josie123

Hi,
I am looking for a beach resort in Florida that has a beautiful beach (like I would find in the caribean) and is really nice, but hopefully not outrageously expensive.
I have no idea what cities in Florida have the best beaches. I would love an area with great restaurants etc.
Any ideas would be much appreciated.

egret

One of my favorite places is along Collins Avenue in Miami. We stayed oceanfront at the Fountainbluau and the water was as blue and nice as Maui's.

Bob_KY

The prettiest beaches are generally on the gulf coast. The beaches around Destin are very pretty with white sand. I would check into that area, or possible the Sanibel area.

sobster

You might look into South Seas Resort on Captiva.

LN

For beautiful, white talcum powder beaches and still have a bit of city nightlife I'd look into the beaches at Siesta Key, Lido Key, Longboat Key, and Anna Maria Island. There's an active social life in Sarasota too.

josie123

SOmeone just actually told me about siesta key, but I didn't see any really nice resorts there. Do you know of any?

NeoPatrick

Siesta Key is more about condos and some motels. For a full scale resort I'd think you'd need to stick with Longboat Key in the Sarasota area.

mah1980

When are you going? If the winter or early spring, the Panhandle region, i.e., Destin, Beaches of South Walton, will have too cold of water. During that time, I would say head far south to Miami/FLL area or maybe Naples.

I think the Panhandle beaches are the most beautiful. If you want a resort, look at Watercolor Inn or Seaside.

josie123

I was thinking the same thing about the weather. I looked at the farmer's almanac and in Late January (when we are probbaly going) the longboat/siesta key area seems a bit cool. I really wanted to try the gulf coast because I heard it was nicer than the atlantic side, but now I am thinking it may be too cold. Do you think Naples or Marco Island is really nice and will it be warm enough?

NeoPatrick

Naples and Marco Island WILL BE as warm as anywhere in Florida at that time. I know a couple years ago, Naples had the highest temps in the nation for something like half the days in January, and it is frequently higher than Miami or Ft. Lauderdale (and Key West which is often a little cooler since it is surrounded by water). But, of course, there is no guarantee. It can be pretty cool too.

xkenx

In the winter, if you want to go into the ocean, the entire Gulf Coast has the chillier waters, even as far south as Naples/Sanibel. The warmest water (over 70 deg.) are in the stretch of the southeast coast from Palm Beach to Miami and into the Keys. How "resorty" do you need? Oceanfront resorts are pricey in the winter. Nowhere in Florida will you find Caribbean conditions. If you've gotten as far as Miami, it's only a short hop to get the perpetual summer waters of the Caribbean IN the Caribbean. St.Thomas/St.John, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Cayman Islands are close.

kellyhayes

depending on when you go, the Ritz in either Amelia Island or Naples can be a bargain as may and june approach: sometimes as low as $199 a night.

GoTravel

The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne.

indietraveler2

Hi Josie123,

There are a lot of areas in Florida that have beautiful beaches. It depends on if you want quiet or hubbub. Also, if you prefer ocean or gulf. The St Pete/Clearwater/Treasure Island area (west coast/gulf) has great beaches, restaurants and lots of things to do. Daytona Beach (east coast/ocean), of course, is famous. So is South Beach/Miami Beach (east coast/ocean). A little known area with a beautiful beach is Jensen Beach (east coast/ocean) just north of Palm Beach. You also might like Ft Myers Beach/Estero Island (west coast/gulf).

Here's a great site just for Florida resorts with some terrific deals
www.florida-resort-hotels.com

lindafromNJ

My husband and I just came back from Vanderbilt Beach in Naples. We stayed at the La Playa Beach Resort. The water was about 70 degrees and it was 84 degrees each day. It is a very nice resort and the beach is very nice.

lindam

If money were no object, I would recommend The Longboat Key Club. We got a great deal through AARP last April. The view from the room was spectacular. Lots of restaurants in the St. Armand's Circle area. Hope we can return someday.