Tampa to Miami drive: 19 ranked 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.

calm Gulf water, soft sand, and a classic sunset pier

powder-soft quartz sand that stays cool underfoot, often rated America’s best

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

a wide, palm-lined beach behind a famous wave-wall promenade

a South Florida brewery famous for its Maple Bacon Coffee Porter

the last fixed dome — catwalks, a cowbell-rattling crowd, and a rays touch-tank in center

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.

an old-Florida island of white sand and no high-rises

a calm, shelling-rich beach near St. Petersburg with a historic fort