Miami's charms are legendary. A sexy and sophisticated international city; Miami attracts visitors with top-rated beaches, watersports, tennis, golf, great shopping, dining, and fabled nightlife perfect for celebrity spotting.

And to top it all off, less than an hour from the heart of the action yet a world away from its glittering lights, a natural oasis exists. A peerless and wondrous environment, the Florida Everglades and Biscayne National Park draw more than a million visitors each year to explore Florida's breathtaking wilderness. For travelers who would just as soon paddle a canoe down a silent waterway as ride a jet ski in Biscayne Bay, a walk on the wild side is in order. Whether it's a bicycle ride along back roads or a hike to a pond where wading birds gather, matchless opportunities to get back to nature exist mere minutes from civilization. Here, on the lookout for manatees, sea turtles, or dolphins, cameras click not for divas and movie stars, but for over 300 varieties of birds and glorious sunsets over the River of Grass. The combination of fresh, salt and brackish waters makes Florida Bay the only place on earth where alligators and American crocodiles live together.

One of the fastest growing niches in the hospitality industry, eco-adventure tourism is becoming an important force in Miami. Myriad opportunities for responsible interaction with nature enhance vacations for travelers who increasingly want to make enrichment and adventure part of the package. As a stand-alone vacation or as part of a broader exploration of all of Greater Miami's charms, an eco-adventure provides an exciting venture into Florida's unparalleled ecosystems. The hammocks, pinelands, wetlands, mangrove forests and seashores of Miami-Dade County that remain undeveloped and protected within these practically adjacent parks are home to a diverse array of flora, fauna and marine life.

Great family-owned attractions that recall simpler times are guaranteed to delight the child in all. Monkey Jungle, Everglades Alligator Farm, Miami's Metro Zoo, and the Coral Castle are all nearby. Downtown Homestead boasts a historic main street loaded with antique shops, restaurants and ArtSouth, a funky colony of artist studios and gallery spaces. Eco-adventurers will want to tour the 450-acre Deering Estate, located at the edge of Biscayne Bay. A wealth of natural and archaeological resources thrive at this site, including hardwood hammocks, globally endangered pine rockland, mangroves, salt marshes, rare native plants, a variety of wildlife and fossilized bones of extinct animals such as the mammoth, sloths, jaguars, tapirs and horse sized dogs that have been found on the estate.

Key Biscayne, the island paradise located just five minutes from downtown Miami, is the setting for a wide range of tours – with hammocks walks, kayak, snorkel and canoe trips, and bike trips for all ages and skill levels. Canoe trips are popular - along the Coral Gables Waterway at sunrise, sunset or by moonlight, along the historic Oleta River and through hidden waterways of Key Biscayne. Sea turtle release programs take place on coastal beaches from Key Biscayne to Sunny Isles, with educational opportunities focused at Crandon and Haulover Parks during the height of the April through September hatching season. The Key Biscayne Nature Center offers a year-round program of aquatic and land based adventures. At the tip of Key Biscayne, more snorkeling, fishing and nature walks are on tap at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, a perennial on renowned Dr. Beach's list of the top ten beaches in America.

Surrounded by water, blessed with great weather and unparalleled natural beauty, Miami offers the sophisticated traveler the chance to take a quiet moment to recharge, relax and unwind. Just minutes away from the city's pulsating rhythms, a different beat beckons. Why choose? Enjoy all Miami has to offer…expand your horizons with a walk on the wild side.

For more information on eco-adventures in Greater Miami and the Beaches, call toll-free at 888-76-MIAMI or visit www.MiamiandBeaches.com for a FREE vacation planner.