High-tech and history

Get the most out of South Florida’s historic spots thanks to a walking app.

Florida’s written history begins with the arrival of Ponce de Leon in 1513, but its lands reveal much more.

Residents and visitors can now learn how using the app Florida Stories, a narrated walking tour app with historic information and photos of Florida destinations.

All tours are about 1.5 miles long, with around 10 significant locations and stops along the way. Each stop features an audio segment about five minutes long.

Islamorada is the most recent addition to the list. The island’s 10-stop tour begins at the Green Turtle Inn and winds through a mile of streets and properties that tell stories of early island pioneers, devastating hurricanes and more.

“From the beginnings of the Overseas Highway to the 1935 Labor Day hurricane that toppled Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railroad, Walk Historic Islamorada tells a surprising array of stories that have impacted the local history,” said Brad Bertelli in a press release. Bertelli, a writer and historian, selected the historic stops, wrote the narrative and compiled the accompanying photos.

The app was founded by the Florida Humanities Council, a Tampa-based nonprofit that supports the historical and cultural connections of Florida and its residents.

The app is free for iOS and Android users to download and gives them access to 20 tours in 18 Florida cities, including:

Apalachicola, The Hill; Bartow; DeLand; Fernandina Beach; Flagler College; Fort Pierce; Islamorada; Key West; Lake Wales; Lincoln Park; Lincolnville; Ormond Beach; Pensacola; St. Petersburg; Tallahassee; Tarpon Springs; St. Augustine (Colonial Tour, Gilded Age, South of the Plaza); and Virginia Key Beach.

FLORIDA KEYS NEWS BUREAU/COURTESY The Florida Stories app most recently added Islamorada to its list of walking tours. The mile-long trek begins at the Green Turtle Inn and ends at the Pioneer Cemetery.

FLORIDA STORIES/COURTESY The Florida Stories app is free and gives people narrated walking tours.