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The Everglades National Park

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The Everglades National Park covers an area of almost 5,700 square kilometers making it the third largest park in the US. It mainly consists of extensive wetlands, mangrove vegetation, rivers and numerous islands. A visit to the Everglades is the highlight of your trip through Florida and something you must add to the bucket list if you ask us. In this spectacular swamp area you stand eye to eye with wild animals and study them in their natural environment. Whether you go hiking, cycling or canoeing, you will see a lot of wildlife. The park is actually mostly a broad, slow-flowing and shallow river. In many places the river is covered by marsh grasses and another name for the Everglades is River of Grass. It is the only area in the world where, due to the composition of salt and fresh water, both alligators and crocodiles live. One of the many reasons to visit this beautiful National Park.

The main entrance of the park is located on the State Highway 9336. Here begins the Main Park Road which runs 60 km through the park. On this main road there are several stops, from where you can explore the park on foot. You can make unforgettable walks in the Everglades National Park, but by far the most popular route is the Anhinga Trail. This simple walking tour takes about an hour and goes largely over wooden hike trails. Here you will meet the inhabitants of the Everglades. Certainly in the dry season you will see a lot of alligators, water birds (including the Anhinga) and turtles. 

Where to stay

An ideal location for people who want to visit this National Park is from Miami (about 1 hour) or Homestead. If you need a place to stay in Homestead we recommend the eco friendly hotel: Uptown Suites Extended Stay Miami. This hotel was amazing, very modern rooms with an amazing shower. On booking.com they get an average rating of 8.6.

Best time to visit

The dry season is from November to April making it the best time to visit. In these months it is cooler and in this period you are less troubled by thunderstorms, which occur quite often in summer. Click here for more climate information in Homestead (about 20 minutes from the park).

This article was last updated on December 22, 2020.