Florida has much more to offer than just Mickey Mouse

The Sunshine State is hot stuff.

Take a dirty big swamp infested with several million mosquitos, a few snakes and plenty alligators. Then stir in the occasional hurricane, and a humid climate for much of the year.

Add a good pinch of elderly Americans, and sprinkle with families of over-excited children of all ages from around the world. Then leave to bake in a very hot sun.

Now, I know, that doesn’t sound like the recipe for the most popular holiday destination on earth, but that’s the surprise, because this unlikely place Florida is just that. It just goes to show how fickle human beings are.

I mean, who’d have thought this unlikely part of the USA would in the last 50 years become one of the wealthiest states, with round the year tourism currently earning it a whacking $50 billion. But then, hey, there is a mouse to thank for that.

Bear in mind though, that Mickey and his pals have only inhabited central Florida since 1971, and there is a whole lot more to this State the size of the entire UK than its central belt.

While the most popular recipe for a visit to Florida is still the Mickey Mouse mix, a whole load of tastier goodies await those who try out a different approach.

Florida has some stunning scenery and amazing places to stay, and whether it’s an ecotourism safari or a week of indulgence in a five-star spa you’re after, you can find it here.

The Florida Keys are also a totally different part of the Sunshine State. If you’re looking for laid back, this is positively horizontal!

The people belong to what they call the Conch Republic. They fish a lot. Drink and smoke more than most Americans. And sit around, chatting and chilling out.

The ideal way to see the Keys is to drive the full length of the chain down US1. Stop on the way at Islamorada, Key Largo, Duck Key (swim with dolphins at the Hawks Key Resort) and don’t miss the excellent beach in Playa Honda National Park.

Key West itself is the southernmost tip of the USA, just 90 miles from Cuba.

It’s obligatory to stop for a drink at Sloppy Joe’s or Captain Tony’s (Hemmingway haunts), eat buckets of stone crab, and take a deep-sea fishing trip from the harbour.

The vast, flat, seemingly featureless Everglades National Park is one of the natural wonders of the world. Here you find mangrove and cypress swamps and a huge variety of bird life, including storks, herons and egrets.

What to do Want to do some unusual, non-touristy things while in Florida? Take your pick:

With 300 miles of waterways, Fort Lauderdale boasts more canals than Venice. Hop on a water taxi and cruise along millionaires’ row, complete with swanky yachts. The regular service is part transport, part rubbernecking (watertaxi.com).

Meet a Seminole Indian on the reservation near Fort Lauderdale. Explore Ah-Tha-Thi-Ki, their small museum, taste traditional dishes, watch tribal dances and buy local crafts (seminoletribe.com).

Find out everything you ever wanted to know about oranges, from the trees to your morning glass of juice on a free trolley tour of a citrus grove. Palm Beach Groves, Lantana, near Palm Beach (pbgroves.com).

Saddle up and ride out with cowboys at a working Florida cattle ranch. Hear how the early pioneers settled the land and why beef is still important to Florida’s economy. Contact J B Starkey’s Flatwoods Adventure (flatwoodsadventures.com).

The Henry Morrison Flagler Museum, Palm Beach Whitehall is a 100-year-old mansion that was home to the magnate whose railways made Florida a tourist destination a century ago. With 70 rooms, including 22 bathrooms, this is more palatial than many a European stately home. It is now a museum, where guides dish the dirt on the toffs who first gave Palm Beach its glitz (flaglermuseum.us).

Best golf courses

With 1,100 courses and counting, Florida is a golfers’ paradise. Look for new challenges in the north of the state, where oaks rather than palm trees line the fairways. Despite its 1,800 miles of coastline, Florida has very few courses right on the water. One notable exception is Ocean Hammock, Jack Nicklaus’s 7,200-yard masterpiece. Palm Coast, half an hour from Daytona (oceanhammock.com).

One of the most photographed holes in the world is the par-three 17th, at the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra. The island green is just one highlight of the 6,954-yard Stadium Course. To play, book into the Sawgrass Marriott Resort (tpc.com).