The Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, fifteen minutes west of Homestead on State Road 9336, is the busiest entry point to the Everglades and the right place to start. Ranger talks, films on the park's hydrology and wildlife, and a well-judged exhibit on the Calusa and Seminole histories all live here.
From the visitor centre, the Main Park Road runs through cypress swamp, marl prairie, and mangrove estuary. The Anhinga Trail, Royal Palm boardwalk, and Pa-hay-okee overlook are all within the first half hour of driving. If you have a single day, do the road; if you have two, go all the way to Flamingo.