Experiences
Everglades and Kennedy Space Center: alligators and rockets in Florida
An alligator lies motionless at the water's edge, and a few hours north a Saturn V rocket fills a hangar. How to experience Florida's wildest nature and its space history.
The airboat stops, the engine dies, and everything goes quiet. A few metres away an alligator lies with only its eyes above the water. A heron lifts from the reeds, and over the flat sea of grass the sun sets in orange.
The Everglades is a vast wetland in southern Florida, often called a river of grass, and the national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A few hours north, at Cape Canaveral, is Kennedy Space Center, where NASA sent people to the Moon. Both work well as day trips from Miami and Orlando.
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How to do it
Drive from Miami to the Everglades. Shark Valley and the Anhinga Trail are around an hour away.
Airboat tours are run by operators in the areas around the national park. Inside the park you use boardwalks, tram tours, bikes and kayaks.
Kennedy Space Center is around an hour east of Orlando. Allow a full day.
Check the launch calendar. With luck you can watch a rocket lift off from the beach.
The Everglades
On the Anhinga Trail at Royal Palm you walk on boardwalks over the water, often seeing alligators, turtles and birds up close. In Shark Valley you can cycle or take the tram along a road into the sea of grass, with an observation tower at the end.
From Everglades City on the west coast, boat and kayak trips head into the Ten Thousand Islands, with mangroves, dolphins and sometimes manatees. An airboat ride is loud, but brings speed and alligators, and is a classic with children.
The Everglades
Birds, mangroves and water as far as the eye can see. Photo: Richard Sagredo / Unsplash
Kennedy Space Center
In the visitor complex, the Space Shuttle Atlantis appears to float in space, and a separate hall holds a giant Saturn V rocket from the Apollo programme. Bus tours take you past the launch pads. If there is a launch while you are there, the beaches at Cocoa Beach and Titusville are good places to watch.
Book experiences: See tours in the Everglades
Book experiences: See Kennedy Space Center tickets and tours
Where to stay near the Everglades and Kennedy Space Center
Stay in Everglades City or Naples for the Everglades, and at Cocoa Beach for the space centre.
Ivey House
Simple and charming in Everglades City. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Ivey House Everglades Adventures Hotel: a base for kayaking
Ivey House is in the small town of Everglades City, with a pool and its own kayak and boat trips into the mangroves. A simple, friendly place in the middle of nature.
Book your stay: See rooms at Ivey House Everglades Adventures Hotel
The Ritz-Carlton, Naples: a beach on the Gulf
The Ritz-Carlton is on Vanderbilt Beach in Naples, with a beach, several pools and restaurants. Everglades City is a short drive away.
Book your stay: See rooms at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples
Hilton Cocoa Beach
A beach and rocket views on the Atlantic. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront: a beach near the space centre
The Hilton sits right on the beach at Cocoa Beach, a short drive from Kennedy Space Center. From the beach you can watch launches when they happen.
Book your stay: See rooms at Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront
When is the best time to go?
December to April is the dry season in the Everglades, with fewer mosquitoes and more wildlife gathered around the water. Summer is wet and hot. Kennedy Space Center is open all year, and launches happen throughout the year.
When should you book?
Kennedy Space Center: tickets before you travel, especially around launches.
Everglades airboat and kayak trips: a few days ahead.
Cocoa Beach hotels around big launches: early.
Frequently asked questions about the Everglades and Kennedy Space Center
Where should I stay to visit the Everglades?
Stay in Everglades City at Ivey House for nature and kayaking, or in Naples at The Ritz-Carlton for the beach and a short drive to the park. From Miami, the Everglades also works as a day trip.
Can you take an airboat inside Everglades National Park?
Airboat tours are mainly run by operators in the areas around the national park. Inside the park you explore by boardwalk, bike, tram and kayak.
Where can you see alligators in the Everglades?
The Anhinga Trail at Royal Palm and Shark Valley are among the best places, especially in the dry season from December to April.
How long do you need at Kennedy Space Center?
Allow a full day for the visitor complex, the bus tour and the Saturn V hall.
Can you watch a rocket launch in Florida?
Yes, check the launch calendar. The beaches at Cocoa Beach and Titusville are popular viewing spots.