Dante Fascell Visitor Center

The Dante Fascell Visitor Center is the only mainland base for Biscayne National Park, at Convoy Point about nine miles east of Homestead. Because more than 90 percent of the park is water, this is where almost every visit begins. A free museum walks you through the park’s four ecosystems with dioramas, audio, and video, and you can watch short films in the auditorium, including a 20-minute feature, and browse the gallery of rotating South Florida art. Outside there is a short boardwalk and the Jetty Trail, a canoe and kayak launch, a picnic area, and views over the bay. Boat tours, snorkeling trips, and paddling rentals leave from here through the park’s partner, the Biscayne National Park Institute, so this is where you check in, ask questions, and get your bearings.