FLORIDA FOR ADVENTURERS

Florida is, famously, not a place of mountainous altitude. Its highest point, Britton Hill, rises to all of 345ft – and even then, is so north-westerly that it all but straddles the border with Alabama. But while this is not a state that offers adrenalised elevation, it does adventure in low places – in the swamps of Everglades National Park (nps.gov/ever), and in the scope for extended road trips along those long coasts. Furthermore, while little of Florida could be called “undiscovered”, there are unheralded marvels at the end of the map, such as the peaceful sandbars of Gulf Islands National Seashore (nps.gov/guis), and the outpost of Dry Tortugas National Park (nps.gov/drto), a 70-mile boat trip from Key West.

EVER READY

There are few greater examples of wilderness on the doorstep of “civilisation” than the Everglades ecosystem, which begins barely 20 miles west of Miami (and barely further from the Gulf coast). Here is a densely vegetated area where alligators doze at roadsides, and cicadas keep up a near-constant chorus. It can be explored quietly, along the hiking trails of the national park – or at enormous volume, via an airboat tour run by the likes of Coopertown Airboats (coopertownairboats.com; £19).

Any of the Gulf resort towns south of Tampa Bay sit within reasonable driving distance of it all, but Naples is the closest. From here, you can spy on other glorious parts of this natural wonderland, such as the mossy treescape of Big Cypress National Preserve (nps. gov/bicy) and the big-cat oasis that is Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge (fws.gov/refuge/florida_panther).

A five-night stay at the five-star LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort, near Naples, costs from £1,449pp, with flights, via American Sky (01342 395370; americansky.co.uk)

OUTER LIMITS

It is occasionally forgotten that Florida pushes west for almost as far as it dangles south; and Pensacola, the final dot on the Gulf Coast before Alabama takes over, sits almost 400 miles west of the Atlantic, and is much nearer to New Orleans (200 miles) than it is to Orlando (450 miles). The “Panhandle” offers some of the Sunshine State’s lesserknown resort areas – and the likes of Fort Walton Beach, Seaside and Panama City come with a quiet charm as a result. They can also serve as pit stops on a road trip that tarries in the surf.

Bon Voyage (0800 316 3012; bon-voyage. co.uk) offers Beignets, Bayous and Barrier Islands – a 13-night fly-drive which follows the Gulf Coast all the way from New Orleans to Naples ( finishing in Miami). From £2,495pp, with flights

EPIC EAST

Florida’s Atlantic coast can also be a context for grand adventures, even if you discount the Overseas Highway to the Keys. For every familiar Miami, Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach, there is a less-loved Jupiter Beach or Ponce Inlet in which to admire the tide.

America As You Like It (020 8742 8299; americaasyoulikeit.com) offers two options. The 21-day Florida Discovery road trip follows the Atlantic coast from St Augustine to Key West, and costs from £1,259pp. The 14-night Southern Charm and Coastal History tour takes the drive north from Miami, continuing to Georgia for Savannah and Atlanta, and to South Carolina for Charleston, from £1,161pp. Both prices include flights

SPRAY TANS

A shoreline can, of course, be a destination in its own right rather than something you drive along. Florida may not have quite the Beach Boys-and-sunsets surfing image of California, but the waves that break upon its Atlantic coast are just as suitable for afternoons on boards. The Cocoa Beach Surf School (cocoabeachsurfschool.com) is a case in point – a dedicated tuition centre pitched on the long chain of barrier islands that runs south of Cape Canaveral. It offers a summer surfing camp, open to would-be wave-riders aged six years and upwards. Courses are available as five-day packages (Monday-Friday), for£227 per person with four hours of instruction a day, and £340 with six hours of lessons and practice.

A seven-night getaway to the Inn at Cocoa Beach – a cosy three-star retreat, located right on the water and just a one-mile walk from the surf school – flying from Heathrow to Orlando on July 23, costs from £1,258pp, via Last Minute (0871 277 1070; lastminute.com)