A cool breeze fluttered off the New River, bringing a salty smell toward bench-sitters at Fort Lauderdale's Colee Hammock Park. Two noisy parrots poked their bright red heads out of an oak tree about four stories high.

''We have to retire here,'' said Greg Shelton, 46, a visitor from Houston, told his wife, DeLynn.

The Sheltons were the sole guests one recent morning on a two-hour trolley tour through Fort Lauderdale offered by the not-for-profit South Florida Tourism Council. The idea, said council president Ralph Riehl, is to showcase areas beyond the beaches.

''Many people come to the beach and they don't enjoy the downtown area.'' After the ride, he said, ``They realize there's a lot more to Fort Lauderdale.''

The trolley excursion is one of hundreds offered in South Florida -- narrated cruises through the islands of Miami Beach, tours by amphibious military vehicles known as Ducks, the revered Conch Train excursion through the leafy streets of Key West, even tours by kayak and talking car and Segway. Each is designed to showcase South Florida's nature, history and lore to visitors -- or locals who'd like to play visitor for a day.

In just a few brief minutes, tour takers get a snapshot decades in the making, said Andy Newman, spokesman for the Florida Keys and Key West Tourism Council.

And unlike the heavily scripted bus tours common in the past, today's tours are often active, hi-tech -- even self-guided, points out Rolando Aedo, senior vice-president of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau. Many go beyond traditional glitz-and-glam to include neighborhoods like the Redland and Little Havana.

The Fort Lauderdale trolley tour, for instance, features GPS-guided narration that sprinkles in tidbits that even locals might have missed -- such as the fact that the Bahia Mar hotel on A1A is the former site of an historic fort that helped shaped the city.

The best ones are filled with little-known tidbits and humor. ''After a while, you get to know stuff,'' says trolley driver Robert Stennett. ``You add a little bit to it.''

Here's a snapshot of a few South Florida tours.

TROLLEY TOUR

FORT LAUDERDALE

Tales of buried treasure, celebrities and historic figures bring Fort Lauderdale's past and present together on the air-conditioned ride along the A1A and Las Olas Boulevard, past the Swimming Hall of Fame and Stranahan House.

Details: Tours depart daly at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. from 420 Seabreeze Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. $25 for adults, $15 for children. //southfloridatourismcouncil.com; 954-522-1770.

DUCK TOUR

MIAMI

Drive through the streets of downtown before splashing into Biscyane Bay on an amphibious vehicle. The 90-minute trip includes South Beach's Art Deco District; commentary features both humor and history.

Details: Daily tours depart frequently from 1665 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; call for tour times. $32 for adults, $18 for children. www.ducktoursmiami.com; 1-888-DUCK-TIX.

GHOST TOUR

COCONUT GROVE

See the spooky side of Coconut Grove on a ghost tour that features the oldest marked grave in South Florida. A certified storyteller, owner Sandra Walker leads groups of tourists and locals on the two-hour tour filled with the area's haunted history -- no tricks, no baloney, she says. ``It's a history lesson; it's a haunted walk down softly lit streets; it's a personal experience.''

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