Florida Travel Guide

2022 2022 Fodor’s Go List Destination

Fodor's Florida
Whether you want to snorkel in the Keys, relax on Miami Beach, or visit Walt Disney World,...

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.

Fodor's Florida
Whether you want to snorkel in the Keys, relax on Miami Beach, or visit Walt Disney World,...

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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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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. 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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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")...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Titusville

...

Seaside

...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Falling Waters State Park

...

Wekiwa Springs State Park

...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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. 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...

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...

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...

Naples

Jacksonville

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")...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Titusville

...

Seaside

...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Florida Caverns State Park

...

Palm Harbor

...

Long Key

...

Tarpon Springs

...

Conch Key

...

Wekiwa Springs State Park

...

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. 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...

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...

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...

Naples

Jacksonville

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Deerfield Beach

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

Titusville

...

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...

Seaside

...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Duck Key

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Palm Harbor

...

Conch Key

...

Tarpon Springs

...

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. 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...

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...

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...

Naples

Jacksonville

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Deerfield Beach

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

Titusville

...

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...

Seaside

...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Duck Key

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Palm Harbor

...

Conch Key

...

Tarpon Springs

...

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...

World Nature

...

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

...

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...

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...

World Discovery

...

Toy Story Land

...

Grand Avenue

...

Pandora–The World of Avatar

...

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 Celebration

...

Florida Caverns State Park

...

Falling Waters State Park

...

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...

World Nature

...

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

...

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...

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...

World Discovery

...

Toy Story Land

...

Grand Avenue

...

Pandora–The World of Avatar

...

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 Celebration

...

Florida Caverns State Park

...

Falling Waters State Park

...

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...

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")...

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...

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...

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...

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

...

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...

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")...

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...

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...

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...

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

...

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Jill Martin

relaxing

The 7 Most Relaxing Hotels in Key Largo

Jill Martin

dining

Hotels That Serve Up the Best Key Lime Pie in the Florida Keys

Jill Martin

Travel Tips

10 Things to Do in Orlando Besides Disney World

Kayla Voigt

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Carly Terzigni

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Tarah Chieffi

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This Is What a Disney World Wedding Is REALLY Like (and How Much It REALLY Costs)

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Arts & Culture

A Genius of the South: The Zora Neale Hurston Museum Explores the Brilliant Writer

Penny Musco

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Thinking About a Post-Pandemic Disney World Trip? You Should Expect a Lot of Changes

Tarah Chieffi

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Here’s How Walt Disney World Is Honoring Black History Month

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Coronavirus

Dear Non-Residents, Cancel Your Vaccine Vacation to Florida

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It Will Be Way Easier to Get to Walt Disney World in 2022

Deanne Revel

Coronavirus

The 3 Pros and 3 Cons of Going to Universal Orlando Right Now

Dan Renzi

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The Perfect Weekend Getway: The Palm Beaches From Tampa

Terry Ward

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COVID Has Already Complicated Walt Disney World, but Is the NBA Bubble Making It Worse?

Julie Tremaine

Arts & Culture

Secret Florida: 9 Places You Never Knew You Needed to See

Audrey Farnsworth

Terry Ward

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COVID Has Already Complicated Walt Disney World, but Is the NBA Bubble Making It Worse?

Julie Tremaine

Arts & Culture

Secret Florida: 9 Places You Never Knew You Needed to See

Audrey Farnsworth

Coronavirus

This Is What Disney World Is Like Right Now: It’s Open but Not All Are Following the Rules

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Fodor's Florida
Whether you want to snorkel in the Keys, relax on Miami Beach, or visit Walt Disney World,...

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Fodor's Florida
Ready to experience Florida? The experts at Fodor's are here to help. Fodor's Florida...

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Fodor's South Florida: with Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and the Keys
For over 80 years, Fodor's Travel has been a trusted resource offering expert travel...

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Fodor's South Florida: with Miami, Fort Lauderdale & the Keys
Whether you want to snorkel in the Keys, relax on Miami Beach, or tour the Everglades, the...

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