Sarasota
Sarasota on Florida’s Gulf Coast has many attractions: stunning beaches, world-class cultural amenities, and white buildings surrounded by azure waters full of sailboats. The Ringling Museum of Art is a world-famous attraction. There are also excellent performing arts companies and a community of artists and craftspeople who create unique works.
Sarasota is a great place to go for a vacation. You can find beaches just minutes from the city center. There are also prestigious golf courses and nature preserves where you could kayak, fish, or go on family trips. You can also enjoy the lush tropical vegetation, wetlands, and wildlife of primeval Florida within minutes of the town. Bradenton is nearby and has many great attractions.
Orlando
Orlando is a magical place. Every day here, no one is too old, or too young, to wear Mickey’s ears or wave a wand and cackle in delight. For family fun, there are theme parks that tap into your love affairs with comic-book heroes and galaxies far, far away, and leave you screaming at every free fall and splashdown. Disney Springs combines shopping, food, attractions, and live entertainment. A short ride from the bright lights are outdoors adventures such as 72-degree springs and airboat rides in the headwaters of the Everglades.
St. Petersburg
With its art-filled palaces and iconic canals, St Petersburg – or St Pete, as expats and English-speaking locals affectionately call it – is undoubtedly Russia’s most beautiful city. The former capital of the Tsarist Empire is today’s cultural capital of Russia. St Petersburg is a treasure trove of delights, home to magnificent canal-side mansions, spectacular art galleries, and world-class museums. It’s dining and nightlife scenes are among the country’s best, with scores of cafés, restaurants, and bars to suit all tastes and budgets. And with a wide range of accommodation options too, Rough Guides uncovers the best places to stay in St Petersburg.
Key West
Tourists visiting Key West have the luxury of several great beaches to choose from, each with its own set of characteristics that sets it apart. There are beaches for those who like a lively atmosphere and a variety of diversions, beaches for families where the water is shallow and calm, a beach for the best sunrise and sunset in the Keys, and even a beach for those traveling with their four-legged friends: the aptly named Dog Beach.
Some are perfect for active water sports like jet skiing and parasailing, while others are best for relaxation and serenity. Still, others are romantic enough for couples to want to linger awhile even after the sun has set.
Naples
From over 700 restaurants (just in Naples alone), gorgeous beaches, interesting ecosystems to explore, year-round outdoor activities, and a laid-back tropical lifestyle, it’s no wonder Naples is the jewel of southwest Florida’s Paradise Coast!
Naples continues to be top-rated as one of the Best Places to Retire in the US and a Top Florida Vacation Spot, it’s one of the best destinations for a Florida beach vacation the soft white sand of Naples Florida beaches is an abundance of riches when it comes to natural good looks. You may be tempted to spend all your time at the brochure hotspots, but please don’t. There’s much more to see and do in Naples than that.
Miami Beach
Miami Beach is located on an island just off the south coast of Florida. An Island City, it is made up of primarily wide beaches and parkland, and the main strip is full of eateries, bars, and nightlife. The city has a population of roughly 82,890 people and is a popular tourist and vacation destination, with some 23 million visitors each year. Miami Beach is a vibrant and lively city full of life, color, and fun. From bars to art to culture and community, it is an inclusive city full of sun, sand, and entertainment.
Sanibel Island
The shrimp-shaped slice of sand known as Sanibel Island floats along Florida’s southwest coast near Fort Myers. In contrast to the overdeveloped, tourist-clogged parts of the state, Sanibel is a nature lover’s dream characterized by pristine beaches, bird-packed wildlife refuges, and launch points to other quiet isles accessible only by boat. With few chain restaurants or hotels and most buildings no taller than three stories (the approximate height of the tallest trees), this eco-friendly destination will redefine your preconceptions of what a Florida vacation can be.
St. Augustine
St. Augustine, the oldest continuously settled city in the United States, seat (1822) of St. Johns county, northeastern Florida, about 40 miles (65 km) southeast of Jacksonville. It is situated on a peninsula between two saltwater rivers, the San Sebastian (west) and Matanzas (east), and on the mainland west of the San Sebastian, just inland from the Atlantic coast on the Intracoastal Waterway.
Destin
Destin, Florida is in an area known as the Panhandle, being a long, thin stretch of land jutting from the mainland, flanked by sea. Dubbed “the world’s luckiest fishing village”, it has hotspots such as Choctawhatchee Bay where you can sink a line, as well as scuba diving schools to explore the marine life beneath the emerald waters.
Nature-lovers flock to the area for dolphin and bird watching, as well as camping in the grassy dunes of Henderson Beach State Park. Golfers also have a wealth of options, with the number of courses running into double figures
Fort Myers
From the white sand beaches of Pensacola to the storied streets of Brickell, there’s no shortage of spectacular attractions scattered across Florida. The state’s western coast in particular is home to a wealth of fascinating destinations—Ybor City, Clearwater Beach, and Siesta Key, to name a few—but one particular city tends to fly under the radar when it comes to tourism across the Sunshine State. A historic community once frequented by Thomas Edison, Fort Myers is the ideal destination for a relaxing weekend getaway.
