Florida Travel Guide

GALLERY

With its accessible and varied pleasures, Florida is a favorite of many. Drawn to the colonial charm of St. Augustine, Miami's pulsing nightlife, the glitz of Palm Beach, or the quiet expanse of the Everglades, almost all visitors find something to love here. From the powdery white beaches of the Panhandle to the vibrant coral reefs of the Florida Keys, the ocean is always calling—for sailing, fishing, diving, swimming, and other water sports. Stray off the path a few miles, and you might glimpse a bit of the Florida of old, including cigar makers and mermaids.

Guidebooks for Every Journey

Fodor's Florida

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Fodor's South Florida: with Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and the Keys

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Fodor's InFocus Florida Keys: with Key West, Marathon & Key Largo

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Fodor's Complete Guide to the National Parks of the USA: All 63 parks from Maine to American Samoa

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Fodor's Walt Disney World: with Universal and the Best of Orlando

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Local Writers
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Fodor's Best Weekend Road Trips

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Local Writers
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FODOR'S FINEST

The Best Hotels in the USA & Canada

Mayfair House Hotel & Gardens Miami, Florida

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Guidebooks for Every Journey

Fodor's Florida

Easy Planning
Local Writers
Itineraries
Pullout Map

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Fodor's South Florida: with Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and the Keys

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Fodor's InFocus Florida Keys: with Key West, Marathon & Key Largo

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Fodor's Complete Guide to the National Parks of the USA: All 63 parks from Maine to American Samoa

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Fodor's Walt Disney World: with Universal and the Best of Orlando

Easy Planning
Local Writers
Itineraries
Pullout Map

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Fodor's Best Weekend Road Trips

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Local Writers
Itineraries
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Top Destinations

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Walt Disney World Orlando

Orlando vacations are events that often become part of family legend. Kids and parents swap Disney or Universal stories for years, fondly reliving favorite moments...

The Florida Keys

Your Keys experience begins on your 18-mile drive south on "The Stretch," a portion of U.S. 1 with a specially colored blue median that takes...

Northeast Coast

For many travelers, Florida is about fantasy, thanks in no small part to Central Florida's make-believe kingdoms. But the northeastern part of the state—you could...

The Tampa Bay Area

If you seek a destination that's no one-trick pony, the Tampa Bay region is a spot you can't miss. Encompassing an area from Tarpon Springs...

Miami and Miami Beach

Almost a century after the art deco movement, Miami remains one of the world's trendiest and flashiest hot spots. Luckily for visitors, South Beach is...

Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast

A golden stretch of the Atlantic shore, the Palm Beach area resists categorization, and for good reason: the territory stretching south to Boca Raton, appropriately...

The Panhandle

The sugar-white sands of the Panhandle's beaches stretch 227 miles from Pensacola east to Apalachicola. Sprinkle in clear emerald waters, towering dunes, scenic Highway 30A...

Orlando

Most Orlando locals look at the theme parks as they would unruly neighbors: they are big and loud, but they keep a nice lawn (and...

The Lower Gulf Coast

With its subtropical climate and beckoning family-friendly beaches known for their powdery sand, calm surf, and nary a freighter in sight, Southwest Florida on the...

Fort Lauderdale and Broward County

It was only a matter of time before the sun-soaked streets of Fort Lauderdale faced an identity crisis. What was once a hotbed of dive...

The Emerald Coast

On U.S. 98, several towns are strung along the shoreline from Pensacola southeast to St. George Island, their waters so strikingly green against the white...

Key West

Situated 150 miles from Miami and 90 miles from Havana, this end-of-the-line community has never been like anywhere else. Even after it was connected to...

Universal Orlando

Universal Orlando’s personality is revealed the moment you arrive in the theme parks, where music, cartoonish architecture, abundant eye candy, subtle and overt sound effects...

Fort Lauderdale

Like most of southeast Florida, Fort Lauderdale has long been revitalizing. Despite wariness of overdevelopment, city leaders have allowed a striking number of glittering high-rises...

St. Augustine

Along the banks of the shining Matanzas River lies St. Augustine, the nation’s oldest city. It shows its age with charm, its history revealed in...

St. Petersburg

Nicknamed the Sunshine City, St. Pete is much more than a mass of land between the airport and the beaches. In recent years it’s seen...

The Everglades

More than 1.5 million acres of South Florida's 4.3 million acres of subtropical, watery wilderness were given national park status and protection in 1947 with...

Naples

Poised between the Gulf of Mexico and the Everglades, Naples belies its wild setting with the trappings of wealth—neo-Mediterranean-style mansions, neatly manicured golfing developments, revitalized...

Islamorada

Early settlers named this key after their schooner, Island Home, but to make it sound more romantic they translated it into Spanish: Isla Morada. The...

Tampa

Tampa, the west coast's business-and-commercial hub, has a sprinkling of high-rises and heavy traffic. A concentration of restaurants, nightlife, stores, and cultural events is amid...

Key Largo

The first of the Upper Keys reachable by car, 30-mile-long Key Largo is the largest island in the chain. Key Largo—named Cayo Largo ("Long Key")...

SeaWorld Orlando

Just as Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando are much more than just a single park, the same is true of SeaWorld. The original park—which...

Jacksonville

Jacksonville is an underrated vacation spot. It offers appealing downtown riverside areas, handsome residential neighborhoods, a thriving arts scene, spectacular beaches, craft breweries, inventive eateries...

Pensacola

Pensacola consists of four distinct districts—Seville, Palafox, East Hill, and North Hill—though they’re easy to explore as a unit. Stroll down streets mapped out by...

Clearwater

In Clearwater, residential areas are a buffer between the commercial zone that centers on U.S. 19 and the beach, which is moderately quiet during winter...

Fort Myers

The city core lies inland along the banks of the Caloosahatchee River, a half hour from the nearest beach. The town is best known as...

Sarasota

Sarasota is a year-round destination and home to some of Florida's most affluent residents. Circus magnate John Ringling and his wife, Mable, started the city...

Daytona Beach

Best known for the Daytona 500, Daytona has been the center of automobile racing since cars were first raced along the beach here in 1902...

Tallahassee

Tallahassee is quite different from the sun-and-surf coastal towns. The only Southern capital spared in the Civil War, Tallahassee has preserved its history and vestiges...

Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach

At the northeasternmost reach of Florida, Amelia Island has beautiful beaches with enormous sand dunes along its eastern flank, a state park with a Civil...

Marathon

New Englanders founded this former fishing village in the early 1800s. The community on Vaca Key subsequently served as a base for pirates, salvagers (also...

Bradenton

In 1539 Hernando de Soto landed near this Manatee River city, which has some 20 miles of beaches. Bradenton is well situated for access to...

Pensacola Beach

Connected to Pensacola by two long bridges, the island offers both a Gulf front and sound side for those seeking a calmer seaside experience. Public...

Cocoa Beach

After crossing a long and high bridge just east of Cocoa Village, you drop down upon a barrier island. A few miles farther and you'll...

Hollywood

Hollywood has had several face-lifts to shed its old-school image, but there's still something delightfully retro about the city. New shops, restaurants, and art galleries...

Marco Island

High-rises dominate part of the shores of Marco Island, which is connected to the mainland by two bridges. Yet because of its distance from downtown...

Gainesville

The University of Florida (UF) anchors this sprawling town. Visitors are mostly Gator football fans and parents of students, so the styles and costs of...

Everglades National Park

Established in 1947 to protect the snaking sawgrass marshes, mangroves, hardwood hammocks, and many animals that call this wilderness home, the Everglades hold boundless opportunities...

Sanibel and Captiva Islands

Sanibel Island is famous as one of the world's best shelling grounds, a function of the unusual east–west orientation of the island's south end. Just...

Homestead

Homestead has established itself as a destination for tropical agritourism and ecotourism. At the confluence of Miami and the Keys, as well as Everglades and...

Cape Canaveral

The once-bustling commercial fishing area of Port Canaveral is still home to a small shrimping fleet, charter boats, and party fishing boats, but its main...

Big Cypress National Preserve

Through the early 1960s, the world's largest cypress-logging operation prospered in Big Cypress Swamp until nearly all the trees were cut down. With the downfall...

Big Pine Key

Welcome to the Keys’ most natural holdout, where wildlife refuges protect rare and endangered animals. Here you have left behind the commercialism of the Upper...

Deerfield Beach

As posh Hillsboro Mile comes to an end, Route A1A spills out onto Deerfield Beach, Broward's northernmost oceanside community...

Cocoa

Not to be confused with the seaside community of Cocoa Beach, the small town of Cocoa sits smack-dab on mainland Florida and faces the Intracoastal...

Seaside

...

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

Just north of Fort Lauderdale proper, the low-rise family resort town of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea boasts shoreline access that's rapidly disappearing in neighboring beach towns. The closest...

Bahia Honda Key

All of Bahia Honda Key is devoted to its eponymous state park, which keeps it in a pristine state. Besides the park’s outdoor activities, it...

Venice

This small town is crisscrossed with canals like the city for which it was named. Venice beaches are good for shell collecting, but they're best...

Pompano Beach

As Route A1A enters this town directly north of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, the high-rise scene resumes. Sportfishing is big in Pompano Beach, as its name implies, but...

Conch Key and Duck Key

Duck Key holds one of the region's nicest marina resorts, Hawks Cay, plus a boating-oriented residential community...

Grassy Key

Local lore has it that this sleepy little key was named not for its vegetation—mostly native trees and shrubs—but for an early settler by the...

Long Key

...

Fort Myers Beach (Estero Island)

Crammed with motels, hotels, and restaurants, Estero Island is one of Fort Myers's more frenetic Gulf playgrounds. Dolphins frequently frolic in Estero Bay, part of...

Biscayne National Park

Occupying 172,000 acres along the southern portion of Biscayne Bay, south of Miami and north of the Florida Keys, Biscayne National Park is 95% submerged...

Fort George Island

One of the oldest inhabited areas of Florida, Fort George Island is lush with foliage, natural vegetation, and wildlife. A 4-mile nature and bike trail...

Gasparilla Island (Boca Grande)

Before roads to Southwest Florida were even talked about, wealthy northerners came by train to spend the winter at the Gasparilla Inn. The inn was...

Falling Waters State Park

...

Cabbage Key

Cabbage Key is the ultimate island-hopping escape in these parts. Some say Jimmy Buffett was inspired to write "Cheeseburger in Paradise" after a visit to...

Dry Tortugas National Park

The Dry Tortugas lie in the central time zone. Key West Seaplane pilots like to tell their passengers that they land 15 minutes before they...

Florida Caverns State Park

...

Conch Key

...

Wekiwa Springs State Park

...

Everglades City

Aside from a chain gas station or two, Everglades City retains its Old Florida authenticity. High-rises (other than an observation tower named for pioneer Ernest...

Panama City Beach

Although Front Beach Road is lined by high-rises (about two dozen in total) built mostly during the early 2000s, Panama City Beach's ample 27-mile coastline...

Boca Raton

Less than an hour south of Palm Beach and anchoring the county's south end, upscale Boca Raton has much in common with its fabled cousin...

Stuart and Jensen Beach

The compact town of Stuart lies on a peninsula that juts out into the St. Lucie River off the Indian River and has a remarkable...

Fort Walton Beach

This coastal town dates from the Civil War but had to wait more than 75 years to come into its own. Loyalists to the Confederate...

Juno Beach

This small town east of Palm Beach Gardens has 2 miles of shoreline that becomes home to thousands of sea turtle hatchlings each year, making...

Gulf Coast Entrance

The park's western gateway is the most convenient entrance for travelers coming from Southwest Florida. From Naples, take U.S./Highway 41 east for 37 miles, and...

Palm Beach Gardens

About 15 minutes northwest of Palm Beach is this relaxed, upscale residential community known for its high-profile golf complex, the PGA National Resort & Spa...

West Palm Beach

Once considered Palm Beach’s less privileged sibling, West Palm Beach has come into its own. Its $30 million Centennial Square waterfront complex at the eastern...

Singer Island

Across the inlet from the northern end of Palm Beach is Singer Island, which is actually a peninsula that’s big enough to pass for a...

Florida City

Florida's Turnpike ends in Florida City, the southernmost town of Miami-Dade County's mainland. This is the point where thousands of vehicles spill onto U.S. 1...

Little Torch Key

Little Torch Key and its neighbor islands, Ramrod Key and Summerland Key, are good jumping-off points for divers headed for Looe Key Reef. The islands...

Crystal River

Situated along the peaceful Nature Coast, this area is the low-key getaway spot in one of the most pristine and beautiful areas in the state...

Delray Beach

A onetime artists' retreat with a small settlement of Japanese farmers, Delray has grown into a sophisticated beach town. Delray’s current popularity is caused in...

Dania Beach

This town at the south edge of Fort Lauderdale is probably best known for its antiques dealers, but there are other attractions as well...

Apalachicola

Meaning "land of the friendly people" in the language of its original Native American inhabitants, Apalachicola—known in these parts as simply Apalach—lies on the Panhandle's...

Cape Coral, Pine Island, and North Fort Myers

Cape Coral is determinedly trying to move from its pigeonhole as a residential community by attracting tourism with its downtown reconfiguration, the Resort at Marina...

Vero Beach

Tranquil and picturesque, this upscale Indian River County town has a strong commitment to the environment and culture, and it's also home to eclectic galleries...

Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie

About an hour north of Palm Beach, Fort Pierce has a distinctive rural feel—but it has a surprising number of worthwhile attractions for a town...

Estero/Bonita Springs

Towns below Fort Myers have started to flow seamlessly into one another since the opening of Florida Gulf Coast University in San Carlos Park and...

Boynton Beach

In 1884 when fewer than 50 people lived in the area, Nathan Boynton, a Civil War veteran from Michigan, paid $25 for 500 acres with...

Palm Beach

Most streets around major attractions and commercial zones have free parking as well as metered spaces. If you can stake out a place between a...

Destin

Fort Walton Beach's "neighbor" lies on the other side of the strait connecting Choctawhatchee Bay with the Gulf of Mexico. The drive on Okaloosa Island...

Tamiami Trail

There's a long stretch of U.S. 41 (originally known as the Tamiami Trail) that traverses the Everglades, Big Cypress National Preserve, and Fakahatchee Strand Preserve...

Grayton Beach

The South Walton area continues along Scenic Highway 30A, the route that hugs the coastline of eastern Walton County. Locals sometimes refer to the area...

Citrus County

The coastal and western inland areas of Citrus County north of Tampa and St. Petersburg are sometimes called the Nature Coast, and aptly so. Flora...

Sandestin

Much of the Miramar Beach community is consumed by the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, which sprawls over 2,400 acres from the beach to the...

Palm Harbor

...

St. George Island

Cross the long bridge leading east out of Apalachicola and then look to your right for another lengthy span that takes you south to St...

Melbourne

Despite its dependence on the high-tech space industry, this town is decidedly laid-back. Most of the city is on the mainland, but a small portion...

Titusville

...

Tarpon Springs

...

Ocala National Forest

This breathtaking, 383,000-acre national forest off Route 40 has lakes, springs, rivers, hiking trails, campgrounds, and historic sites. It also has the largest off-highway vehicle...

Lantana

Lantana—just a bit farther south from Palm Beach than Lake Worth—has inexpensive lodging and a bridge connecting the town to its own beach on a...

New Smyrna Beach

The long, dune-lined beach of this small town abuts the Canaveral National Seashore. Behind the dunes sit beach houses, small motels, and an occasional high-rise...

Lake Worth

For years, tourists looked here mainly for inexpensive lodging and easy access to Palm Beach, since a bridge leads from the mainland to a barrier...

Mayport

Dating back more than 300 years, this fishing village has several excellent and very casual seafood restaurants and markets, as well as a commercial shrimping...

Lake Okeechobee

Rimming the western edges of Palm Beach and Martin counties, the second-largest freshwater lake completely within the United States is girdled by 120 miles of...

Jacksonville Beaches

Perhaps because the Intracoastal Waterway isn't all that wide where it separates the mainland from the beaches, people here aren't likely to think of themselves...

Jupiter and Vicinity

Jupiter is one of the few towns in the region not fronted by an island but still quite close to the fantastic hotels, shopping, and...

Homosassa Springs

A little more than an hour north of Clearwater, you’ll come upon this small and friendly hub for water lovers. Along with a phenomenal manatee-centric...

DeFuniak Springs

This scenic spot has a rather unusual claim to fame: at its center lies a nearly perfectly symmetrical spring-fed lake, one of only two such...

Shark Valley

You won’t see sharks at Shark Valley. The name originates from the Shark River, also known as the River of Grass that flows through the...

Coe Visitor Center to Flamingo

The most utilized entrance to Everglades National Park is southwest of Homestead and Florida City. If you're traveling from Miami, take State Road 836/Dolphin Expressway...

Walt Disney World Orlando

Orlando vacations are events that often become part of family legend. Kids and parents swap Disney or Universal stories for years, fondly reliving favorite moments...

The Florida Keys

Your Keys experience begins on your 18-mile drive south on "The Stretch," a portion of U.S. 1 with a specially colored blue median that takes...

Northeast Coast

For many travelers, Florida is about fantasy, thanks in no small part to Central Florida's make-believe kingdoms. But the northeastern part of the state—you could...

The Tampa Bay Area

If you seek a destination that's no one-trick pony, the Tampa Bay region is a spot you can't miss. Encompassing an area from Tarpon Springs...

Miami and Miami Beach

Almost a century after the art deco movement, Miami remains one of the world's trendiest and flashiest hot spots. Luckily for visitors, South Beach is...

Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast

A golden stretch of the Atlantic shore, the Palm Beach area resists categorization, and for good reason: the territory stretching south to Boca Raton, appropriately...

The Panhandle

The sugar-white sands of the Panhandle's beaches stretch 227 miles from Pensacola east to Apalachicola. Sprinkle in clear emerald waters, towering dunes, scenic Highway 30A...

Orlando

Most Orlando locals look at the theme parks as they would unruly neighbors: they are big and loud, but they keep a nice lawn (and...

The Lower Gulf Coast

With its subtropical climate and beckoning family-friendly beaches known for their powdery sand, calm surf, and nary a freighter in sight, Southwest Florida on the...

Fort Lauderdale and Broward County

It was only a matter of time before the sun-soaked streets of Fort Lauderdale faced an identity crisis. What was once a hotbed of dive...

The Emerald Coast

On U.S. 98, several towns are strung along the shoreline from Pensacola southeast to St. George Island, their waters so strikingly green against the white...

Key West

Situated 150 miles from Miami and 90 miles from Havana, this end-of-the-line community has never been like anywhere else. Even after it was connected to...

Universal Orlando

Universal Orlando’s personality is revealed the moment you arrive in the theme parks, where music, cartoonish architecture, abundant eye candy, subtle and overt sound effects...

Fort Lauderdale

Like most of southeast Florida, Fort Lauderdale has long been revitalizing. Despite wariness of overdevelopment, city leaders have allowed a striking number of glittering high-rises...

St. Augustine

Along the banks of the shining Matanzas River lies St. Augustine, the nation’s oldest city. It shows its age with charm, its history revealed in...

St. Petersburg

Nicknamed the Sunshine City, St. Pete is much more than a mass of land between the airport and the beaches. In recent years it’s seen...

The Everglades

More than 1.5 million acres of South Florida's 4.3 million acres of subtropical, watery wilderness were given national park status and protection in 1947 with...

Naples

Islamorada

Early settlers named this key after their schooner, Island Home, but to make it sound more romantic they translated it into Spanish: Isla Morada. The...

Tampa

Tampa, the west coast's business-and-commercial hub, has a sprinkling of high-rises and heavy traffic. A concentration of restaurants, nightlife, stores, and cultural events is amid...

Key Largo

The first of the Upper Keys reachable by car, 30-mile-long Key Largo is the largest island in the chain. Key Largo—named Cayo Largo ("Long Key")...

SeaWorld Orlando

Just as Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando are much more than just a single park, the same is true of SeaWorld. The original park—which...

Jacksonville

Pensacola

Pensacola consists of four distinct districts—Seville, Palafox, East Hill, and North Hill—though they’re easy to explore as a unit. Stroll down streets mapped out by...

Clearwater

In Clearwater, residential areas are a buffer between the commercial zone that centers on U.S. 19 and the beach, which is moderately quiet during winter...

Fort Myers

The city core lies inland along the banks of the Caloosahatchee River, a half hour from the nearest beach. The town is best known as...

Sarasota

Sarasota is a year-round destination and home to some of Florida's most affluent residents. Circus magnate John Ringling and his wife, Mable, started the city...

Daytona Beach

Best known for the Daytona 500, Daytona has been the center of automobile racing since cars were first raced along the beach here in 1902...

Tallahassee

Tallahassee is quite different from the sun-and-surf coastal towns. The only Southern capital spared in the Civil War, Tallahassee has preserved its history and vestiges...

Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach

At the northeasternmost reach of Florida, Amelia Island has beautiful beaches with enormous sand dunes along its eastern flank, a state park with a Civil...

Marathon

New Englanders founded this former fishing village in the early 1800s. The community on Vaca Key subsequently served as a base for pirates, salvagers (also...

Bradenton

In 1539 Hernando de Soto landed near this Manatee River city, which has some 20 miles of beaches. Bradenton is well situated for access to...

Pensacola Beach

Connected to Pensacola by two long bridges, the island offers both a Gulf front and sound side for those seeking a calmer seaside experience. Public...

Cocoa Beach

After crossing a long and high bridge just east of Cocoa Village, you drop down upon a barrier island. A few miles farther and you'll...

Hollywood

Hollywood has had several face-lifts to shed its old-school image, but there's still something delightfully retro about the city. New shops, restaurants, and art galleries...

Marco Island

High-rises dominate part of the shores of Marco Island, which is connected to the mainland by two bridges. Yet because of its distance from downtown...

Gainesville

The University of Florida (UF) anchors this sprawling town. Visitors are mostly Gator football fans and parents of students, so the styles and costs of...

Everglades National Park

Established in 1947 to protect the snaking sawgrass marshes, mangroves, hardwood hammocks, and many animals that call this wilderness home, the Everglades hold boundless opportunities...

Sanibel and Captiva Islands

Sanibel Island is famous as one of the world's best shelling grounds, a function of the unusual east–west orientation of the island's south end. Just...

Homestead

Homestead has established itself as a destination for tropical agritourism and ecotourism. At the confluence of Miami and the Keys, as well as Everglades and...

Cape Canaveral

The once-bustling commercial fishing area of Port Canaveral is still home to a small shrimping fleet, charter boats, and party fishing boats, but its main...

Big Cypress National Preserve

Through the early 1960s, the world's largest cypress-logging operation prospered in Big Cypress Swamp until nearly all the trees were cut down. With the downfall...

Big Pine Key

Welcome to the Keys’ most natural holdout, where wildlife refuges protect rare and endangered animals. Here you have left behind the commercialism of the Upper...

Deerfield Beach

As posh Hillsboro Mile comes to an end, Route A1A spills out onto Deerfield Beach, Broward's northernmost oceanside community...

Cocoa

Not to be confused with the seaside community of Cocoa Beach, the small town of Cocoa sits smack-dab on mainland Florida and faces the Intracoastal...

Seaside

...

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

Just north of Fort Lauderdale proper, the low-rise family resort town of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea boasts shoreline access that's rapidly disappearing in neighboring beach towns. The closest...

Bahia Honda Key

All of Bahia Honda Key is devoted to its eponymous state park, which keeps it in a pristine state. Besides the park’s outdoor activities, it...

Venice

This small town is crisscrossed with canals like the city for which it was named. Venice beaches are good for shell collecting, but they're best...

Pompano Beach

As Route A1A enters this town directly north of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, the high-rise scene resumes. Sportfishing is big in Pompano Beach, as its name implies, but...

Conch Key and Duck Key

Duck Key holds one of the region's nicest marina resorts, Hawks Cay, plus a boating-oriented residential community...

Grassy Key

Local lore has it that this sleepy little key was named not for its vegetation—mostly native trees and shrubs—but for an early settler by the...

Long Key

...

Fort Myers Beach (Estero Island)

Crammed with motels, hotels, and restaurants, Estero Island is one of Fort Myers's more frenetic Gulf playgrounds. Dolphins frequently frolic in Estero Bay, part of...

Biscayne National Park

Occupying 172,000 acres along the southern portion of Biscayne Bay, south of Miami and north of the Florida Keys, Biscayne National Park is 95% submerged...

Fort George Island

One of the oldest inhabited areas of Florida, Fort George Island is lush with foliage, natural vegetation, and wildlife. A 4-mile nature and bike trail...

Gasparilla Island (Boca Grande)

Before roads to Southwest Florida were even talked about, wealthy northerners came by train to spend the winter at the Gasparilla Inn. The inn was...

Falling Waters State Park

...

Cabbage Key

Cabbage Key is the ultimate island-hopping escape in these parts. Some say Jimmy Buffett was inspired to write "Cheeseburger in Paradise" after a visit to...

Dry Tortugas National Park

The Dry Tortugas lie in the central time zone. Key West Seaplane pilots like to tell their passengers that they land 15 minutes before they...

Florida Caverns State Park

...

Conch Key

...

Wekiwa Springs State Park

...

Everglades City

Aside from a chain gas station or two, Everglades City retains its Old Florida authenticity. High-rises (other than an observation tower named for pioneer Ernest...

Panama City Beach

Although Front Beach Road is lined by high-rises (about two dozen in total) built mostly during the early 2000s, Panama City Beach's ample 27-mile coastline...

Boca Raton

Less than an hour south of Palm Beach and anchoring the county's south end, upscale Boca Raton has much in common with its fabled cousin...

Stuart and Jensen Beach

The compact town of Stuart lies on a peninsula that juts out into the St. Lucie River off the Indian River and has a remarkable...

Fort Walton Beach

This coastal town dates from the Civil War but had to wait more than 75 years to come into its own. Loyalists to the Confederate...

Juno Beach

This small town east of Palm Beach Gardens has 2 miles of shoreline that becomes home to thousands of sea turtle hatchlings each year, making...

Gulf Coast Entrance

The park's western gateway is the most convenient entrance for travelers coming from Southwest Florida. From Naples, take U.S./Highway 41 east for 37 miles, and...

Palm Beach Gardens

About 15 minutes northwest of Palm Beach is this relaxed, upscale residential community known for its high-profile golf complex, the PGA National Resort & Spa...

West Palm Beach

Once considered Palm Beach’s less privileged sibling, West Palm Beach has come into its own. Its $30 million Centennial Square waterfront complex at the eastern...

Singer Island

Across the inlet from the northern end of Palm Beach is Singer Island, which is actually a peninsula that’s big enough to pass for a...

Florida City

Florida's Turnpike ends in Florida City, the southernmost town of Miami-Dade County's mainland. This is the point where thousands of vehicles spill onto U.S. 1...

Little Torch Key

Little Torch Key and its neighbor islands, Ramrod Key and Summerland Key, are good jumping-off points for divers headed for Looe Key Reef. The islands...

Crystal River

Situated along the peaceful Nature Coast, this area is the low-key getaway spot in one of the most pristine and beautiful areas in the state...

Delray Beach

A onetime artists' retreat with a small settlement of Japanese farmers, Delray has grown into a sophisticated beach town. Delray’s current popularity is caused in...

Dania Beach

This town at the south edge of Fort Lauderdale is probably best known for its antiques dealers, but there are other attractions as well...

Apalachicola

Meaning "land of the friendly people" in the language of its original Native American inhabitants, Apalachicola—known in these parts as simply Apalach—lies on the Panhandle's...

Cape Coral, Pine Island, and North Fort Myers

Cape Coral is determinedly trying to move from its pigeonhole as a residential community by attracting tourism with its downtown reconfiguration, the Resort at Marina...

Vero Beach

Tranquil and picturesque, this upscale Indian River County town has a strong commitment to the environment and culture, and it's also home to eclectic galleries...

Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie

About an hour north of Palm Beach, Fort Pierce has a distinctive rural feel—but it has a surprising number of worthwhile attractions for a town...

Estero/Bonita Springs

Towns below Fort Myers have started to flow seamlessly into one another since the opening of Florida Gulf Coast University in San Carlos Park and...

Boynton Beach

In 1884 when fewer than 50 people lived in the area, Nathan Boynton, a Civil War veteran from Michigan, paid $25 for 500 acres with...

Palm Beach

Most streets around major attractions and commercial zones have free parking as well as metered spaces. If you can stake out a place between a...

Destin

Fort Walton Beach's "neighbor" lies on the other side of the strait connecting Choctawhatchee Bay with the Gulf of Mexico. The drive on Okaloosa Island...

Tamiami Trail

There's a long stretch of U.S. 41 (originally known as the Tamiami Trail) that traverses the Everglades, Big Cypress National Preserve, and Fakahatchee Strand Preserve...

Grayton Beach

The South Walton area continues along Scenic Highway 30A, the route that hugs the coastline of eastern Walton County. Locals sometimes refer to the area...

Citrus County

The coastal and western inland areas of Citrus County north of Tampa and St. Petersburg are sometimes called the Nature Coast, and aptly so. Flora...

Sandestin

Much of the Miramar Beach community is consumed by the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, which sprawls over 2,400 acres from the beach to the...

Palm Harbor

...

St. George Island

Cross the long bridge leading east out of Apalachicola and then look to your right for another lengthy span that takes you south to St...

Melbourne

Despite its dependence on the high-tech space industry, this town is decidedly laid-back. Most of the city is on the mainland, but a small portion...

Titusville

...

Tarpon Springs

...

Ocala National Forest

This breathtaking, 383,000-acre national forest off Route 40 has lakes, springs, rivers, hiking trails, campgrounds, and historic sites. It also has the largest off-highway vehicle...

Lantana

Lantana—just a bit farther south from Palm Beach than Lake Worth—has inexpensive lodging and a bridge connecting the town to its own beach on a...

New Smyrna Beach

The long, dune-lined beach of this small town abuts the Canaveral National Seashore. Behind the dunes sit beach houses, small motels, and an occasional high-rise...

Lake Worth

For years, tourists looked here mainly for inexpensive lodging and easy access to Palm Beach, since a bridge leads from the mainland to a barrier...

Mayport

Dating back more than 300 years, this fishing village has several excellent and very casual seafood restaurants and markets, as well as a commercial shrimping...

Lake Okeechobee

Rimming the western edges of Palm Beach and Martin counties, the second-largest freshwater lake completely within the United States is girdled by 120 miles of...

Jacksonville Beaches

Perhaps because the Intracoastal Waterway isn't all that wide where it separates the mainland from the beaches, people here aren't likely to think of themselves...

Jupiter and Vicinity

Jupiter is one of the few towns in the region not fronted by an island but still quite close to the fantastic hotels, shopping, and...

Homosassa Springs

A little more than an hour north of Clearwater, you’ll come upon this small and friendly hub for water lovers. Along with a phenomenal manatee-centric...

DeFuniak Springs

This scenic spot has a rather unusual claim to fame: at its center lies a nearly perfectly symmetrical spring-fed lake, one of only two such...

Shark Valley

You won’t see sharks at Shark Valley. The name originates from the Shark River, also known as the River of Grass that flows through the...

Coe Visitor Center to Flamingo

The most utilized entrance to Everglades National Park is southwest of Homestead and Florida City. If you're traveling from Miami, take State Road 836/Dolphin Expressway...

Walt Disney World Orlando

Orlando vacations are events that often become part of family legend. Kids and parents swap Disney or Universal stories for years, fondly reliving favorite moments...

Miami and Miami Beach

Almost a century after the art deco movement, Miami remains one of the world's trendiest and flashiest hot spots. Luckily for visitors, South Beach is...

Orlando

Most Orlando locals look at the theme parks as they would unruly neighbors: they are big and loud, but they keep a nice lawn (and...

Universal Orlando

Universal Orlando’s personality is revealed the moment you arrive in the theme parks, where music, cartoonish architecture, abundant eye candy, subtle and overt sound effects...

Fort Lauderdale

Like most of southeast Florida, Fort Lauderdale has long been revitalizing. Despite wariness of overdevelopment, city leaders have allowed a striking number of glittering high-rises...

St. Augustine

Along the banks of the shining Matanzas River lies St. Augustine, the nation’s oldest city. It shows its age with charm, its history revealed in...

St. Petersburg

Nicknamed the Sunshine City, St. Pete is much more than a mass of land between the airport and the beaches. In recent years it’s seen...

Naples

Tampa

Tampa, the west coast's business-and-commercial hub, has a sprinkling of high-rises and heavy traffic. A concentration of restaurants, nightlife, stores, and cultural events is amid...

SeaWorld Orlando

Just as Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando are much more than just a single park, the same is true of SeaWorld. The original park—which...

Jacksonville

Pensacola

Pensacola consists of four distinct districts—Seville, Palafox, East Hill, and North Hill—though they’re easy to explore as a unit. Stroll down streets mapped out by...

Clearwater

In Clearwater, residential areas are a buffer between the commercial zone that centers on U.S. 19 and the beach, which is moderately quiet during winter...

Fort Myers

The city core lies inland along the banks of the Caloosahatchee River, a half hour from the nearest beach. The town is best known as...

Sarasota

Sarasota is a year-round destination and home to some of Florida's most affluent residents. Circus magnate John Ringling and his wife, Mable, started the city...

Daytona Beach

Best known for the Daytona 500, Daytona has been the center of automobile racing since cars were first raced along the beach here in 1902...

Tallahassee

Tallahassee is quite different from the sun-and-surf coastal towns. The only Southern capital spared in the Civil War, Tallahassee has preserved its history and vestiges...

Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach

At the northeasternmost reach of Florida, Amelia Island has beautiful beaches with enormous sand dunes along its eastern flank, a state park with a Civil...

Bradenton

In 1539 Hernando de Soto landed near this Manatee River city, which has some 20 miles of beaches. Bradenton is well situated for access to...

Pensacola Beach

Connected to Pensacola by two long bridges, the island offers both a Gulf front and sound side for those seeking a calmer seaside experience. Public...

Cocoa Beach

After crossing a long and high bridge just east of Cocoa Village, you drop down upon a barrier island. A few miles farther and you'll...

Hollywood

Hollywood has had several face-lifts to shed its old-school image, but there's still something delightfully retro about the city. New shops, restaurants, and art galleries...

Gainesville

The University of Florida (UF) anchors this sprawling town. Visitors are mostly Gator football fans and parents of students, so the styles and costs of...

Marco Island

High-rises dominate part of the shores of Marco Island, which is connected to the mainland by two bridges. Yet because of its distance from downtown...

Sanibel and Captiva Islands

Sanibel Island is famous as one of the world's best shelling grounds, a function of the unusual east–west orientation of the island's south end. Just...

Homestead

Homestead has established itself as a destination for tropical agritourism and ecotourism. At the confluence of Miami and the Keys, as well as Everglades and...

Deerfield Beach

As posh Hillsboro Mile comes to an end, Route A1A spills out onto Deerfield Beach, Broward's northernmost oceanside community...

Cape Canaveral

The once-bustling commercial fishing area of Port Canaveral is still home to a small shrimping fleet, charter boats, and party fishing boats, but its main...

Cocoa

Not to be confused with the seaside community of Cocoa Beach, the small town of Cocoa sits smack-dab on mainland Florida and faces the Intracoastal...

Seaside

...

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

Just north of Fort Lauderdale proper, the low-rise family resort town of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea boasts shoreline access that's rapidly disappearing in neighboring beach towns. The closest...

Pompano Beach

As Route A1A enters this town directly north of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, the high-rise scene resumes. Sportfishing is big in Pompano Beach, as its name implies, but...

Venice

This small town is crisscrossed with canals like the city for which it was named. Venice beaches are good for shell collecting, but they're best...

Conch Key and Duck Key

Duck Key holds one of the region's nicest marina resorts, Hawks Cay, plus a boating-oriented residential community...

Fort Myers Beach (Estero Island)

Crammed with motels, hotels, and restaurants, Estero Island is one of Fort Myers's more frenetic Gulf playgrounds. Dolphins frequently frolic in Estero Bay, part of...

Fort George Island

One of the oldest inhabited areas of Florida, Fort George Island is lush with foliage, natural vegetation, and wildlife. A 4-mile nature and bike trail...

Gasparilla Island (Boca Grande)

Before roads to Southwest Florida were even talked about, wealthy northerners came by train to spend the winter at the Gasparilla Inn. The inn was...

Cabbage Key

Cabbage Key is the ultimate island-hopping escape in these parts. Some say Jimmy Buffett was inspired to write "Cheeseburger in Paradise" after a visit to...

Conch Key

...

Palm Harbor

...

South Walton

Between Destin and Panama City Beach is what many consider Florida's best-kept secret: South Walton County (or, SoWal, if you want to sound hip and...

Titusville

...

Grayton Beach

The South Walton area continues along Scenic Highway 30A, the route that hugs the coastline of eastern Walton County. Locals sometimes refer to the area...

Sandestin

Much of the Miramar Beach community is consumed by the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, which sprawls over 2,400 acres from the beach to the...

Crystal River

Situated along the peaceful Nature Coast, this area is the low-key getaway spot in one of the most pristine and beautiful areas in the state...

Destin

Fort Walton Beach's "neighbor" lies on the other side of the strait connecting Choctawhatchee Bay with the Gulf of Mexico. The drive on Okaloosa Island...

Cape Coral, Pine Island, and North Fort Myers

Cape Coral is determinedly trying to move from its pigeonhole as a residential community by attracting tourism with its downtown reconfiguration, the Resort at Marina...

Estero/Bonita Springs

Towns below Fort Myers have started to flow seamlessly into one another since the opening of Florida Gulf Coast University in San Carlos Park and...

Singer Island

Across the inlet from the northern end of Palm Beach is Singer Island, which is actually a peninsula that’s big enough to pass for a...

Palm Beach Gardens

About 15 minutes northwest of Palm Beach is this relaxed, upscale residential community known for its high-profile golf complex, the PGA National Resort & Spa...

Stuart and Jensen Beach

The compact town of Stuart lies on a peninsula that juts out into the St. Lucie River off the Indian River and has a remarkable...

Tamiami Trail

There's a long stretch of U.S. 41 (originally known as the Tamiami Trail) that traverses the Everglades, Big Cypress National Preserve, and Fakahatchee Strand Preserve...

Vero Beach

Tranquil and picturesque, this upscale Indian River County town has a strong commitment to the environment and culture, and it's also home to eclectic galleries...

Melbourne

Despite its dependence on the high-tech space industry, this town is decidedly laid-back. Most of the city is on the mainland, but a small portion...

Palm Beach

Most streets around major attractions and commercial zones have free parking as well as metered spaces. If you can stake out a place between a...

Tarpon Springs

...

Lantana

Lantana—just a bit farther south from Palm Beach than Lake Worth—has inexpensive lodging and a bridge connecting the town to its own beach on a...

Florida City

Florida's Turnpike ends in Florida City, the southernmost town of Miami-Dade County's mainland. This is the point where thousands of vehicles spill onto U.S. 1...

Lake Worth

For years, tourists looked here mainly for inexpensive lodging and easy access to Palm Beach, since a bridge leads from the mainland to a barrier...

Fort Walton Beach

This coastal town dates from the Civil War but had to wait more than 75 years to come into its own. Loyalists to the Confederate...

Lake Okeechobee

Rimming the western edges of Palm Beach and Martin counties, the second-largest freshwater lake completely within the United States is girdled by 120 miles of...

Panama City Beach

Although Front Beach Road is lined by high-rises (about two dozen in total) built mostly during the early 2000s, Panama City Beach's ample 27-mile coastline...

Jupiter and Vicinity

Jupiter is one of the few towns in the region not fronted by an island but still quite close to the fantastic hotels, shopping, and...

Boca Raton

Less than an hour south of Palm Beach and anchoring the county's south end, upscale Boca Raton has much in common with its fabled cousin...

Juno Beach

This small town east of Palm Beach Gardens has 2 miles of shoreline that becomes home to thousands of sea turtle hatchlings each year, making...

St. George Island

Cross the long bridge leading east out of Apalachicola and then look to your right for another lengthy span that takes you south to St...

DeFuniak Springs

This scenic spot has a rather unusual claim to fame: at its center lies a nearly perfectly symmetrical spring-fed lake, one of only two such...

Ocala National Forest

This breathtaking, 383,000-acre national forest off Route 40 has lakes, springs, rivers, hiking trails, campgrounds, and historic sites. It also has the largest off-highway vehicle...

Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie

About an hour north of Palm Beach, Fort Pierce has a distinctive rural feel—but it has a surprising number of worthwhile attractions for a town...

New Smyrna Beach

The long, dune-lined beach of this small town abuts the Canaveral National Seashore. Behind the dunes sit beach houses, small motels, and an occasional high-rise...

Delray Beach

A onetime artists' retreat with a small settlement of Japanese farmers, Delray has grown into a sophisticated beach town. Delray’s current popularity is caused in...

Mayport

Dating back more than 300 years, this fishing village has several excellent and very casual seafood restaurants and markets, as well as a commercial shrimping...

Boynton Beach

In 1884 when fewer than 50 people lived in the area, Nathan Boynton, a Civil War veteran from Michigan, paid $25 for 500 acres with...

Jacksonville Beaches

Perhaps because the Intracoastal Waterway isn't all that wide where it separates the mainland from the beaches, people here aren't likely to think of themselves...

Apalachicola

Meaning "land of the friendly people" in the language of its original Native American inhabitants, Apalachicola—known in these parts as simply Apalach—lies on the Panhandle's...

Homosassa Springs

A little more than an hour north of Clearwater, you’ll come upon this small and friendly hub for water lovers. Along with a phenomenal manatee-centric...

West Palm Beach

Once considered Palm Beach’s less privileged sibling, West Palm Beach has come into its own. Its $30 million Centennial Square waterfront complex at the eastern...

Everglades City

Aside from a chain gas station or two, Everglades City retains its Old Florida authenticity. High-rises (other than an observation tower named for pioneer Ernest...

Dania Beach

This town at the south edge of Fort Lauderdale is probably best known for its antiques dealers, but there are other attractions as well...

Walt Disney World Orlando

Orlando vacations are events that often become part of family legend. Kids and parents swap Disney or Universal stories for years, fondly reliving favorite moments...

Miami and Miami Beach

Almost a century after the art deco movement, Miami remains one of the world's trendiest and flashiest hot spots. Luckily for visitors, South Beach is...

Orlando

Most Orlando locals look at the theme parks as they would unruly neighbors: they are big and loud, but they keep a nice lawn (and...

Universal Orlando

Universal Orlando’s personality is revealed the moment you arrive in the theme parks, where music, cartoonish architecture, abundant eye candy, subtle and overt sound effects...

Fort Lauderdale

Like most of southeast Florida, Fort Lauderdale has long been revitalizing. Despite wariness of overdevelopment, city leaders have allowed a striking number of glittering high-rises...

St. Augustine

Along the banks of the shining Matanzas River lies St. Augustine, the nation’s oldest city. It shows its age with charm, its history revealed in...

St. Petersburg

Nicknamed the Sunshine City, St. Pete is much more than a mass of land between the airport and the beaches. In recent years it’s seen...

Naples

Tampa

Tampa, the west coast's business-and-commercial hub, has a sprinkling of high-rises and heavy traffic. A concentration of restaurants, nightlife, stores, and cultural events is amid...

SeaWorld Orlando

Just as Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando are much more than just a single park, the same is true of SeaWorld. The original park—which...

Jacksonville

Pensacola

Pensacola consists of four distinct districts—Seville, Palafox, East Hill, and North Hill—though they’re easy to explore as a unit. Stroll down streets mapped out by...

Clearwater

In Clearwater, residential areas are a buffer between the commercial zone that centers on U.S. 19 and the beach, which is moderately quiet during winter...

Fort Myers

The city core lies inland along the banks of the Caloosahatchee River, a half hour from the nearest beach. The town is best known as...

Sarasota

Sarasota is a year-round destination and home to some of Florida's most affluent residents. Circus magnate John Ringling and his wife, Mable, started the city...

Daytona Beach

Best known for the Daytona 500, Daytona has been the center of automobile racing since cars were first raced along the beach here in 1902...

Tallahassee

Tallahassee is quite different from the sun-and-surf coastal towns. The only Southern capital spared in the Civil War, Tallahassee has preserved its history and vestiges...

Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach

At the northeasternmost reach of Florida, Amelia Island has beautiful beaches with enormous sand dunes along its eastern flank, a state park with a Civil...

Bradenton

In 1539 Hernando de Soto landed near this Manatee River city, which has some 20 miles of beaches. Bradenton is well situated for access to...

Pensacola Beach

Connected to Pensacola by two long bridges, the island offers both a Gulf front and sound side for those seeking a calmer seaside experience. Public...

Cocoa Beach

After crossing a long and high bridge just east of Cocoa Village, you drop down upon a barrier island. A few miles farther and you'll...

Hollywood

Hollywood has had several face-lifts to shed its old-school image, but there's still something delightfully retro about the city. New shops, restaurants, and art galleries...

Gainesville

The University of Florida (UF) anchors this sprawling town. Visitors are mostly Gator football fans and parents of students, so the styles and costs of...

Marco Island

High-rises dominate part of the shores of Marco Island, which is connected to the mainland by two bridges. Yet because of its distance from downtown...

Sanibel and Captiva Islands

Sanibel Island is famous as one of the world's best shelling grounds, a function of the unusual east–west orientation of the island's south end. Just...

Homestead

Homestead has established itself as a destination for tropical agritourism and ecotourism. At the confluence of Miami and the Keys, as well as Everglades and...

Deerfield Beach

As posh Hillsboro Mile comes to an end, Route A1A spills out onto Deerfield Beach, Broward's northernmost oceanside community...

Cape Canaveral

The once-bustling commercial fishing area of Port Canaveral is still home to a small shrimping fleet, charter boats, and party fishing boats, but its main...

Cocoa

Not to be confused with the seaside community of Cocoa Beach, the small town of Cocoa sits smack-dab on mainland Florida and faces the Intracoastal...

Seaside

...

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

Just north of Fort Lauderdale proper, the low-rise family resort town of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea boasts shoreline access that's rapidly disappearing in neighboring beach towns. The closest...

Pompano Beach

As Route A1A enters this town directly north of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, the high-rise scene resumes. Sportfishing is big in Pompano Beach, as its name implies, but...

Venice

This small town is crisscrossed with canals like the city for which it was named. Venice beaches are good for shell collecting, but they're best...

Conch Key and Duck Key

Duck Key holds one of the region's nicest marina resorts, Hawks Cay, plus a boating-oriented residential community...

Fort Myers Beach (Estero Island)

Crammed with motels, hotels, and restaurants, Estero Island is one of Fort Myers's more frenetic Gulf playgrounds. Dolphins frequently frolic in Estero Bay, part of...

Fort George Island

One of the oldest inhabited areas of Florida, Fort George Island is lush with foliage, natural vegetation, and wildlife. A 4-mile nature and bike trail...

Gasparilla Island (Boca Grande)

Before roads to Southwest Florida were even talked about, wealthy northerners came by train to spend the winter at the Gasparilla Inn. The inn was...

Cabbage Key

Cabbage Key is the ultimate island-hopping escape in these parts. Some say Jimmy Buffett was inspired to write "Cheeseburger in Paradise" after a visit to...

Conch Key

...

Palm Harbor

...

South Walton

Between Destin and Panama City Beach is what many consider Florida's best-kept secret: South Walton County (or, SoWal, if you want to sound hip and...

Titusville

...

Grayton Beach

The South Walton area continues along Scenic Highway 30A, the route that hugs the coastline of eastern Walton County. Locals sometimes refer to the area...

Sandestin

Much of the Miramar Beach community is consumed by the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, which sprawls over 2,400 acres from the beach to the...

Crystal River

Situated along the peaceful Nature Coast, this area is the low-key getaway spot in one of the most pristine and beautiful areas in the state...

Destin

Fort Walton Beach's "neighbor" lies on the other side of the strait connecting Choctawhatchee Bay with the Gulf of Mexico. The drive on Okaloosa Island...

Cape Coral, Pine Island, and North Fort Myers

Cape Coral is determinedly trying to move from its pigeonhole as a residential community by attracting tourism with its downtown reconfiguration, the Resort at Marina...

Estero/Bonita Springs

Towns below Fort Myers have started to flow seamlessly into one another since the opening of Florida Gulf Coast University in San Carlos Park and...

Singer Island

Across the inlet from the northern end of Palm Beach is Singer Island, which is actually a peninsula that’s big enough to pass for a...

Palm Beach Gardens

About 15 minutes northwest of Palm Beach is this relaxed, upscale residential community known for its high-profile golf complex, the PGA National Resort & Spa...

Stuart and Jensen Beach

The compact town of Stuart lies on a peninsula that juts out into the St. Lucie River off the Indian River and has a remarkable...

Tamiami Trail

There's a long stretch of U.S. 41 (originally known as the Tamiami Trail) that traverses the Everglades, Big Cypress National Preserve, and Fakahatchee Strand Preserve...

Vero Beach

Tranquil and picturesque, this upscale Indian River County town has a strong commitment to the environment and culture, and it's also home to eclectic galleries...

Melbourne

Despite its dependence on the high-tech space industry, this town is decidedly laid-back. Most of the city is on the mainland, but a small portion...

Palm Beach

Most streets around major attractions and commercial zones have free parking as well as metered spaces. If you can stake out a place between a...

Tarpon Springs

...

Lantana

Lantana—just a bit farther south from Palm Beach than Lake Worth—has inexpensive lodging and a bridge connecting the town to its own beach on a...

Florida City

Florida's Turnpike ends in Florida City, the southernmost town of Miami-Dade County's mainland. This is the point where thousands of vehicles spill onto U.S. 1...

Lake Worth

For years, tourists looked here mainly for inexpensive lodging and easy access to Palm Beach, since a bridge leads from the mainland to a barrier...

Fort Walton Beach

This coastal town dates from the Civil War but had to wait more than 75 years to come into its own. Loyalists to the Confederate...

Lake Okeechobee

Rimming the western edges of Palm Beach and Martin counties, the second-largest freshwater lake completely within the United States is girdled by 120 miles of...

Panama City Beach

Although Front Beach Road is lined by high-rises (about two dozen in total) built mostly during the early 2000s, Panama City Beach's ample 27-mile coastline...

Jupiter and Vicinity

Jupiter is one of the few towns in the region not fronted by an island but still quite close to the fantastic hotels, shopping, and...

Boca Raton

Less than an hour south of Palm Beach and anchoring the county's south end, upscale Boca Raton has much in common with its fabled cousin...

Juno Beach

This small town east of Palm Beach Gardens has 2 miles of shoreline that becomes home to thousands of sea turtle hatchlings each year, making...

St. George Island

Cross the long bridge leading east out of Apalachicola and then look to your right for another lengthy span that takes you south to St...

DeFuniak Springs

This scenic spot has a rather unusual claim to fame: at its center lies a nearly perfectly symmetrical spring-fed lake, one of only two such...

Ocala National Forest

This breathtaking, 383,000-acre national forest off Route 40 has lakes, springs, rivers, hiking trails, campgrounds, and historic sites. It also has the largest off-highway vehicle...

Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie

About an hour north of Palm Beach, Fort Pierce has a distinctive rural feel—but it has a surprising number of worthwhile attractions for a town...

New Smyrna Beach

The long, dune-lined beach of this small town abuts the Canaveral National Seashore. Behind the dunes sit beach houses, small motels, and an occasional high-rise...

Delray Beach

A onetime artists' retreat with a small settlement of Japanese farmers, Delray has grown into a sophisticated beach town. Delray’s current popularity is caused in...

Mayport

Dating back more than 300 years, this fishing village has several excellent and very casual seafood restaurants and markets, as well as a commercial shrimping...

Boynton Beach

In 1884 when fewer than 50 people lived in the area, Nathan Boynton, a Civil War veteran from Michigan, paid $25 for 500 acres with...

Jacksonville Beaches

Perhaps because the Intracoastal Waterway isn't all that wide where it separates the mainland from the beaches, people here aren't likely to think of themselves...

Apalachicola

Meaning "land of the friendly people" in the language of its original Native American inhabitants, Apalachicola—known in these parts as simply Apalach—lies on the Panhandle's...

Homosassa Springs

A little more than an hour north of Clearwater, you’ll come upon this small and friendly hub for water lovers. Along with a phenomenal manatee-centric...

West Palm Beach

Once considered Palm Beach’s less privileged sibling, West Palm Beach has come into its own. Its $30 million Centennial Square waterfront complex at the eastern...

Everglades City

Aside from a chain gas station or two, Everglades City retains its Old Florida authenticity. High-rises (other than an observation tower named for pioneer Ernest...

Dania Beach

This town at the south edge of Fort Lauderdale is probably best known for its antiques dealers, but there are other attractions as well...

The Florida Keys

Your Keys experience begins on your 18-mile drive south on "The Stretch," a portion of U.S. 1 with a specially colored blue median that takes...

Northeast Coast

For many travelers, Florida is about fantasy, thanks in no small part to Central Florida's make-believe kingdoms. But the northeastern part of the state—you could...

The Tampa Bay Area

If you seek a destination that's no one-trick pony, the Tampa Bay region is a spot you can't miss. Encompassing an area from Tarpon Springs...

Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast

A golden stretch of the Atlantic shore, the Palm Beach area resists categorization, and for good reason: the territory stretching south to Boca Raton, appropriately...

The Panhandle

The sugar-white sands of the Panhandle's beaches stretch 227 miles from Pensacola east to Apalachicola. Sprinkle in clear emerald waters, towering dunes, scenic Highway 30A...

The Lower Gulf Coast

With its subtropical climate and beckoning family-friendly beaches known for their powdery sand, calm surf, and nary a freighter in sight, Southwest Florida on the...

Fort Lauderdale and Broward County

It was only a matter of time before the sun-soaked streets of Fort Lauderdale faced an identity crisis. What was once a hotbed of dive...

The Emerald Coast

On U.S. 98, several towns are strung along the shoreline from Pensacola southeast to St. George Island, their waters so strikingly green against the white...

The Everglades

More than 1.5 million acres of South Florida's 4.3 million acres of subtropical, watery wilderness were given national park status and protection in 1947 with...

Citrus County

The coastal and western inland areas of Citrus County north of Tampa and St. Petersburg are sometimes called the Nature Coast, and aptly so. Flora...

The Florida Keys

Your Keys experience begins on your 18-mile drive south on "The Stretch," a portion of U.S. 1 with a specially colored blue median that takes...

Northeast Coast

For many travelers, Florida is about fantasy, thanks in no small part to Central Florida's make-believe kingdoms. But the northeastern part of the state—you could...

The Tampa Bay Area

If you seek a destination that's no one-trick pony, the Tampa Bay region is a spot you can't miss. Encompassing an area from Tarpon Springs...

Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast

A golden stretch of the Atlantic shore, the Palm Beach area resists categorization, and for good reason: the territory stretching south to Boca Raton, appropriately...

The Panhandle

The sugar-white sands of the Panhandle's beaches stretch 227 miles from Pensacola east to Apalachicola. Sprinkle in clear emerald waters, towering dunes, scenic Highway 30A...

The Lower Gulf Coast

With its subtropical climate and beckoning family-friendly beaches known for their powdery sand, calm surf, and nary a freighter in sight, Southwest Florida on the...

Fort Lauderdale and Broward County

It was only a matter of time before the sun-soaked streets of Fort Lauderdale faced an identity crisis. What was once a hotbed of dive...

The Emerald Coast

On U.S. 98, several towns are strung along the shoreline from Pensacola southeast to St. George Island, their waters so strikingly green against the white...

The Everglades

More than 1.5 million acres of South Florida's 4.3 million acres of subtropical, watery wilderness were given national park status and protection in 1947 with...

Citrus County

The coastal and western inland areas of Citrus County north of Tampa and St. Petersburg are sometimes called the Nature Coast, and aptly so. Flora...

Everglades National Park

Established in 1947 to protect the snaking sawgrass marshes, mangroves, hardwood hammocks, and many animals that call this wilderness home, the Everglades hold boundless opportunities...

Big Cypress National Preserve

Through the early 1960s, the world's largest cypress-logging operation prospered in Big Cypress Swamp until nearly all the trees were cut down. With the downfall...

Biscayne National Park

Occupying 172,000 acres along the southern portion of Biscayne Bay, south of Miami and north of the Florida Keys, Biscayne National Park is 95% submerged...

Florida Caverns State Park

...

Falling Waters State Park

...

Dry Tortugas National Park

The Dry Tortugas lie in the central time zone. Key West Seaplane pilots like to tell their passengers that they land 15 minutes before they...

World Nature

...

World Discovery

...

World Celebration

...

Toy Story Land

...

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

...

Grand Avenue

...

Pandora–The World of Avatar

...

Wekiwa Springs State Park

...

Everglades National Park

Established in 1947 to protect the snaking sawgrass marshes, mangroves, hardwood hammocks, and many animals that call this wilderness home, the Everglades hold boundless opportunities...

Big Cypress National Preserve

Through the early 1960s, the world's largest cypress-logging operation prospered in Big Cypress Swamp until nearly all the trees were cut down. With the downfall...

Biscayne National Park

Occupying 172,000 acres along the southern portion of Biscayne Bay, south of Miami and north of the Florida Keys, Biscayne National Park is 95% submerged...

Florida Caverns State Park

...

Falling Waters State Park

...

Dry Tortugas National Park

The Dry Tortugas lie in the central time zone. Key West Seaplane pilots like to tell their passengers that they land 15 minutes before they...

World Nature

...

World Discovery

...

World Celebration

...

Toy Story Land

...

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

...

Grand Avenue

...

Pandora–The World of Avatar

...

Wekiwa Springs State Park

...

Key West

Situated 150 miles from Miami and 90 miles from Havana, this end-of-the-line community has never been like anywhere else. Even after it was connected to...

Islamorada

Early settlers named this key after their schooner, Island Home, but to make it sound more romantic they translated it into Spanish: Isla Morada. The...

Key Largo

The first of the Upper Keys reachable by car, 30-mile-long Key Largo is the largest island in the chain. Key Largo—named Cayo Largo ("Long Key")...

Marathon

New Englanders founded this former fishing village in the early 1800s. The community on Vaca Key subsequently served as a base for pirates, salvagers (also...

Big Pine Key

Welcome to the Keys’ most natural holdout, where wildlife refuges protect rare and endangered animals. Here you have left behind the commercialism of the Upper...

Bahia Honda Key

All of Bahia Honda Key is devoted to its eponymous state park, which keeps it in a pristine state. Besides the park’s outdoor activities, it...

Grassy Key

Local lore has it that this sleepy little key was named not for its vegetation—mostly native trees and shrubs—but for an early settler by the...

Long Key

...

Little Torch Key

Little Torch Key and its neighbor islands, Ramrod Key and Summerland Key, are good jumping-off points for divers headed for Looe Key Reef. The islands...

Key West

Situated 150 miles from Miami and 90 miles from Havana, this end-of-the-line community has never been like anywhere else. Even after it was connected to...

Islamorada

Early settlers named this key after their schooner, Island Home, but to make it sound more romantic they translated it into Spanish: Isla Morada. The...

Key Largo

The first of the Upper Keys reachable by car, 30-mile-long Key Largo is the largest island in the chain. Key Largo—named Cayo Largo ("Long Key")...

Marathon

New Englanders founded this former fishing village in the early 1800s. The community on Vaca Key subsequently served as a base for pirates, salvagers (also...

Big Pine Key

Welcome to the Keys’ most natural holdout, where wildlife refuges protect rare and endangered animals. Here you have left behind the commercialism of the Upper...

Bahia Honda Key

All of Bahia Honda Key is devoted to its eponymous state park, which keeps it in a pristine state. Besides the park’s outdoor activities, it...

Grassy Key

Local lore has it that this sleepy little key was named not for its vegetation—mostly native trees and shrubs—but for an early settler by the...

Long Key

...

Little Torch Key

Little Torch Key and its neighbor islands, Ramrod Key and Summerland Key, are good jumping-off points for divers headed for Looe Key Reef. The islands...

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Universal’s Epic Universe: The 10 Best Things to Do (and the 5 to Skip) at Orlando’s Newest Theme Park

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Terry Ward

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Should You Swim With Manatees in Florida?

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America’s 10 Deadliest Beaches Are All in This State

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I Live in Tampa and This Is What I Want Everyone to Know as Milton Approaches

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Florida Tourism Removes LGBTQ+ Travel Section From Website

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Apeksha Bhateja

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Measles Cases Increase in Florida

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Kristine Hansen

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You Can’t Drive in Florida if You Have a License From These 4 States

Ronny Maye

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Is This Really America’s Most Dangerous Beach?

Scott Laird

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Flesh-Eating Bacteria Is Found on Florida’s Beaches

Scott Laird

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Scott Laird

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More Travel Warnings Have Been Issued Against Florida

Apeksha Bhateja

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Multiple Travel Warnings Have Just Been Issued Against This State

Apeksha Bhateja

Beaches

America’s 10 Deadliest Beaches Are All in This State

Melanie Gordon

Itinerary

The Ultimate 7-Day Northern Florida Road Trip, From St. Augustine to Pensacola

Amber Bond

Itinerary

The Ultimate 7-Day South Florida Itinerary, From Miami to the Keys

Amber Bond

Itinerary

Three Itineraries for the Ultimate Florida Keys Getaway

Sara Liss

Itinerary

3 Central Florida Itineraries For When You’ve Had Your Fill of Theme Parks

Gary McKechnie

Itinerary

A 7-Day Central Florida Itinerary for Adventure and Relaxation

Gary McKechnie

News

I Live in Tampa and This Is What I Want Everyone to Know as Milton Approaches

Terry Ward

News

Florida Tourism Removes LGBTQ+ Travel Section From Website

Scott Laird

News

Apparently, This Florida City Is the Worst Summer Destination This Year

Apeksha Bhateja

Transportation

You Should Rent a Car in Orlando. But Here’s How to Get Around Without One

Terry Ward

News

‘This Isn’t Working Anymore’: Florida Is Dreading Spring Break

Apeksha Bhateja

News

Measles Cases Increase in Florida

Scott Laird

Arts & Culture

Yes, the Amish Go on Beach Vacations, Too

Jay Jones

Transportation

Should You Take the New Brightline Train From Miami to Orlando?

Jessica Poitevien

News

My Thoughts on the NAACP’s Travel Advisory for Florida as a Black Traveler

Ronny Maye

News

Mouse House Call: How to Find Urgent Care at Disney Parks

Jackie Perrin

News

Did the CDC Issue a Travel Advisory for Florida?

Scott Laird

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9 Things You Can’t Do in Florida Anymore

Kristine Hansen

News

You Can’t Drive in Florida if You Have a License From These 4 States

Ronny Maye

Beaches

Is This Really America’s Most Dangerous Beach?

Scott Laird

Beaches

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Scott Laird

News

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More Travel Warnings Have Been Issued Against Florida

Apeksha Bhateja

News

Multiple Travel Warnings Have Just Been Issued Against This State

Apeksha Bhateja

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Trip report of the three Florida National Parks
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One week itinerary in Florida National Parks
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