Tampa to Miami road trip: 17 stops worth the detour

Beloved Little Haiti courtyard restaurant with lush garden seating serving hearty Haitian classics like oxtail, jerk chicken, and whole fried snapper. Order: Oxtail with rice and beans.

old-growth oaks and gators on a cypress boardwalk

A Rees Jones course threaded through cypress and wetland preserve in the heart of Naples. Polished, wildlife-rich southwest Florida resort golf.

A beautifully restored Donald Ross municipal in Sarasota, reborn as a walkable, eco-friendly community course. Classic architecture at a public price.

A Hialeah institution since 1982 and about as formal as Cuban gets here, with hot food, cold batidos, and cafecitos crowned in espumita. Order: Bistec Artesano.

a lagoon-laced barrier island with quiet Gulf sand, paddling, and shorebirds

A Bobby Weed design north of Tampa that hosts a PGA Tour Champions event, with cypress, water, and Florida wildlife. Tour-quality public-access golf.

Legendary 1977 family restaurant home to what most Miamians call the city's best croquetas, plus house chips and steadfast Cuban home cooking. Order: Croquetas.

Homegrown Latin street-food favorite beloved for arepas, patacones, and cachapas, a fast-casual Colombian-Venezuelan spot that grew across the city. Order: Arepas.