Fountainebleau, FL Outdoor Activities

As you stroll across Fruit & Spice Park's grassy fields, an occasional piece of fruit falls from a neighboring tree. But it’s not an apple or a berry you can easily find in a local supermarket—rather, it may be a specimen native to the Caribbean or South America, its shape foreign to your teeth, which want so badly to bite into its juicy flesh but aren’t sure how. At Fruit & Spice Park, seasoned gardeners grow abundant specimens from tropical areas around the world, including 70 kinds of bamboo, 15 types of jackfruit trees, and edibles such as Fiji longan and jaboticaba across 39 acres.

Visitors meander freely through banana groves and African baobab trees, and they can also follow a guide during tours commencing daily at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3 p.m. to learn more about plant species and which fruit seeds bear an uncanny likeness to Abraham Lincoln’s silhouette. Throughout strolls, guests may help themselves to any of Mother Nature’s home cooking that has naturally fallen to the ground, including mangoes, dragon fruit, and papayas, or venture to the tasting table at the entryway to sample the season’s bounty.

Park staffers also gather visitors for a range of events such as stargazing, outdoor festivals, and plant-use tutorials, where they divulge helpful information such as which plants are medicinal and how to play dead during tree attacks. During regular park hours, chefs at the Mango Café pile plates with casual fare, often using the park's own fruit and vegetables, and the gift shop lets guests bring home harvest jams and aromatic teas.

For more than two decades, The Great Taste of The Grove has ushered in a miscellany of tastes, sips, and sounds for participants of all ages in order to raise funds for the Coconut Grove Chamber of Commerce. Crowds of up to 20,000 descend upon local cuisine from area eateries as chefs grill up their own specialties during live cooking demonstrations. Wine samples, beer, and cocktails from renowned libations manufacturers acquaint themselves with uninitiated taste buds, and entertainment includes Saturday's Tribute concert covering songs from Neil Diamond, Billy Joel, and Journey and Sunday's Clash of the Decades featuring a mix from the 50s tunes to modern hits with headliner Suenalo. While adults mingle, youngsters can head to the adventure park, where they can hop on carnival rides or get their faces painted.

The Biscayne Xpress Water Taxi glides across Biscayne Bay, circling through its three stops—Bayside Marketplace, the Miami Beach Marina, and the downtown Riverwalk station—in a constant two-hour loop. Up to 42 passengers drink in views of coastal Miami and its gamboling manatees and pelicans as crew members impart juicy factoids about the city to visitors. At the Bayside Marketplace stop, patrons can browse a 120-store shopping complex or charter a fishing boat at Pier 5, whereas the Miami Beach Arena stop drops seafarers near a glut of restaurants, and the downtown Riverwalk station delivers visitors straight into the city’s rhythmically beating heart.

After Captain Chris Gruno escaped the chilly air of New Jersey and his desolate cubicle desk, he brought the Grouchy Turtle to the Florida Keys, where he now ferries patrons through tropical waters. The catamaran, a 33.5-foot-long boat with six rooms, can sleep up to four on overnight voyages and fit up to six passengers on daytime jaunts. A blue, U-shaped bench borders the table in the saloon, and the master cabin boasts a bed big enough for a queen. The vessel is the vehicle for diverse aquatic jaunts, including kayak tours.

[[m:####Miami WaterLife Tours

Across Miami's coastline, the setting sun casts a warm glow that reflects off skyscrapers and twinkles atop the ocean's waters. Miami Waterlife Tours' fleet of watercraft explores this fusion of urban and natural landscapes. Jet skis, paddleboards, and kayaks float on self-guided rentals and tours that pass into view of celebrity properties and their CGI homes. At nearby sandbars, IKO-certified instructors lead kiteboarding lessons while parasails soar into the sky.

Bringing luxury to the water, Miami WaterLife Tours also charters boats. Its vessels range from a 25-foot Bayliner to a 94-foot Ferretti motor yacht complete with private chef and dolphin interpreter.:m]]