If your idea of a great vacation involves some fun in the sun, then consider taking your next holiday in beautiful Florida, the official Sunshine State. It’s certainly one of the most popular travel destinations in the United States, offering countless attractions for visitors of all ages. There is so much to do in Florida that we couldn’t possibly cover the entire range of exciting and enjoyable activities that are available for families with children, honeymooners, cruise ship passengers, spring- breakers, golden-agers and everyone who visits this splendid southern paradise.
Florida is a favorite destination for lots of New Yorkers who are outrunning the cold weather, and it’s really not that far a distance to travel when it’s a matter of trading snow for sand. It’s only a fifteen hour road trip from NYC to Orlando, for instance. And it’s also fairly easy to find affordable flights to Florida with a quick online search, especially with some of the fantastic hotel/attraction/flight package deals. Florida attractions include theme parks, beaches, museums, nightlife, zoos, cruise ship departures, watersports, nature tours, and a plethora of other entertainments that will keep the whole family happy and provide a memorable vacation experience. Here are a few ideas for things to see and enjoy during your holiday in the Sunshine State:
10 Best Beaches in Florida
- Clearwater Beach
- Key West
- Daytona Beach
- Delray Beach
- Naples
- Captiva Island
- Palm Beach
- Atlantic Beach
- Siesta Key
- South Beach
Clearwater Beach lives up to its name and is known as one of the most pristine beaches in America, offering plenty of fun things to do like parasailing and dolphin-watching cruises. Key West is a paradise of sugary sand and beautiful blue waters. Fort Zachary Taylor State Park is breathtaking, and you can actually rent a glass-bottom kayak at the park’s concession area. You can enjoy a marvelous shell-hunting expedition at Turner Beach on Captiva Island, one of Florida’s Shell Islands. Siesta Key welcomes lovers with cozy romantic rental cottages along tranquil, turquoise seashores. For those with a taste for luxury, South Beach and Palm Beach are both playgrounds for the rich and famous, with incredible scenic beauty in both directions, from the land and the sea.
10 Best Amusement Parks in Florida
- Disney World: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon
- Universal Studios, Universal’s Island of Adventure
- Discovery Cove
- Busch Gardens Tampa
- SeaWorld Orlando
More than fifty million visitors visit Orlando every year, and most of them will spend a day enjoying thrill rides in a least one of the area’s world famous amusement parks. Disney World’s Magic Kingdom is the original, most well-known of all the theme parks: everyone recognizes the iconic image of Cindarella’s Castle. Animal Kingdom is a spectacular safari adventure, but SeaWorld is the place to see whales and dolphins perform. Water parks are great fun in the summer heat of Florida, and in addition to the water slides, surf pools and lazy rivers of Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, you can actually cool off by swimming with the dolphins in Discovery Cove.
10 Best Cruise Lines in Florida
- Carnival Cruise Lines
- Celebrity Cruises
- Disney Cruise Line
- American Cruise Lines
- Holland American Line
- Princess Cruises
- Royal Caribbean International
- Regent Seven Seas Cruises
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Seabourn Cruise Line
Four major port cities in Florida provide the point- of- departure for all types of cruises, from family fun cruises to ultra-luxury exclusive cruises. Cruise ships depart daily from Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa, and Cape Canaveral. Disney Cruise Line leaves from Canaveral and offers the classic Disney brand of entertainment for kids, teens and adults. Carnival Cruise Lines have a huge fleet of ships that offer cruises leaving from Canaveral, Miami and Tampa heading to places like Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Mexico. For six-star (when five is tops) luxury cruises on exclusive private yachts, Seabourn Cruise Line sails from Fort Lauderdale to St. Kitts, Barbados, Martinique and other beautiful places.
More Things to Do in Florida
With thousands of exciting attractions to enjoy in the Sunshine State, these lists barely touch on the fun that’s offered in this lovely southern-most US state. We’ll just leave you with a few last ideas for things to do and places to visit during your vacation in Florida.
- Tour the Castillo de San Marcos fort in historic St. Augustine
- Explore Kennedy Space Center, tour the museum and maybe see a launch
- Go fishing, camping, or hiking in the Everglades, take an airboat tour
- Play golf or stroll through the historic shrimping village on Amelia Island
