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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Florida

475 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Florida

Updated January 12, 2026

Come for the beaches, stay for the live mermaids. The glare of Florida canʼt hide itʼs panoply of wonders, from a coral castle built by one love-stricken man to a fort that eats cannonballs. The Sunshine State really seems to attract visionaries.

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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

From Cigar Boom to Culinary Gem: 10 Essential Spots in Ybor City

Sponsored by VISIT TAMPA BAY

In Ybor City, the past and present blend like the perfect café Cubano—rich, bold, and impossible to resist. Situated just northeast of downtown Tampa, Florida, the enclave was founded when Cuban cigar entrepreneur Vincente Martinez-Ybor opened a factory here in the 1880s. That one business move created a boom for cigars (at its height, Ybor City had more than 200 cigar factories), prompting an explosion of lodging, restaurants, shops and nightclubs. Today, it’s still a haven for vibrant cultural touchpoints that blend its Cuban roots with Floridian, Spanish, Italian and global influences from farther-flung locations. On its charming streets, guests will find Cuban eateries ranging from traditional to creative, and cigar shops (and even a working factory) that retains the spirit of its past. From picadillo to hand-rolled cigars, Ybor City has plenty of treasures to offer. A word to the wise: Come hungry for discovery.

Tampa travelers can get experience first-hand why the destination earned the nickname “Cigar City” during a visit to Sterling Cigar Lounge & Bar in Ybor City.

Unusual Attractions in Florida

Fort Jefferson, moat and wall

Key West, Florida

Dry Tortugas

These remote Florida islands have a history of sea turtles and sunken treasures, and one of the world's largest coastal brick fortresses.

Venetian Pool

Coral Gables, Florida

Venetian Pool

This historical swimming pool near Miami is emptied and refilled each day with naturally filtered water.

Clear waters in Manatee Springs State Park.

Chiefland, Florida

Manatee Springs State Park

A much more welcome kind of snowbird vacationer, manatees camp out in these springs every winter.

The Dalí Museum

St. Petersburg, Florida

Salvador Dalí Museum

Florida might be at its most surreal in this museum devoted to the famed Spanish artist.

Bok Tower Gardens

Lake Wales, Florida

Bok Tower Gardens

Possibly the most beautiful carillon in the world, set atop Iron Mountain in Florida.

Key Biscayne, Florida

Neptune Memorial Reef

An underwater city for the dead.

Williston, Florida

Devil’s Den

This underground oasis is one of North America’s most fascinating prehistoric places—and you can scuba dive in it.

See All 475 Things To Do in Florida

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Florida

The old hanging tree, once outside, now built into the bar.

Key West, Florida

Captain Tony's Saloon

Florida's oldest bar was once a morgue, complete with a hanging tree and gravestones.

The Bubble Room

Captiva, Florida

The Bubble Room

This kitsch eatery is chock-a-block with bric-a-brac.

The Last Resort Bar.

Port Orange, Florida

The Last Resort Bar

Where serial killer Aileen Wuornos drank her last beer.

See all 41 Places to Eat in Florida

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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Florida

Museums 60

History 47

Architecture 42

Animals 40

Art 33

History & Culture 31

Restaurants 28

Collections 25

Architectural Oddities 24

Water 22

Parks 22

Ruins 21

Abandoned 21

Nature 20

Plants 18

Military 18

Statues 18

Sculptures 17

Cemeteries 16

Homes 15

Places To Stay 4

Unique Restaurants & Bars 3

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Stories About Florida

A mangrove grows along the Guy Bradley Trail in Florida’s Everglades National Park.

America’s First Game Warden Died Fighting for the Birds

Guy Bradley’s mission to protect Florida’s wading birds put him in the crosshairs of poachers—and left a legacy that endures in today’s conservation efforts.

by Olivia Young

University of Miami graduate student Devon Fogarty examines the headstone of John Greer, who died while working at Fort Jefferson on Nov. 5, 1861. The gravesite is now completely underwater.

The Hidden Graveyard of Dry Tortugas National Park

A maritime archaeologist is following underwater clues to uncover the final resting place of Union soldiers stationed at a remote ocean fort.

by Karuna Eberl

Should a snake climb along a branch where a baby anole sleeps, the lizard will wake up and drop to the ground to escape.

Cracking Open Evolution’s Black Box on 'Lizard Island'

On an island in South Florida, scientists use trials to see how natural selection drives evolution in real time.

by Partner Story

One person’s trash is an octopus’s home.

This Octopus Is Using a Beer Bottle as a Nursery

In the Florida Keys, a marine biologist discovered a bit of debris that had become a cephalopod dwelling.

An elkhorn coral shows signs of bleaching on the coral reef of Sand Key in the waters south of Key West.

Florida’s Iconic Corals Aren’t Having Babies Anymore

A recent baby bust has scientists alarmed—it's a bad sign for the future of a reef that's already struggling.

Do humans have comb jellies to thank for our own through-gut and anus genes?

The World’s Oldest Anus Has an Unexplained Glow in Florida

Scientists are studying its bowel movements, its dazzling sparkle, and its relation to us.

by Lina Zeldovich

January 28, 2025

The shallow waters of Windover Pond yielded rich archaeological finds from Florida’s Early Archaic Period.

Bog Bodies Lay Hidden in a Florida Pond for More Than 7,000 Years

In the 1980s, archaeologists uncovered 168 ancient skeletons from the peat at the bottom of Windover Pond.

by Nicky Nielsen

January 22, 2025

A mother manatee and her baby swim through the water in Crystal River, Florida, where manatees can be found year-round.

Florida’s Manatees Are Relative Newcomers, According to Historical Research

These beloved sea cows were barely recorded in the area before the seas warmed in the late 1700s. Now their habitats are at risk.

by Partner Story

January 6, 2025

Lists Featuring Florida

The boardwalk through a mangrove tunnel.

View of the Soutwest side of Monkey Island on Homosassa River.

A white pelican with a bump on its bill is pictured here standing next to the brown pelican, a state symbol, which are often only a third the size of white pelicans.

Posing for the pictures.

18 Unexpected Natural Wonders in Florida

Including Clam Pass Beach, Monkey Island of Homosassa, and White Pelican Island

Christ of the Abyss

Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival

Clear waters in Manatee Springs State Park.

Venetian Pool

13 Unbelievable Underwater Wonders in Florida

Including Christ of the Abyss, Underwater Music Festival, and Manatee Springs State Park

The performances include a rendition of ‘The Little Mermaid.’

The Manor

Some visiting Amish at a nearby beach, approximately 7 miles away from Pinecraft. Picture is of either Siesta Key, Lido Beach, or Longboat Key.

The Best of Weird Florida

America's strange has sunk to the bottom and settled in these Floridian places.

Including Weeki Wachee: City of Live Mermaids, Manor Professional Wrestling Dinner Theater, and Skunk Ape Research Headquarters