Miami's charms are legendary. A sexy and sophisticated international city; Miami attracts visitors with top-rated beaches, watersports, tennis and golf, great shopping and dining, and fabled nightlife perfect for celebrity spotting. And to top it all off, less than an hour from the heart of the action yet a world away from its glittering lights, a natural oasis exists. A peerless and wondrous environment, the Florida Everglades and Biscayne National Park draw more than a million visitors each year to explore Florida's breathtaking wilderness. For travelers who would just as soon paddle a canoe down a silent waterway as ride a jet ski in Biscayne Bay, a walk on the wild side is in order. Whether it�s a bicycle ride along back roads or a hike to a pond where wading birds gather, matchless opportunities to get back to nature exist mere minutes from civilization. Here, on the lookout for manatees and sea turtles, cameras click not for divas and movie stars, but for over 300 varieties of birds and glorious sunsets over the River of Grass.

One of the fastest growing niches in the hospitality industry, eco-adventure tourism is becoming an important force in Miami. Myriad opportunities for responsible interaction with nature enhance vacations for travelers who increasingly want to make enrichment and adventure part of the package. As a stand-alone vacation or as part of a broader exploration of all of Greater Miami's charms, an eco-adventure provides an exciting venture into Florida's unparalleled ecosystems.

Nowhere else in the United States does such a wealth of natural resources present itself as in Everglades and Biscayne National Parks. The hammocks, pinelands, wetlands, mangrove forests and seashores of Miami-Dade County that remain undeveloped and protected within these practically adjacent parks are home to an unrivaled and diverse array of flora, fauna and marine life.

Everglades National Park

Covering 1.5 million acres, Everglades National Park is the third largest in the U.S. National Parks system. Made up of sawgrass prairies, mangrove swamps, subtropical jungle and the warm waters of Florida Bay, a rare community of plants and endangered animals inhabit the seemingly endless grassy waters.

Visitors to the park can enjoy self-guided and ranger-led tours and activities from the Main Visitor Center at the Park's entrance, or journey deeper into the Everglades for a more extensive experience in the Florida wilderness. The town of Flamingo, 38 miles from the park's main entrance boasts a colorful history as the home to hardy pioneers and shady characters who spent many years trying to settle the beautifully remote but challenging area. Today, Flamingo Lodge Marina & Outpost Resort offers the only lodging and dining in Everglades National Park with a motel, cottages, campground, visitor center, restaurant and gas station/convenience store. Bicycle, canoe, kayak and skiff rentals are all available onsite. Naturalists offer a variety of cruises through the mangrove forests and into Florida Bay to explore the botanical diversity and wildlife of the Everglades. Those on the lookout may see manatees, dolphins and sea turtles as well as many of the more than 300 species of birds identified within the park including pelicans, egrets, cormorants, bald eagles and ospreys. And, the combination of fresh, salt and brackish waters makes Florida Bay the only place on earth where alligators and crocodiles (in this case, the rare American crocodile) live together.

World-class fishing is one of Flamingo's irresistible lures; and the Flamingo Marina can organize fishing charters with expert guides. The park's waters provide thousands of acres for fishing: shallow water flats, channels, and mangrove keys are home to snook, redfish, snapper, trout, largemouth bass, and sea catfish. And for a truly different overnight adventure, visitors can rent a houseboat and lazily glide along the waterways, experiencing the unique wildlife up close and personal.

For those who long to go bush, backcountry camping in the park is an unforgettable experience. Visitors traveling along the 99 mile Wilderness Waterway can paddle all day without seeing another soul, and spend the night camping out on remote chickees -- raised platform campsites accessible only by water. Permits and reservations are required, but advance notice of only 24 hours is necessary.

Biscayne National Park

A rarity among national parks, Biscayne National Park is primarily aquatic; of its 173,000 acres, 95 percent are under water. Teeming with sea life and plants, the park encompasses the turquoise waters of Biscayne Bay, the longest stretch of mangrove forest left on Florida's east, living coral reefs and 40 of the northernmost Florida Keys. Getting out on the water is the key to discovering the wonders of Biscayne National Park -- and at the Dante Fascell Visitor Center, it is possible to join glass bottom boat tours, snorkeling and dive trips and island excursions or rent canoes and kayaks. Fishing is excellent, with snapper, snook and barracuda among the most common catch.

Patch reefs provide a snorkeler's paradise; in shallow waters less than 10 feet deep, the living coral is home to a variety of sea life including tropical fish, sponges and the spiny lobster. Manatees, dolphins and five species of seat turtles call the waters of Biscayne Bay home, as do moray eels, stingrays, squid, starfish and hundreds of varieties of fish, large and small.

Wreck Diving

Closer to civilization, divers can enjoy the bounty of one of the largest artificial-reef programs in the world. Fish flock to the more than thirty ships, tanks, concrete, limestone and other structures have been sunk over the past twenty years off Miami's coast, as far south as Florida City and north to Sunny Isles Beach. Most are located just a few miles offshore, in less than 130 feet of water, providing great diving for all levels. One of the most popular routes is the Wreck Trek, located off Miami Beach, just north of the Art Deco District. Here, divers can explore the 85-foot tug Patricia, the 100-foot steel fishing vessel Miss Karline, and an old radio antenna welded into 19 pyramids. Part of Hollywood history, the nearby 180-foot freighter Tortuga was sunk for the movie Fair Game, while the 1989 sinking of the Rio Miami was filmed for ABC�s 20/20. In shallow waters off of Key Biscayne, the Half Moon and Germania form a fabulous underwater archeological preserve. Natural reefs are also found off Key Biscayne, Miami Beach, Surfside and Sunny Isles Beach. For more information on wreck and reef diving, check out miamiwreckdiving.com.

The Redland and Homestead

Just 40 minutes south of the hustle and bustle of the city, lies the Redland. Here, in this agricultural paradise, visitors can spend an entire day just sampling fresh-from the-farm produce; savoring the exotic fruits and vegetables that have become the foundation for "Floribbean" cuisine.

Exploring the back roads by bicycle, locals and tourists line up at Burr's Berry Farm for delicious strawberry shakes or at quaint Knaus Berry Farm for their sticky-sweet baked goods. All roads lead to Robert is Here; a popular pit stop for visitors enroute to Everglades National Park. For forty years, Robert has offered atemoya, monstera peliciosa, mamey, mangoes and other exotic tropical fruits along with his famous fresh fruit shakes and homemade key lime pies. In season, visitors can harvest their own vegetables; loading up on fresh tomatoes, strawberries, zucchini, cucumbers and other produce at the many U-Pick farms that line Krome Avenue and the surrounding streets.

Open daily, the Fruit and Spice Park, a one-of-a-kind 35-acre tropical botanical garden has more than 500 varieties of fruit, nut and spice trees on property. Or, by appointment, one can arrange to visit orchid groves or check out small boutique farms that grow specialties like baby lettuce and exotic fruits like chermoya. At the end of a long day of wandering through bird and butterfly sanctuaries, tropical nurseries and fruit groves; charming bed and breakfasts such as the lushly landscaped Grove Inn or Ten Oaks provide respite.

When stomachs are full, great family -owned attractions that recall simpler times are guaranteed to delight the child in all. Monkey Jungle, Everglades Alligator Farm, and the offbeat Coral Castle are all nearby, as is Miami Metro Zoo, one of the nation's premier zoological parks and top tourist destinations. . Revitalized downtown Homestead, boasts an historic main street loaded with antique shops, restaurants and ArtSouth, a funky colony of artist studios and gallery spaces. On the way back north, eco-adventurers will want to tour the 450-acre Deering Estate, located at the edge of Biscayne Bay. A wealth of natural and archaeological resources, thrive at this site, including forests of hardwood hammocks, globally endangered pine rockland, mangroves and salt marshes and rare and native plants like orchids, bromeliads, ferns and more than 40 types of trees. A variety of wildlife such as the gray fox, spotted skunks, squirrels, butterflies and

birds can be found here. Fossilized bones of extinct animals such as the mammoth, dog-sized horses, tapirs, jaguars, sloths and bison have also been found on the estate.

Parks and Recreation

The Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation Department offers a variety of naturalist-led adventures to residents and visitors. Key Biscayne, the tranquil island paradise located just five minutes from downtown Miami, is the setting for a wide range of tours -- with hammock walks, kayak, snorkel and canoe trips, and bike trips for all age groups and skill levels. Canoe trips are popular -- and there seems to be one for every conceivable interest -- along the Coral Gables Waterway, at sunrise, sunset or by moonlight, along the historic Oleta River and through hidden waterways of Key Biscayne. Sea turtle release programs take place on coastal beaches from Key Biscayne to Sunny Isles, with educational opportunities focused at Crandon and Haulover Parks during the height of the April through September hatching season. The Key Biscayne Nature Center, housed in a beautiful new building at Crandon Park, offers a year-round program of aquatic and land based adventures. At the tip of Key Biscayne, more snorkeling, fishing and nature walks are on tap at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, a perennial on renowned Dr. Beach's list of the top ten beaches in America.

Surrounded by water, blessed with great weather and unparalleled natural beauty, Miami offers the sophisticated traveler the chance to take a quiet moment to recharge, relax and unwind. Just minutes away from the city's pulsating rhythms, a different beat beckons. Why choose? Enjoy all Miami has to offer � expand your horizons with a walk on the wild side.

For information on the above, visit www.miamiandbeaches.com. For information on naturalist tours available through Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation please check out the eco-adventures section at www.co.miami-dade.fl.us/parks. The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau is a non-profit sales and marketing organization whose mission is to attract visitors to Greater Miami and the Beaches for leisure, business and conventions. For a vacation guide, visit our website or call toll-free at 888-76-MIAMI (US/Canada only) or call 305-447-7777. To contact the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau offices call 305-539-3000.

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Media Contact: Michelle Revuelta +1 305 539 3111 michelle@gmcvb.com