Where to stay in the Everglades: the 2 areas to know in 2026
In the Everglades, no road links the park's entrances from the inside: you pick your side. In the east, Homestead and Florida City open the road to Flamingo and the Anhinga Trail, with Shark Valley an hour away. In the west, on the Gulf side, Everglades City keeps its fishermen's houses on the edge of the mangroves and the Ten Thousand Islands.
In winter, the dry season, a renovated motel often costs $124* a night, a recent hotel with a pool around $180*, and the suites in Everglades City come close to $260*. Two areas follow, ninety minutes' drive apart.
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One base or several?
The two sides of the park are ninety minutes apart by road: to see it all you need two bases, or a long day in the car.
- A weekend: A single base, in Florida City: the Flamingo road one day, Shark Valley the next.
- Three or four days: Two bases: two nights in Florida City, then one or two in Everglades City for canoeing.
- One week: Two bases, and time to spare: three nights in the east, two on the Gulf side, and a day out to the Keys or Biscayne.
How much driving between two bases?
Times given by car. No road links the entrances inside the park: you always go round the outside.
| Route | Driving time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Miami → Florida City | 50 min | via the Florida Turnpike |
| Florida City → Park entrance | 15 min | via Route 9336 |
| Park entrance → Flamingo | 1 hr | via the park road |
| Florida City → Shark Valley | 1 hr | via Krome Avenue |
| Miami → Shark Valley | 50 min | via the Tamiami Trail |
| Shark Valley → Everglades City | 1 hr | via the Tamiami Trail |
| Naples → Everglades City | 45 min | via Route 41 |
| Florida City → Key Largo | 35 min | via Route 1 |
At a glance: our picks by traveller type
Pick the profile that fits you and go straight to the recommended area.
Map of the areas in the Everglades
See how the areas sit relative to one another before choosing your base. Click a name to jump to its description.
Homestead, Florida City and Shark Valley Homestead, Florida City, the park road to Flamingo and the Tamiami Trail to Shark Valley
for the Flamingo road, the Anhinga Trail and Shark Valley
The park's main entrance. Florida City lines up its motels and fruit stands ten minutes from the gate, and the road runs on to the Anhinga Trail, the prairie and Flamingo, on the bay. To the north, the Tamiami Trail leads to Shark Valley in an hour. The downside: Homestead is a town you pass through, with no charm, and evenings are spent at the motel.
Where to stay in this area
Fairfield Inn & Suites Homestead Florida City Mid-range
A recent hotel with a heated pool and breakfast, on the road to the park entrance.
Travelodge by Wyndham Florida City city.oudormir_tier_economique
A renovated, well-kept motel with the car outside the door, a quarter of an hour from the park gate.
Pros
- The main entrance ten minutes away
- Biscayne and the Keys close by
Cons
- A pass-through town with no charm
- Shark Valley an hour's drive away
Everglades City and the Gulf Everglades City, Chokoloskee, Ochopee and the Ten Thousand Islands
for canoeing, the mangroves and stone crab
The wild side. Everglades City is a fishing village on the Barron River, with its little museum and its stone crab restaurants. From here, boats and canoes head out to the Ten Thousand Islands, a maze of mangroves where you meet dolphins and pelicans. The downside: the park road and Flamingo are on the other side, two hours away.
Where to stay in this area
Everglades Adventures Hotel Suites by Ivey House Mid-range
Large rooms around a pool in the heart of Everglades City, with a desk that arranges canoes and boat trips.
Pros
- The Ten Thousand Islands at the end of the dock
- A real fishing village
Cons
- Flamingo and the main entrance two hours away
- Few restaurants open in summer
Our tips for booking the right place
- Book the dry season early: From December to April, the motels of Florida City and Everglades City fill up with winter visitors. Book in the autumn for the Christmas holidays and March, when prices climb the most.
- Stay near the entrance to leave at dawn: Wildlife is most visible at sunrise, and the Anhinga Trail fills up around ten. A hotel in Florida City puts you a quarter of an hour from the gate: you get there before the crowds.
- Combine it with the Keys: Florida City is also the gateway to the Keys: Key Largo is thirty-five minutes away. Two nights here, then Route 1 heading south, and you go from swamp to reef without changing airport.
- Staying in Miami Beach to visit Flamingo: allow two hours' drive each way.
- Booking in Everglades City to see the Anhinga Trail: it is on the other side of the park.
- Coming in summer without air conditioning or screens: the nights are hot and humid.
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