13 Islands to explore in Florida
Florida is distinctive for its large Cuban expatriate community and high population growth, as well as for its increasing environmental issues. The state's economy relies mainly on tourism, agriculture, and transportation, which developed in the late 19th century. Florida is also renowned for amusement parks, orange crops, winter vegetables, the Kennedy Space Center.
Boca Chita Key is the island north of the upper Florida Keys in Biscayne National Park, Miami-Dade County, There is a beautiful lighthouse located in this island and a campground with picnic tables and saltwater toilets. Freshwater and electricity are not available in this island.
A three-mile nature trail, a marina, picnic pavilions, bathhouses, a park concession stand, and a beach is what you will encounter in Caladesi Island State Park. The Caladesi Island beach was listed as the best beach in United States by Dr. Beach in 2008.
Located on the coast of Charlotte Harbor, Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park covers 46,000 acres (190 km2).
Don Pedro Island State Park is only accessible by boat and is open from 8:00 am till sundown year-round.
Located on Egmont Key, at the mouth of Tampa Bay, it can only be reached by boat or ferry. The Egmont Key Lighthouse and the ruins of Fort Dade, a Spanish–American War era fort, are located in the park. The entire 328 acres (133 ha) island is actually part of Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge.
Gasparilla Island gets its name from the legendary pirate captain José Gaspar ("Gasparilla" 1756–1821), who had his base on the island and purportedly hid his fabulous treasure there.
The park is 385 acres (1.6 km2) in land area with 2,400 acres (10 km2) submerged and 4 miles (6 km) of beach. Consistently receiving more than one million visitors each year, it is the most-visited state park in Florida.
Known for beautiful beaches, nature preserves and parks. The two islands are separated by the Fort Pierce Inlet and are known as North Hutchinson Island and South Hutchinson Island. North Hutchinson Island is divided into two counties - Indian River County and St. Lucie County.
Jungle Island, formerly Parrot Jungle, is a relaunched eco-adventure park on Watson Island, Miami, Florida. The park features new pop-up waterslides, an outdoor wind tunnel flight experience, zip lines, escape rooms, a Nerf battle stadium and other attractions.
Little Gasparilla Island is connected with Don Pedro Island to the north by a thin strip of beach and mangrove swamp.
A group of natural, modified, and spoiled islands in the Banana River Lagoon are known as the Thousand Islands. Florida acquired the Thousand Islands in 1988. It leased them back to Cocoa Beach in 1991 under the condition that they are used for recreation and conservation.
Virginia Key is an 863-acre barrier island in Miami, Florida. The island is mainly occupied by the Virginia Key Beach Park, Miami Seaquarium, Miami-Dade's Central District Wastewater Treatment Plant, and the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.
A 3,190 acre natural area predominately an estuarine preserve composed of upland and aquatic ecosystems such as mangrove forests, pine/scrubby flatwoods, and maritime hammock, and is home to a variety of native wildlife.