An Eco-Itinerary

Everglades National Park:

The park's visitors center in Everglades City features a small exhibit area and a concession-operated boat tour. The tour takes visitors into the mangrove-forested Ten Thousand Islands. This is an excellent place to observe wildlife, including many wading birds, osprey, dolphins and manatees. There are also several private airboat tours, and for the real adventurer, a seven-day, 100-mile canoe or kayak trip down the Wilderness Waterway from Everglades City to Flamingo. Annual attendance: 1,031,888. (305) 242-7700.

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary:

Operated by Audubon, this is a top bird-watching site. More than 200 species have been documented, and many birds migrate through each spring and fall. It is also a place for wildlife photographers to get some eye-popping close-ups of birds and alligators. Annual attendance: 85,000-plus. 348-9151.

J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island:

Ranked as one of the top 10 birding locations in the United States by Dick Hutto of PBS' BirdWatch. A five-mile road meanders through the 6,300-acre refuge and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Annual attendance: 673,596. 472-1100.

Fishing:

The backwaters of Charlotte Harbor, Pine Island Sound, Estero Bay and the Ten Thousand Islands offer anglers some of the best fishing in the state. Snook, redfish and tarpon are highly prized by anglers. There is an abundance of guides available for charter. The Greater Naples, Marco Island & Everglades CVB plans promote summer fishing as part of its strategy to boost year-round tourism.

Other Activities:

Sightseeing for dolphins, shelling trips, canoe and kayak tours, hiking the Florida Trail, taking a swamp tromp in the Fakahatchee Strand and exploring one of the area's state parks are other popular activities.

For more information visit www.leeislandcoast.com (Lee County) or

www.ParadiseCoast.com (Collier County).