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Free Traveling Guides » States » Florida » Gulf Coast & EvergladesFlamingo
Flamingo, situated on the southern tip of the Florida peninsula, is an unincorporated community in Monroe County, Florida. It was established as a small coastal neighborhood to the east of Cape Sable, facing the Florida Bay, and was named in 1893 after ‘Flamingo’, the most distinctive bird seen in the area. Today, Flamingo serves as the southernmost headquarters of the Everglades National Park. It marks the southern end of the 38 miles (61.16 km) long road that runs through the Everglades National Park as well as the end of the ‘Ten Thousand Islands’, a 99-mile (159.33 km) Wilderness Waterway.
Over the years, Flamingo, one of the prime interpretive centers of the Everglades National Park, has emerged as a popular tourist destination in the state. It is home to a number of different ecosystems, such as the coastal prairie, mangrove, and buttonwood ecosystems. It also features a number of scenic trails, including the Rowdy Bend Trail, the Christian Point Trail, the Snake Bight Trail, and the Coastal Prairie Trail, which give visitors a unique opportunity to enjoy the various ecosystems. A major attraction in the region is the spectacular Eco Pond that attracts thousands of birders every year. This man-made pond is the largest freshwater body in the saltwater region of Everglades and is an integral part of Flamingo’s sewage treatment system.
Flamingo also hosts a number of ranger-led nature hikes, ‘swamp tromps’, weekend slideshows in the campground amphitheater, narrated boat tours, and expert talks. In addition, visitors are also offered cruises on the magnificent schooner, ‘the Windfall’. Camping, canoeing, and boating are some of the favorite tourist activities in the area. Canoes are made available for rent, while a boat launch is made available to those who prefer to bring their own boats. Watching manatees and crocodiles in the Buttonwood Canal is yet another favorite activity in Flamingo. Flamingo is a great place to relax and is a ‘must-see’ for all the nature lovers who visit Everglades, Florida.
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