Vero Beach, FL Outdoor Activities

During a round of golf in this region, it’s not uncommon for players to see the occasional alligator sunning itself on the banks of a fairway pond. The same, however, cannot be said for miniature-golf courses, unless you’re playing at Congo River Golf, where the civilized sinking of putts coexists with the visceral carnage of live-alligator feedings. More than 25 alligators wait for patrons to feed them morsels of gator food in an exhibit beside the course. Though the course offers no chance for an encounter with the ancient, scaly species, it enchants players with waterfalls, safari-themed artifacts, and towering rock faces. In addition, Congo River Golf encompasses an indoor arcade and a gemstone-mining station, where guests dig through dirt for fossils, arrowheads, and Neanderthal’s kindergarten time capsules.

The balmy April air seems warmer as sonic webs of reggae and island music weave their way throughout the Martin County Fairgrounds. Backed by a laid-back symphony of live steel drums and vocals, visitors to the third-annual fete wend through merchant stalls and scope out displays of marine-themed art and new and used fishing or boating equipment, including rods, kayaks, and lures flavored like medium-rare worms. A public boat auction draws bids on new and used watercrafts, while an antique boat show recalls seafaring days of yesteryear. A host of sage boating and fishing gurus helm workshops and seminars throughout the festival, waterlogging attendees’ neurons with nautical topics. To prevent growling stomachs from interrupting precious boat-gazing time, festival chefs whip up toothsome seafood to remind eaters of their love for the sea and quests to eat every inch of it.

Palm Beach Segway Tours' experienced and witty guides lead motorized conga lines through Palm Beach and the historic downtown of West Palm Beach. Wind cascades over helmeted noggins as mansions, yachts, and museums scroll by, set against a tropical backdrop of beaches and sea creatures. Intrepid tourists may also rent 49 c.c. retro gas scooters, the same vessels that Italian explorers piloted when they discovered America in 1958.

Safari Mini Golf & Games curates friendly competition with more than two acres of tropical parkland that encompasses a 36-hole miniature golf course and four batting cages. Vibrant palms, streams, and waterfalls line the miniature golf course, creating a safari-like habitat for life-size statues of elephants, monkeys, and other exotic creatures along the way. The piercing timbre of sharp line-drives resonates from four batting cages, where cyborg pitchers contemplate charging the plate as they paint the strike zone with high-arcing softballs and baseballs hurled at speeds between 35 and 60 mph. Competitive appetites can find relief in the arcade, where guests seek out goals on the foosball pitch, square off in the digital realm of video games, or display their dominion over sugar by vanquishing scoops of Blue Bell ice cream.

For a decade, LunaFest has raised awareness about breast cancer and connected women across the U.S. by screening short films made by, for, and about women. Each year, the nine selected films range in genre from comedy to drama and explore themes such as body image, childbirth, and gender identity. The profits from each LunaFest screening benefit the Breast Cancer Fund and other local nonprofits nationwide. To date, the festival has featured more than 92 filmmakers and raised nearly $1.2 million dollars for charity.

Once attendees master segway skills during a 20- to 30-minute orientation session, the expert guides at The Electric Experience whisk them away on a one- or two-hour trek through Delray Beach. Tours whizz down serene paths and quiet neighborhood streets in between stops at public beaches and the Sandoway House, where guests can take turns feeding a shark. As guides expound on Delray Beach's history, tours amble into Veterans Park, swing by manatees luxuriating in their natural habitats, and weave their way among the marina district's striking architecture. Afterward, The Electric Experience can equip visitors with sun-shielding gear for the beach, electric bikes for unguided rides, or folding bicycles that patrons can refold into origami swans to ride on ocean expeditions.