Visiting Everglades National Park in January? 🐊

Loads of Alligators Await! 🏟😅 I spent the New Year holiday in Miami and made a spontaneous trip to Everglades National Park. With minimal planning—just a quick check the day before and no reservations made—I ended up having an amazing time! 🌟 Choosing January to visit the Everglades was a brilliant decision. It's cooler this month, making it easier for alligators to venture onto land (they're said to stay mostly in the water during the sweltering summer). So, spotting these reptiles was a breeze! Plus, the weather was perfect—not too sunny to fry you alive, and no worries about sudden downpours. I picked a Monday for my visit, which might explain the low tourist turnout. No reservations needed, and tickets were readily available. 🎫 From Miami, I headed to the Shark Valley Visitor Center. The main tour route here is straightforward: you can take their tram, hike, or rent a bike. No matter your choice, the route remains largely the same. I opted for the tram this time, no prior booking needed, and tickets were still available when I arrived. Thanks to January's cooler temps, alligators were aplenty! 🐊 We spotted them lounging by the roadside every few minutes. By the end, we only stopped for the really big ones or pairs of alligators. We even got lucky and saw a rarer crocodile (Picture 4)! 📸 Along the way, we also spotted some magnificent birds—great blue herons, great egrets, vultures, and red-shouldered hawks. 🦅 On my way to Shark Valley, I also squeezed in an airboat tour with Cooper Town Airboat Tours, which I found on their official website. Again, no reservation—just bought tickets on-site. Personally, I was a bit disappointed. The tour was short (just 40 minutes), and we spent most of it cruising through swamps/rivers, with few alligator sightings. However, venturing deep into the wetlands by boat offers a unique experience compared to the tram, hiking, or biking on land. So, if you have the time, I'd still recommend giving it a try! 🚤 From Miami, you can also head south to the Homestead entrance of Everglades National Park. I've heard there are plenty of hiking trails there, but no tram service. Unfortunately, I ran out of time this trip and couldn't make it. 🌿 #Alligators #Miami #USTourism