Start your trip in southern Florida with the must-see city of Miami. Treat yourself to breakfast at the legendary Biltmore Hotel, then explore the architecture, galleries, and Miracle Mile shopping in posh Coral Gables. Spend the afternoon exploring Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Florida’s grandest residence. Follow a Cuban dinner at Versailles with a walk along Calle Ocho, the heart of Little Havana.

After breakfast at Café Bastille (1103 Biscayne Blvd), take a full day to explore Miami’s museums. Start with the exhibits, planetarium, and aquarium at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science. Have a light lunch at the on-site Food@Science, then visit the nearby Perez Art Museum for contemporary international art. Afterward take a stroll along the waterfront Baywalk and check out the stores at Bayside Marketplace. Tuyo (www.tuyomiami.com) offers dinner with a view.

Breakfast at the News Café (www.newscafe.com) puts you right on Ocean Drive for a morning stroll to enjoy the area’s stunning Art Deco architecture. Follow it up with exhibits on decorative arts at the Wolfsonian Museum and paintings at the Bass Museum of Art. Lunch at a cafe along Lincoln Road Mall, browse the stores, then kick back on Miami’s famous beach. Refresh later with a Haitian dinner at TapTap (www.taptapsouthbeach.com), before sampling some sizzling South Beach nightlife at Story (www.storymiami.com).

Just an hour’s drive south, the vast Everglades National Park promises a full day of discoveries, with many visitor centers to supply information and maps. For casual exploring there are plenty of easy walks on elevated boardwalks, paved cycle routes, and short kayak trips to enjoy. There are also longer routes for the more adventurous. Everglades City is the closest place for an overnight stay, and Camellia Street Grill (202 Camellia St E) is recommended for a seafood dinner by the river.

Fortify yourself with breakfast before the two-and-a-half hour drive to Sarasota, Florida’s culture capital. You can easily spend the entire day exploring the exceptional Ringling complex, the legacy of the famous family of circus owners of the early 19th century. Start with the Museum of Cà’ d’Zan, the 56-room villa on the bay which is a work of art both inside and out. After lunch at the Banyan Café (5401 Bay Shore Rd), see the treasures of the Ringling Museum of Art. An early dinner at Muse at the Ringling (tableseide.com/muse) will get you out in time to take in a show at the adjoining Asolo Repertory Theatre, the largest of its kind in the state.

Start the day at First Watch (firstwatch.com) and a walk along Sarasota’s appealing Main Street. Spend the morning admiring the rare orchids at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens overlooking the bay. Join the locals in line for scrumptious barbecue at Nancy’s (www.nancy305.com) before heading to the Keys and the beaches for an afternoon of lounging on talcum-soft sand. Later, head back across the bay to check out the stores along delightful St. Armands Circle and enjoy dinner at Café l’Europe (www.cafeleurope.com).

An hour’s drive – via the soaring Skyway Bridge, through St. Petersburg, and over another bridge across Old Tampa Bay – brings you to the young, vibrant city of Tampa. Have a late breakfast at the Samaria Café (502 N Tampa Street) before meeting the underwater creatures at the great Florida Aquarium in the afternoon. Move on from here to visit Ybor City, Tampa’s Cuban quarter and wind up the week with dinner and flamenco dancers at the beautiful Columbia restaurant (www.columbiarestaurant.com).