Shark Valley sounds like it should be the headquarters for the villain in a James Bond movie, but it is in fact a slice of National Park Service grounds heavy with informative signs and knowledgeable rangers. Shark Valley is located in the cypress, hardwood and riverine section of the Everglades, a more traditionally jungly section of the park than the grassy fields and forest domes surrounding the Ernest Coe visitor center.
If you don’t feel like exerting yourself, the most popular and painless way to immerse yourself in the Everglades is via the two-hour tram tour that runs along Shark Valley’s entire 15-mile trail. If you only have time for one Everglades activity, this should be it, as guides are informative and witty, and you may see gators sunning themselves on the road. Halfway along the trail is the 50ft-high Shark Valley Observation Tower, an ugly concrete tower that offers dramatically beautiful views of the park.
