architecture.

For those drawn to the deep, the renowned coral reefs of the Keys are rivaled only by Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Every paradise has its perils. In the last decade, warming ocean temperatures and other environmental stressors have contributed to coral bleaching, putting many of those reefs at risk. Thankfully, innovative coral restoration efforts have headlined the diving conversation in the Keys and beyond, with multiple impressive organizations and countless volunteers lining up to save their ancient flower bed on the sea floor.

Stop 3: The Sun Coast

Whether a winter refugee or ­homesteader, this region caters to the discerning boater

• General Location: Tampa/St. Petersburg to Naples
• Population: 3.1 million
• TowBoatU.S. Ports: 14

With the largest contingent of affluent retirees in the state, along with some of the highest waterfront property values outside of Miami, Southwest Florida is the final destination for many well-to-do boaters from colder climes. Some come for the mild winters and tax relief, while many embrace the “snowbird” title and fly the coop when things heat up, heading north when it gets warm and sticky.

Regardless of circumstance, Florida’s southwest coast offers fine boating, with a labyrinth of deep-water canal-front properties that allow boaters to keep their pride and joy on a lift or dock within sight of the recliner. Quick access to the Gulf makes deep-sea fishing easily accessible, while the inshore fishery can be equally compelling with tarpon, redfish, and snook keeping the rod bent for those who know where to look.

This coast offers so many nooks and crannies to explore by boat – behind the many barrier islands, all through beautiful sounds and bays such as Gasparilla and Pine Island Sound, each with its own personality and history. This part of the coast can be on the shallow side, so alert navigation is required.

Unlike its neighbors to the east, Southwest Florida flaunts function over fashion, though wealth is in no short supply. The boats you see reflect this, with teak-graced dayboats like Hinckleys and Chris-Crafts cutting through the canals, and larger liveaboards never far behind. This region has some of the most prestigious marinas anywhere, with hurricane-resistant dry-stack facilities, world-class craftsmen, and infrastructure to accommodate almost anything with a prop and a checkbook. There’s no shortage of waterfront eateries that you can visit by boat with fresh local fare from the Gulf, but the captain banter at the bar may be what brings you back.

This region is also the gateway to Florida’s Okeechobee waterway, connecting the east and west coasts of Florida, saving boaters the time and hassle of steaming or sailing south and through the Keys to reach the other side. Beginning on the Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers from the west coast and ending in the St. Lucie River near Stuart on the east coast, this journey is one of the most uniquely Florida adventures a boater can take, including five locks, a trip across Lake Okeechobee, and a candid glimpse of what Florida looked like before the bulldozers and gated communities began reshaping the landscape. Bonus: More gator sightings than a day at Gatorland, guaranteed.

Stop 4: The Nature Coast

Serenity and natural beauty define this rugged, often-overlooked Florida shoreline

• General Location: Upper Gulf Coast, including Florida’s Big Bend
• Population: 731,000
• TowBoatU.S. Ports: 14

Though not a primary destination for most Florida visitors, the aptly-named Nature Coast holds some of the state’s most untouched and pristine waterways. If your perfect day on the water involves wildlife watching without ever giving way to a passing vessel, this lesser-known region may be for you.

The Nature Coast is one of the most remote and sparsely populated coasts in Florida, partly because the shoreline is comprised of wetlands instead of beaches, swamps instead of subdivisions, and dense vegetation that’s home to some of Florida’s most ancient residents – manatees, gators, waterfowl, and dolphins. It’s “Old Florida,” where the hands of rapacious developers have yet to sink their claws.

A deep-rooted commercial fishing community makes this coast home, with shrimp boats, trawlers, and longliners often outnumbering pleasure vessels. Fishing is one of the region’s primary industries, and if you ever find yourself eating peel-and-eat shrimp, stone crab claws, or freshly shucked oysters on the dock at The Freezer, a once bustling fish processing plant turned über-casual seafood dive in Homosassa, you’ll understand why.

Supporting the demand for seafood hasn’t been without hardship, and overfishing, along with environmental impacts, have taken a measurable toll on the native oyster and clam populations. However, this setback has created a new opportunity for smart fishermen who now collaborate with scientists at the University of Florida and Sea Grant to farm resilient shellfish. Working hand in hand, they’re creating a blossoming aquaculture industry that offers a bright future for legacy fishing families.

Sawgrass and seafood are only part of this region’s story. Due to lack of infrastructure and navigable inshore water, transient boaters tend to skip this coast, keeping to the deep waters of the Gulf as they make their way to the next port on their ICW journey. Instead, the area draws small boaters, especially those with families. In cooler months, peaceful manatees congregate within the warm springs of Crystal River, offering face-to-face encounters for snorkelers. The shallow grass beds just offshore Steinhatchee and neighboring towns are home to millions of bay scallops, attracting boaters from across the state for the summer scallop season. For many, such as my family, it’s a family tradition, where swimmers of all ages and skill levels can gather the delectable bivalves in what amounts to a saltwater Easter egg hunt. For those preferring a pole in hand, recreational fishing opportunities abound, with some of the lowest fishing pressures in Florida.

Most people don’t run into the Nature Coast by accident; it’s their destination, a refuge from never-ending progress, a place to seek peace.

Stop 5: The Emerald Coast

Sugar-sand beaches and spring ­breakers are just part of the story on this iconic coastline

• General Location: Western portion of Florida’s panhandle
• Population: 450,000+
• TowBoatU.S. Ports: 5

Named for the clear, green-tinted water washing over its white sugar-sand beaches, the Emerald Coast is the jewel of the Florida Panhandle – a world away from the rest of Florida. Sharing the Central time zone with neighboring Alabama, the Emerald Coast is hundreds of miles from the Florida peninsula, and its Flora-Bama moniker carries weight beyond the state-line restaurant that popularized the name. This region is a tourist haven with all the trappings, and most visitors are there to let loose, bringing home sunburns, empty wallets, and cheap souvenirs.

Despite the abundant sunshine, Old Man Winter does make his way here, with some morning temperatures hitting the 50s; prolonged days in the 30s and 40s aren’t uncommon, with freezes occurring almost every winter.

The Emerald Coast is known more for its beaches than its waterways, though the Upper Gulf offers exceptional diving and offshore fishing, thanks to its consistently clear water, and some unique man-made recreation sites, like the Oriskany, an 888-foot aircraft carrier scuttled 24 miles off Pensacola. A series of sounds and backwaters offer respite when blustery conditions shut down the Gulf; use caution here as razor-sharp oyster beds and hidden shoals abound.

Those heading south from the Great Loop often spend time in this region when not cutting the corner to Southwest Florida, as the Tensaw River spills into the Gulf nearby, with the Mississippi just a bit farther west. On the Emerald Coast, it’s common to see a Navy warship steaming out to sea, or a fighter jet soaring overhead, as the Naval Air Station Pensacola sits just southwest of Pensacola city limits, housing 16,000 active-duty troops.

The typical visitor comes here for sand and sun. Ultrafine sand comprising blinding-white beaches patterned with endless rows of umbrellas, beach chairs, and cabanas draw beach goers from across the Southeastern U.S., leading to its less affectionate moniker of “Redneck Riviera.” Fair warning: If you happen to arrive here anytime near spring break, expect a major crowd and a heap of hedonism.

PWC rentals, parasailing, and people getting towed on big banana tubes make up the bulk of the beach boating scene, while private boat owners enjoy popular sandbars and raft-up spots, like Destin’s famous Crab Island, an idyllic rendezvous point.

Stop 6: Northeast Florida

A temperate zone reminiscent of neighboring Georgia, this is Florida’s laid-back Lowcountry, with a rich history and distinctive cuisine

• General Location: Florida/Georgia State Line to Daytona Beach
• Population: 1.8 million
• TowBoatU.S. Ports: 7

The northeast coast is different than other parts of Florida, with more similarities to its northern neighbors than to the Sunshine State. Dark, tannin-rich water replaces the blue hues of the south, pines replace palms, and just beyond the city skyline of Jacksonville, shallow salt marshes and oyster beds wind for miles.

This area sees its share of boat traffic, especially with the ICW dissecting the waterways between the barrier islands and mainland, providing a steady flow of transients, along with plenty of runabouts, pontoons, and center-consoles on summer weekends. The marshes attract anglers chasing redfish, flounder, and seatrout, but this region is also home to a small, yet diehard offshore fishing fleet. Here, the Gulf Stream sits about 70 miles from the coast, rendering many smaller boats out of range. But for those making the trek, the rewards can be huge with trophy wahoo, billfish, and bottom species all making appearances in the fishbox.

Northeast Florida is the end point – or start point, depending on your perspective – of the St. Johns River, Florida’s longest at 310 miles and one of only a handful of rivers in the United States that flows south to north. Its headwaters are in the unnavigable swamps of Southern Central Florida. The river widens and deepens as it makes its way north, passing lakes, springs, and historic towns such as Sanford and Palatka. Despite some worthwhile ports of call, most of the river is quite remote, making it a popular destination for weekend cruisers looking to get off the grid.

For history buffs, St. Augustine offers a rich treat. Conquered in 1565 by Spanish explorers and situated on the banks of the Matanzas River, it’s the oldest continuously occupied settlement in the U.S. To keep their city safe, the Spaniards constructed the Castillo de San Marcos, North America’s earliest masonry fort, complete with dungeons, moat, and cannons – worth a visit. St. Augustine is home to Ponce de Leon’s colonial-era Fountain of Youth, and to Fort Mose, the first free Black settlement in what would be the United States. It’s also a cool town to explore on foot, with cobblestone streets, quaint shops, galleries, and a cozy tavern always nearby.

Boating infrastructure here is quite good, with plenty of ramps, boatyards, and marinas, making it an attractive stopover for cruisers looking for a quiet, peaceful berth, and a Lowcountry culture unlike anywhere else in the state.

Stop 7: The Space Coast

Rockets, aerospace, and technology rule this underrated boating hotspot

• General Location: Brevard County and surrounding areas
• Population: 670,000
• TowBoatU.S. Ports: 9

What do Alan Shepard’s first earth orbit, Neil Armstrong’s journey to the moon, and the television show “I Dream of Genie” have in common? They all launched from Florida’s Space Coast. It’s been 64 years since NASA set up shop on Cape Canaveral, establishing the Kennedy Space Center as the nation’s de facto launch facility for every space program from Mercury to Artemis, and it has shaped the identity of the area. Today, federal launches have slowed, but rockets from private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin rattle local windows almost daily.

Nestled on the central east coast of the state, this unique region is just far enough north to be free of South Florida’s commotion and congestion. Since the inception of the space program, it’s emerged as one of the country’s leading technology hubs, with an aviation, aerospace, and defense industry attracting some of the brightest engineers and their families. This makes the Space Coast a bit different from other places in the state. While it still has its share of retirees, they’re often outnumbered by young working families, many of whom take to the water each weekend.

Port Canaveral is the largest deepwater port in the area, and home to the world’s second-largest cruise-ship terminal, hosting gargantuan floating mini cities alongside a vibrant fleet of commercial and charter fishing boats. It’s just an hour drive from the touristy hubbub of Orlando, attracting all the water-loving Disney-goers who crave a day on the Atlantic. With excellent ramp and marina facilities, it’s a popular launching point for recreational offshore fishermen. Another thing making Port Canaveral unique? Rockets on boats! The SpaceX landing ship fleet resides here, so you never know when you’ll see a used rocket booster cruising by on its way in from sea.

To the south, Sebastian inlet is another gateway to the Atlantic with excellent snook fishing and offshore opportunities; use extreme caution and watch the tides; it can be one of the most dangerous inlets on the East Coast.

For families, the Indian River Lagoon, along with the Banana River and Mosquito Lagoon, is where the inshore action happens. The intracoastal waters widen here, providing a playground for family boaters and fishermen alike. Technical flats skiffs silently pole around Mosquito Lagoon searching for schools of tailing redfish, while families pull kids on tubes in perilous circles across the Indian River among folks taking aimless boat rides, heading nowhere in particular.

Another distinguishing feature of this waterway are the 41 spoil islands that line the ICW. These islands were created during the dredging of the channel, with the sediment, or “spoils,” piled up adjacent to the new deep water. They’ve since grown in with Australian pines and native plants, becoming recreational hot spots for boaters, providing places to camp out, cook out, and gather.

The 156-mile Indian River Lagoon is one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in North America, with more than 4,300 species of plants and animals. Fed by saltwater from the Atlantic mixing with freshwater, the river is bioluminescent in summer months. Like so many other waterways in the state, excessive development has taken a toll, with unmitigated runoff causing harmful algae blooms, seagrass destruction, and fish kills, turning its once clear waters a disappointing shade of brown in many areas. Thankfully, multiple public initiatives to repair the waterway are underway, including oyster and clam seeding, municipal projects to curb runoff, and county subsidies to replace ailing septic tanks. There’s more to be done, but the tide is turning for this once-magnificent lagoon.

Stop 8: The Lakes of Central Florida

This inland oasis is a tourist haven and a secret gem for watersports-loving boaters who want to ride year-round

• General Location: The Greater Orlando area
• Population 3.5 million+
• TowBoatU.S. Ports: 3

As anyone who’s ever flown into Orlando International Airport on a plane full of fired-up kids in mouse ears knows, the Greater Orlando area is the tourism capital of Florida by a wide margin, with nearly 75 million people visiting in 2024 – three times that of Miami.

The vast majority come for the multitude of theme parks and attractions, but there’s some excellent boating on the vast lake chains surrounding the metro. Some, like Alligator Lake in St. Cloud, are dark and swampy with hydrilla, gators, and trophy bass. Others, like the Harris Chain of Lakes in the northwest, are spring-fed, with crystal clear water, majestic cypress trees, and snazzy waterfront homes, some owned by celebrities.

Here you’ll find fishermen casting baits under lily pads early in the morning and parades of pontoons making loops around the lake toward sunset. Thanks to their warm, smooth waters, the lakes of Central Florida have become a mecca for tow-sports enthusiasts and recognized as the “Water Ski Capital of the World.” With the ability to train year-round, many professional watersports athletes call this area home, with tournaments taking place during the winter months when their northern counterparts are closed for business. It’s also the home of Correct Craft, the hundred-year-old boat builder who pioneered the development of recreational ski boats

Stop 9: The Florida Everglades

Too far off the track for the average boater, the Everglades is a mythical destination for hardcore ­outdoorsmen

• General Location: Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay
• Population: 220,000
• TowBoatU.S. Ports: 2

Everglades National Park encompasses 1.5 million acres on the southern tip of the Florida peninsula. Though the overall wetlands area is much larger – and was larger yet before agriculture and development began filling in parts of the River of Grass. It’s one of the largest wetlands in the world, where gators, panthers, bobcats, and bears dominate the food chain, wading birds far outnumber people, and thousands of other plant and animal species coexist.

The park is popular with inshore fishermen, who run tactical skiffs across shallow flats and through narrow snaking tributaries, as well as air boaters, whose roars can be heard for miles across the open prairies. A thriving ecotourism sector has also taken hold, attracting wildlife lovers from all over the world. You may even see a few houseboats in the mix.

But for Florida, the Everglades serve a far larger purpose than providing habitat. In its unaltered state, the wetlands served as a giant water filter, creating a slow sheet flow of water that ran south from the Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee, before passing through cypress swamps, wet prairies, sawgrass flats, and mangrove forests. At the end of its journey, this purified water mixed into Florida Bay, creating the perfect salinity for that ecosystem, and providing drinking water for most of South Florida.

This entire system was thrown off balance with the damming of Lake Okeechobee in the mid 1900s, after which massive swaths of land were drained for lucrative sugarcane farming and other agricultural development. The results have been catastrophic. Nutrient-polluted freshwater is now diverted toward the east and west coasts, causing poisonous algae blooms and fish kills. South of the dikes, the Everglades are drying up, and hypersalinity in Florida Bay due to lack of freshwater is killing off seagrass and decimating sea life.

Many high-profile groups have taken action, bringing the issue to the doorsteps of lawmakers in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C. Several remediation projects have received funding in the last couple of years, including construction of a 10,500-acre reservoir, which will help send water back south.