RetireNet.com

No other region of Florida is home to as many contrasts as the Lower Atlantic Coast. Here, you can leave the frenetic pace of vibrant Miami, and within half an hour lose yourself in the primeval solitude of the Everglades.

The region starts at Sebastian, northern anchor of "the Treasure Coast," and continues along the Atlantic shoreline, from beach to sandy beach, southward. Along the way the smaller towns (Gifford, Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Stuart) give way to a continuous, metropolitan string of cities with revealing names: Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Pompano Beach. For it is the beaches that define the state's lower Atlantic Coast: this is classic, travel-poster Florida, all green palm-shade and blue water and hot white sun.

Miami is the centerpiece of this glamourous region. More Caribbean than American, the metropolitan Miami area is about two-thirds Hispanic, mostly Cuban. The natural beauty of the city's setting, the Art Deco heritage of its architecture, and the rich melange of its culture and cuisine make Miami one of the classic American cities. The beaches continue past Miami and Biscayne Bay, and then Florida takes to the ocean in the form of the famous Keys, culminating in Key West—a funky, laid-back community that glories in being the end of the road, and yet plays host to a million tourists a year.