There is so much more to Florida than Disney!
If this is your first trip to Florida it is so easy to think it’s just Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World and all the other fabulous tourist attractions that draw people in their hundreds of thousands each year.
These are wonderful and you and your family will love each and every one of them.
However, if this is your second or even third or fourth Florida vacation, you may wish to put away your Mickey ears and explore some of the different aspects that Florida has to offer.
We hope this page will provide you with just a taste of Florida and give you a few ideas of what you can enjoy beyond the tourist hot spots.
Some of the places we have visited ourselves and we give you our honest opinion of them.
We love the beach, and during each trip over to Florida we try to spend at least a day or two at one of the wonderful beaches that Florida has to offer.
Did you know?
Florida is home to some of America's Award Winning Beaches.
Caladesi Beach was voted America's number 2 beach in 2006 and 2007. Florida is also home to Fort De Soto Park, which was America's number 1 beach in 2005; there are 35 miles of white-sand beaches on some eight major barrier islands.
It’s only a 90-minute drive from Kissimmee to the beautiful beaches on the gulf coast such as Clearwater, Indian Shores, Madeira Beach, Treasure Island and St Petersburg. Only 60 minutes to Cocoa beach and Cape Canaveral on the wilder Atlantic coast.
We sometimes stay a couple of nights on the coast to have a change of scenery and chill out from Orlando; the first time we did this was because we were attending a friend’s wedding. We rented a condo for a couple of nights near Clearwater, just across the road from a beautiful white beach, the ocean was so warm; it was like stepping in to a bath.
The gulf coast sunsets are truly amazing; at Pier 60 right on Clearwater beach there is a nightly sunset celebration. This is a free event that features craft stalls, street performers and live musical entertainment. Weather permitting. We really enjoyed staying in this area.
Last Easter we decided to try something completely different. We went north from Orlando, up to St Augustine on the Atlantic coast, the oldest city in America. This is so far removed from the bright lights and action of Orlando it was hard to believe we were only a couple of hours away.
St Augustine is in 2 parts, the fabulous beach on the powerful Atlantic Ocean and then the wonderful old city itself. Steeped in history, with monuments, museums and lovely old buildings. It has cobbled streets, a fort, the oldest wooden Schoolhouse and the beautiful Flagler collage to name but a few.
It was only a short journey from our hotel right on the beach over to the city, we followed the coast road and then over the causeway to the mainland, we pass the St Augustine lighthouse and also the Alligator farm. Both ideal places to spend a few hours. Then around a corner and over the very impressive Bridge of Lions that lead straight in to the beautiful city of St Augustine.
I would visit St Augustine again but perhaps without the children, we had a great few day’s here but they didn’t appreciate the heritage and history of such a lovely city.
Our favourite place after Terra Verde of course has to be Sarasota, or Lido Beach near Sarasota to be exact.
We spent a few day’s here in September and the city and beaches in this area took our breath away.
It’s just superb, a great location with so many fabulous beaches, that I had only ever read about in holiday brochures.
The beaches are attached to the city of Sarasota by a causeway that leads you to the Gulf roads. Everywhere you look, everywhere you go, the turquoise waters of the Gulf invite you to take a dip. Miles and miles of wonderful white beaches await your footsteps. You can’t help but wiggle your toes in this beautiful soft pure white sand.
Siesta Key – Has the whitest Sand Beaches in the World
In 1987, a team of scientists from an Oceanographic Institution judged the sugary powder at Siesta Key to be the “finest, whitest sand in the world” during the “Great International White Sand Beach Challenge—”a title that still stands today. The scientists studied samples from more than 30 beaches around the world and declared Siesta’s sand was made of 99% pure quartz. The ultra-fine texture allows the sand to remain as cool as flour, even during the hottest times of the year.
And if this prestigious title weren’t enough:
Conde Nast Traveller magazine judged Siesta’s sand to be “The Best of the Best Sand”.
3,000 readers of USA Today named Siesta as one of the top three U.S. beaches.
And just this year, The Travel Channel named Siesta Key Beach as the “Best Sand Beach in America.”
Lido Beach –South Lido Beach Park has restrooms and playground equipment.
Lido Beach has lifeguards, a snack bar, a gift shop, playground equipment, handicapped-accessible observation decks, picnic areas and restrooms.
An alternative to splashing around in the Gulf is the Lido Pool, a hidden gem on Ben Franklin Drive near Lido Park. The pool has two lap lanes, is open to the general public for a small concessions fee.
North Lido Beach offers the ultimate in seclusion but no amenities.
Lido Beach is very close to St Armands Circle ... sidewalk cafés and fine dining with lots of superb restaurants to choose from, boutique shopping, slow strolls with ice cream cones, and a hint of the nearby sea in the air. Originally designed by circus magnate John Ringling, it's fitting that St Armands inner circle honors the greats of the Greatest Show on Earth with the Sarasota Circus Ring of Fame. From here, coconut palms stretch down to Lido Beach.
Longboat Key - is a quiet retreat of island luxury, which seduces visitors from all parts of the world. This 10-mile-long, un-crowded stretch of paradise is so big you’ll practically have the beach all to yourself. We did on the morning that we visited. Take a look at the photos that I took here.
Want to make your Florida vacation a little longer? Why not add a few days on to it and spend the extra time at one of the fabulous beaches, if you book your flights with Virgin, BA or fly indirect there is no problem making your trip 16, 17 or even 21 nights. All charter airlines such as My Travel, Thomson, Travel City Direct & First Choice only do 7 or 14 nights.
We can offer help and advice on places to stay should you decide to do this. Please feel free to ask.