Searching for journey? See mermaids at these 5 Florida scorching spots
In case you (or somebody in your life) desires of mermaids, you’re in nice firm. Woven by mythology from as early as 1000 B.C., merfolk proceed to feed our collective fascination and encourage legends worldwide.
From historic Greece to the beloved 1837 Hans Christian Andersen fairy story “The Little Mermaid’ and the 2021 Disney hit “Luca,” the siren name attracts us all in — and there’s one U.S. state that has really mastered the artwork of mermaid tradition.
In numerous locales throughout sunny Florida, you’ll be able to swim with mermaids, bask in an underwater burlesque present in a retro shipwreck-themed bar and take an Instagram-worthy picture with the world’s largest roadside mermaid signal.
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Get out your explorer maps.
Listed here are 5 high locations for mermaid followers within the Sunshine State:
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
Many years earlier than Walt Disney World existed, Florida was identified for its magnificent roadside points of interest — the oldest of which is Weeki Wachee Springs, which has been wowing audiences with its world-famous mermaid reveals since 1947.
Now a state park, the attraction has stayed true to its roots and options thrilling day by day performances in its cavernous underwater theater. Wanting by large glass home windows going through a crystal-clear pure spring basin, viewers members are handled to exhilarating full-length musical reveals by mermaids in colourful tails. Specialised underwater hoses enable the performers to breathe unencumbered by tanks, and the swimmers lip-synch total musical reveals equivalent to just like the park’s authentic “The Little Mermaid” whereas performing intricate synchronized swimming strikes.
Even higher: Through well-liked two-day mermaid camps for each youngsters and adults, friends can remodel into merfolk for the weekend (tails included!), with underwater ballet coaching classes and an unique behind-the-scenes peek on the mermaids’ backstage lair.
Positioned in Weeki Wachee, an hour north of Tampa by automotive, the park additionally contains the refreshing pure springs water park Buccaneer Bay, which encompasses a white-sand seashore, swimming space, wading pool, pure river and two water slides.
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Mertailor’s Mermaid Aquarium Encounter
Simply up the highway from Weeki Wachee in neighboring Citrus County is the tiny-but-mighty Mertailor’s Mermaid Aquarium Encounter, a stunning new enterprise that’s making waves of its personal. The attraction is the brainchild of Eric Ducharme, a neighborhood tailor and former underwater performer at Weeki Wachee Springs who started his profession designing mermaid tails as “The Mertailor” as an adolescent.
The enterprise took off, and earlier than lengthy, he was receiving orders from everywhere in the world for his custom-made, swimmable tails. Immediately, his creations might be seen in motion pictures, TV reveals and music movies — and the younger entrepreneur opted to kick his enterprise up a notch in 2020 with the aquatic journey i Lecanto.
Boasting a full of life mermaid-themed present store, his skilled aquarium encounter invitations households to journey to a whimsical world of mermaids and marine life.
Mermaid buffs can observe fish, sharks and rays in a colossal 30-foot tank and even turn into merfolk for the day with quite a lot of spectacular tail-swimming experiences. Enchanting mermaid performances happen day by day within the bigger tanks, with smaller interactive tanks that embody encounters with pleasant seahorses, starfish, snails and crabs.
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Mermaid Reveals at B Ocean Resort’s World-Well-known Wreck Bar
In case you’re an aficionado of Florida’s Golden Age of tourism, prepare – as a result of this mermaid attraction will enthrall and dazzle. Positioned within the midcentury-modern resort B Ocean Resort on Fort Lauderdale Seaside (previously the Yankee Clipper), the ship-shaped resort’s historic wreck bar is designed to resemble a sunken Spanish galleon, full with mahogany shiplap, aquariums, nautical décor and 6 massive porthole home windows above the bar that supply an underwater view of one of many resort’s swimming pools. It’s there that the magic occurs: mermaid reveals which are thrilling, contemporary and new.
Visitors will discover beautiful mermaids within the rousing adults-only Aqua Burlesque Present or scorching mermen within the well-liked Aquamen Boylesque present (each of that are the one underwater burlesque reveals within the U.S.).
The family-friendly present The Coral Reef Mermaids is wondrous for kids, whereas the signature Mermaids and Mimosas brunch presents friends of all ages the possibility to look at mermaids frolic whereas having fun with a scrumptious meal. Different themed occasions on the resort embody a seashore yoga class adopted by the mermaid brunch. Photograph alternatives abound! Come be a part of the enjoyable at this classic slice of Previous Florida heaven.
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Annual Key West Mermaid Competition
For these seeking to get together with fellow mermaid fans, look no additional that the annual Key West Mermaid Festival every July. A five-day occasion held in Florida’s fun-filled southernmost metropolis, the pageant attracts 1000’s of attendees to fascinating mermaid-themed leisure, dancing “below the ocean” and, after all, swimming along with glittery mermaid tails.
With a mission of bringing consciousness to ocean conservation and protected tail swimming, the occasion contains alternatives to lounge poolside or store for mermaid-themed clothes and paintings at specialised vendor markets. Held at areas throughout the bustling island, many of the pageant’s occasions are utterly free and household pleasant.
And why not make a trip of it? Mermaid aficionados can keep on the dreamy, centrally-located mattress and breakfast The Mermaid & The Alligator, seize a chunk to eat on the well-liked seafood restaurant Thirsty Mermaid or spend a day on the water with Mermaid Constitution Boat Excursions. A plethora of trip houses additionally beckon: with names like The Salty Mermaid, Mermaid Cove, The Mermaids Home and Mermaid Manor, it’s straightforward to see why this tropical oasis is the right spot for a mermaid fest.
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Lorelei Restaurant and Cabana Bar
Established in 1952, Islamorada’s well-known waterfront bar and restaurant started as a bait retailer and advanced first right into a bar and bait store, then a thriving restaurant within the Eighties. Immediately, the island’s Lorelei Restaurant and Cabana Bar – positioned bayside at Mile Marker 82 – boasts one of the well-known landmarks within the Florida Keys: the big Lorelei mermaid, a roadside signal that has attracted vacationers for many years to cease and take their picture together with her.
With lengthy blonde hair, blue eyes, a inexperienced tail and a latest repainting from famend marine artist Wyland, the Lorelei mermaid tempts steady crowds to the laid-back waterfront locale for a number of the greatest contemporary seafood and sunsets within the Keys.
Her identify refers back to the centuries-old German legend of Lorelei, a phenomenal maiden who jumped into the Rhine River over an untrue lover and was remodeled right into a siren who lured fishermen to destruction.
The enormous mermaid on this island village, too, is unattainable to withstand; an alluring temptation that summons guests to cease and keep awhile. However is {that a} dangerous factor? Mermaid devotees will probably be thrilled with this larger-than-life show of spectacular sea maiden magic, 12 months per 12 months.
In case you go
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