Southeast Florida backroads travel is home to a neglected treasure trove of day trips off the beaten path. Every day in the multiple cities and towns comprising this beautiful region, you’ll find a handful of places that are worth exploring.
You don’t need your car. You can get there by hopping on the bus or train and back on a bike, or take public transportation from any number of nearby locations that might provide greater value for your money, like Miami Beach or Fort Lauderdale. There are a wealth of informative books and websites devoted to the region, and you can always ask at a local bookstore or library.
If you want to avoid traffic, most of these places are accessible via public transportation. However, a lot of them have wonderful beach access, so if you have a car, it’s worthwhile to find parking nearby. Here’s a list of some places that might be overlooked but are worth seeking out:
1. Miami and Homestead in South Dade County:
These two towns are located in the southern part of Dade county (northernmost Miami-Dade) about midway between Miami International Airport and Homestead Air Reserve Base (about 40 miles over the causeway).
To reach the areas, you can either take the South Dade Busway from the airport, or you can take an Orange Line bus from Dadeland South Station. For either option, you can buy a round-trip for about $4 and save some time.
Miami has been a popular tourist destination since the early part of the 20th century, when a few cruise ships dropped anchor in Key Biscayne bay and began to disembark. In Homestead, there is a preserved historic village with historical re-enactments set in Victorian-era Florida.
Also, at Homestead Air Reserve Base is one of only two remaining World War II control towers that are still used today. And in the heart of South Dade, you will find the historic community of Redland, where a number of its residents are descendants of the original pioneer families who settled there in 1896.
2. Port Everglades Marina in Fort Lauderdale:
Located in the northwest section of Fort Lauderdale is Port Everglades Marina, which has been a popular boating destination for many years.
It’s conveniently located just blocks from several places to eat and drink, and it’s serviced by local buses that can carry you to other destinations within the city. You can rent boats, or book a cruise or charter fishing trip. The marina makes for a great day trip with friends or family.
There’s a small aquarium and nature center here as well, but the real reason to come is for the amazing views at Harborwalk Village, which has terraces overlooking the port where you can have lunch or dinner with panoramic views of the massive yachts that are in port.
3. Historic Downtown Pompano Beach:
In Broward County about 20 miles north of Fort Lauderdale is Pompano Beach, which has nice beaches and an historic downtown district (also called “Old Pompano”) that is full of shops and restaurants. The downtown is serviced by a local bus line (called The Bus), so you can get around without having to use your car.
4. Green Cay Wetlands:
If you’re looking for something off the beaten path, check out Green Cay Wetlands, part of the North Fork of Florida’s largest river (the New River).
It’s an estuarine ecosystem that was once a farming community in the mid-1800s and has been until recently a popular destination for birdwatchers looking to catch sight of shorebirds. It’s located about five miles south of Fort Lauderdale in Deerfield Beach on State Road A1A.
5. Stiltsville:
In Miami Beach, just north of the Venetian Causeway, is an island cluster called “Stiltsville” that was built in the 1940s. Originally, about 20 of these stilt houses were built on pilings right on the water. They were intended to be fishing camps and safe places to ride out storms.
One of them remains today and is accessible by a boardwalk, while the rest are abandoned except for occasional use by scuba divers who swim down to explore them as they go through stages of gradual decay. Although it was once illegal to go here and access these homes, you can now view them from a public dock.
6. Golden Beach:
About 20 miles north of Fort Lauderdale is Golden Beach, where you can experience a slice of local history (well, not actually “local,” but it’s close by). The area was once a summer resort for wealthy Floridians, and in the 1930s, for about $20 per day ($300 in today’s dollars), you could rent cottages overlooking the ocean with full-time staff to help you.
These cottages are now being restored and turned into vacation rentals. They were built during the Great Depression era (before World War II), so they’re gorgeous, with high ceilings and rich wooden paneling.
