If you decide to make your way into the wild heart of the “glades”, you’ll need to head south along Highway 9336; the first stop on the way is Homestead, where a visit to Coral Castle is a must. This rather unusual stone monument comprises a series of structures, including a sundial, a tower and huge walls. It is the work of the Latvian artist Edward Leedskalnin, and it is such a singular creation that there is a notice for visitors on a stone at the entrance: “You will be seeing unusual accomplishment”.
When you resume your journey, after Florida City and a stretch of flat terrain, it’s time to venture into the actual Everglades National Park. Make sure you stop off at the Royal Palm Visitor Center for a stroll along the Anhinga Nature Trail, about a kilometer long, named after the anhinga, a black bird with a long neck that can be found in the area. An alternative, shorter trail is the Gumbo Limbo, which takes you into a stretch of grass, climbing plants and copses characterized by the presence of the gumbo limbo, a tree with a distinctive red bark. If you go another 20 kilometers or so, you can admire the largest mahogany tree in the United States, at the Mahogany Hammock.
Once you reach Flamingo, you should take a boat trip and, why not, in a canoe? It’s the only way to explore the swamp. Don’t be put off by the names of the jetties the boats set off from, which include Hell’s Bay, Nightmare and Snake Bight.
An interesting fact: the story behind the creation of Coral Castle is like something out of a fairytale. It seems that the artist, Edward Leedskalnin, had just been abandoned by his wife-to-be, and he was in such despair that he decided to create this stone structure to win back his beloved. Unfortunately, there was no happy ending for the young sculptor, but the Castle continues to attract thousands of tourists
Language: English