Florida is a really big state and it’s so much fun to explore. There are more cool places to visit in Florida than you might realize, as it’s much more than just theme parks and beaches (but we love those too). With millions of people coming to visit every year and in every season, how do you choose where to visit in Florida? We’ve put together a list of our favorite towns, natural wonders and awesome beaches that will help you choose where you should visit for an unforgettable vacation.
We live in Florida, so of course we love it, but we also love it because we’ve gotten to explore so much of the Sunshine State. Before you dig in and start dissecting our top picks for cool places to visit in Florida, know that not every town of nifty off the beaten path hang out is included. We’ve picked OUR favorites. If you have any questions or do need additional recommendations, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you plan a great trip to visit Florida!
Where Is Florida?
Even though most people know where Florida is in general, it’s important to understand where Florida is located in relation to other major cities or vacation destinations in the USA. First of all, Florida is on the east coast of the USA, in the southeastern section. When you’re looking at a map of North America, it is the dangling part off the land in the mid-lower right. It’s over 65K square miles, so yes, it’s big.
Florida also includes over 4500 islands both in the Florida Keys and along its Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Yes, that’s right, we have two coasts in Florida also: the Atlantic Ocean side and the Gulf of Mexico side (it is NOT the Gulf of America and anything noting that will be rescinded in the future, believe me). The coastline from the northern border at the St Marys River (Georgia is on the other side) to the end of Key West is 447 miles. From the Gulf Coast border at Perdido Key to Key West it’s 792 miles. It’s big!
Is Florida Worth Visiting
Even if I didn’t live in Florida I would still tell everyone to visit. Yes, Florida is worth visiting because it’s both beautiful in terms of nature and its people. At a time when so many are critical or unwelcoming of immigrants, Florida is an amazing blend of people from all around the world, but especially a strong Latino culture that is present in nearly every town you come to. It’s sunshine and great people. And so much unique nature. You can plan a two week road trip for Jacksonville to Miami and really experience it all.
You can plan a city visit anywhere, and even in the most artsy, fun cities you’ll still not have the access to the sort of nature we have in Florida. Here you can enjoy everything that makes big city livin’ great and then in twenty minutes be in a place that feels untouched with an INSANE amount of wildlife all around. I’m not even exaggerating when I say that just beyond our cities lie vast swaths of pristine wilderness and crystal clear turquoise springs and beaches. Yes, Florida is worth visiting, without a doubt.
When Is The Best Time To Visit Florida
The best time to visit Florida is going to be different for everyone and it’s going to be dependent on the things to do that they’re most interested in and their travel style. As a whole, Florida in the summer is very hot, very humid and it’s hurricane season, so those elements tend to discourage a lot of visitors. I think Florida in the summer is amazing because I live for the humidity and afternoon storms, but it’s too much for many visitors. The humidity starts to drop at the end of September and it’s still very warm, so that’s a good time for people to visit, but it’s still hurricane season and when we get our biggest storms.
Spring is likely the best time to visit Florida for most people. From the end of March to mid-June the weather is amazing, the temperatures tend to be in the high seventies to low eighties, and the number of tourists is still easy to manage. April and May are wonderful because most of the snow birds (retirees who winter in Florida) have gone home to the northern states and most families aren’t on vacation to FL yet, so it’s pretty quiet.
Should I Visit Florida in the Winter?
Well, do you want to see lots of beautiful birds, countless manatees, see Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom covered in lights, or see the USA’s oldest city twinkling from the water? If the answer is yes to any of those things, then yes, you should visit Florida in the winter. It’s a very different vibe all over the state during the winter months, both due to the influx of snow birds from northern states and the lack of busy tourists. It’s quiet at the beaches and the natural areas are teeming with even more wildlife than the summer months.
In North Florida (Jacksonville, St Augustine, Gainesville…) we do get some really cold months, specifically January and February, and it can be in the chilly, windy 40s and even the 30s (sometimes the 20s and then our gardens all die), so plan for cold if you’re visiting in winter in the north, but in Central and South Florida, the temperatures stay much warmer. They too can have those cold snaps, but they’re few and far between.
Fun fact: weather reports in South Florida issue “falling iguana” warnings when the temperature may drop in the low 40s, as iguanas sleep in trees and they stop moving when it gets that cold, thus falling out of trees when they get a chill.
Where To Visit in Florida by Region
I know that a Florida vacation can be all sorts of things for different people, and with that you can have a single trip that includes beaches, history, theme parks, epic nature and more. Those different experiences may need to happen in different regions though, so as you’re plotting out the things to do in Florida that are most important to you, just know that you may need to have a little road trip to get everything into one visit.
As we go through the best places to visit in Florida, we’ll start in Central Florida because Orlando is there, which is an easy hub to get to. Moving on, we’ll visit South Florida (Miami) and then we’ll go to the Gulf Coast (Tampa). A quick jaunt on the Atlantic Coast of North Florida before heading across to the Panhandle. Florida curves up to the east from Tampa, and that’s where we get to some amazing beaches and Pensacola. And don’t worry, we’ve got the National Parks in our list too!
Central Florida Places to Visit
Starting with Central Florida, I think you’ll find that it’s a uniquely fun and wonderful place. Yes, this is where Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando are, but it’s also a hub for nature and some really cool sub-tropical botanical gardens, and lots of good food. Central Florida is full of orange trees and alligators, so yes, you should start here for a quintessential Florida experience.
Orlando for Theme Parks and Nature
The city of Orlando is really fun. Downtown is cool with lots of events and restaurants, but it’s everything that’s all around Orlando that makes it a great place to visit. We love going to Orlando Magic Basketball games (or the Solar Bears if you like hockey). If you go just ten minutes from all the action of the theme parks and I-Drive, you’ll have places to kayak, lots of beautiful places to explore, and all the quiet you never expect in a major city.
The Leu Gardens are wonderful to visit if you like plants, and they’re really great with kids. Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive is AMAZING to countless alligators and birds. The theme parks are great for a whole trip or just a few days. Orlando is one of the best places to visit in Florida, no matter what sort of trip you want to have. I recommend three days if you’re not visiting theme parks, and a full week if you have any park visits planned.
Get the Orlando Explorer Pass here!
Tip: if you want to have a theme park trip, you can indeed split up your time between both Universal and Disney, and they don’t have to be the full focus of your trip to Florida. You can do a day at the Magic Kingdom in Disney World and a day at EPIC Universe at Universal Orlando and then the rest of the time you can be out exploring. Orlando is an easy place to enjoy all kinds of things.
Ocala for Freshwater Springs and Horses
Now Ocala is a different sort of vacation. We visit the Ocala area all the time because this is the hub of the amazing freshwater springs and includes the Ocala National Forest. Downtown is cute and there is lots of art and there are parks. The World Equestrian Center is also here (if you’re into horses), but the real attraction is getting out into the Florida State Parks and forest.
\My absolute favorite part of going to Ocala is spending time at Silver Springs State Park. This is one of the most beautiful and unique places to visit in Florida. If you’re hoping to see manatees and you’re visiting from late fall to early spring, Silver Springs is simply the best. From the manatees and otters in the river to the incredible birding, it’s beautiful. You can walk the trails, rent kayaks or ride the glass bottom boats on the Silver River. I think three days is ideal for getting to explore the many rivers and freshwater springs around Ocala, and you can also add a day to visit the Gulf Coast too if you want!
Gainesville for the University of Florida and Alligators
Home of the University of Florida, Gainesville is one of the places to visit in Florida if you’re considering colleges (or if you want to plant the seed of someone in your family going to university in FL). Gainesville is fun to visit for sporting events, there are lots of great wildlife destinations like Paynes Prairie State Park and the Sweetwater Wetlands Park, and it’s fun to be in a city with so much life and diversity. Two days in Gainesville is perfect for getting a pulse on the city and college community, as well as exploring nature.
TIP: each night there is a massive bat exodus from the UF bat houses and you can watch thousands of bats fly off into the night en masse. Amazing!
Lakeland for Iconic Florida
A little east of Orlando you’ll come to Lakeland, Florida, which has its own collection of cool parks and interesting things to do. Lakeland is most famous for being the home of Legoland (the theme park), but there’s more to it than this. The Bok Tower and Gardens is one of the prettiest botanical gardens I’ve ever been to, and the Bok Tower itself is quite remarkable. Lakeland is surrounded by orange groves and waterways, making it the ideal place to see what Florida is all about.
Two must-do activities when you’re in Lakeland are going out on an airboat (I love Grape Hammock Tours) and visiting the Circle B Bar Reserve. These are two totally different ways to see the backcountry of Central Florida and you’ll be stunned by how much wildlife you’ll see. Three days is good for enjoying the sights around Lakeland, and I think it’s one of those places to visit in Florida that you’ll want to return to.
South Florida Destinations
I love escaping to South Florida for a little trip or two during the winter months, as it stays nice and warm for the most part, and there are some amazing National Parks that we enjoy. Besides Miami, you’ve got some unique places to visit in South Florida, and I think you’ll find that you can plan both a beach vacation and a nature trip quite easily by spending a few days in the city and a few days either exploring the Everglades or heading to the Florida Keys.
Miami for the International Experience
Miami is one of my favorite places to tell people they must visit in Florida because it’s such an incredibly international destination. It’s full of people from all around the world, but especially from Central and South America. The vibes of Miami are fun, colorful and multicultural. And you can’t go wrong with the art and food scenes here too. South Beach’s Art Deco District is truly unique, and the beaches stretching all the way up to Fort Lauderdale make for awesome beach vacay picks.
I will say that Miami is probably the most expensive city to be a tourist in, but I think it’s worth it. A weekend in Miami is on par with having a weekend in Honolulu, HI as far as costs go. What makes it so fun though is just how very different it is from the rest of Florida. Plan at least two days in Miami and you’ll have just the right amount of time to want to come back and explore more.
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Florida Keys: the Best Place to Visit in Florida
The Florida Keys are their own trip because they’re so unique and wonderful. We actually have a whole website about visiting the Keys (theKeysExplored.com) because we are there so often and love the activities and sights so much. Stretching from the Everglades and Key Largo to beyond Key West, the Keys are each very different when it comes to things to do and see. State Parks are always some of the best places to visit in Florida, and I really love the State Parks in the Florida Keys. The Florida Keys road trip brings you to nearly all of the parks.
While Key Largo is the easiest to visit, as you can just make it a day trip from Miami, Key West truly is exceptional among Florida destinations. Doing the Florida Keys with kids is really fun, and you can help them experience the underwater world here better than anywhere else in Florida. Snorkeling the reefs and experiencing Dry Tortugas National Park from Key West are just some of the unique things to do in the Florida Keys that make them a magical place to visit.
If you’re trying to plan a vacation and know that you want to visit the Keys but don’t have enough time to spend a whole week, you can just take four days and enjoy Key West, Islamorada and Key Largo, and that will give you a good taste of what the Florida Keys life is all about. This is such a memorable destination, you’ll want to come back.
Everglades National Park
When I was little I knew that Everglades National Park would be one of the best places to visit in Florida because it was so full of alligators, how could it not be magical? Well, as an adult with kids, we visit Everglades National Park at least once a year because it really is that cool. There are three distinctly different areas to visit, each with unique things to do and ways to experience the park.
The Flamingo area of Everglades National Park is beautiful with its vast fields, stands of forest and network of tidal ponds and lakes. And all the crocodiles, cool birds, and of course, flamingos. Well, the flamingos are a fairly new addition to the park because they were extinct here for years, but a lucky hurricane brought flocks back to Florida and now there are more than 50 that can be seen in the remote parts of the Flamingo area of Everglades National Park.
The Shark Valley area is awesome for biking through the Everglades, and here is where you’ll see EPIC numbers of alligators along the road and in the waterways. There’s also a tram that will take you all through the Valley. The Gulf Coast part of the park is all about the water and mangrove islands. The 10,000 Islands area of Everglades National Park is gorgeous and truly one of the most epic places to visit in Florida. Epic is the world for this amazing park. I think 3-5 days exploring the different sections of the park PAIRED with Big Cypress National Preserve next door is perfect.
Big Cypress National Preserve
It may not be a National Park, but it’s a part of the National Park Service and is one of the best places to visit in Florida to really feel like you’re in another world. Located adjacent to Everglades National Park and operating alongside several State Parks, Big Cypress National Preserve is full of boardwalks and trails that take you beyond the surface of what you think South Florida is. The cypress strands are home to gators, snakes, owls and so much more, including amazing plants like the ghost orchid.
You can do Big Cypress National Preserve in one or two days, depending on your interests and the weather. Be sure to drive the Park Loop Road, visit Janes Memorial Scenic Drive (kind of a rough road), stop at the boardwalk for Fakahatchee Strand State Park, and look for birds and orchids on the Kirby Storter Roadside Park boardwalk. There are more stops you can make, but these are the best of the best.
Biscayne National Park
Very different from the Florida Keys or Everglades National Park, both of which are right next to Biscayne National Park, this area is all about the underwater world. 95% of the National Park is found underwater, so visiting means that you’re doing something relating to boats. The easiest way to visit is just for the day, either doing a tour with the Biscayne Institute out through the different islands to sightsee or to join one of the snorkeling trips. If you’re a diver, there are several dive companies that come into the National Park for some epic underwater adventures.
For those of us that like to be above the water, visiting Biscayne National Park and paddling the shoreline and waterways is a fun activity. We’ve done guided kayaking and used our own SUPs here and been able to see some incredible wildlife as we explored Biscayne Bay and the mangrove tunnels. I love this place!
Florida Gulf Coast Places to Visit
The Florida Gulf Coast is very different from the Atlantic Coast or the Florida Keys. The Gulf of Mexico is a warm, sugar-sandy place full of dolphins and amazing seashells. The small beach towns from Marco Island up the the Big Bend are fun and quirky, but then there are also some cities that are pretty cool including Tampa, Sarasota and St Pete. You may fall in love with some of these spots, as they’re some of the best places to visit in Florida. And if you want to do a Florida Gulf Coast road trip, we have a great plan for one!
Tampa Bay for Parks and Beaches
I say “Tampa Bay” as a whole because it includes the city of Tampa, neighborhoods all around like Ybor City and Seminole Heights, and off into the stretches of eastern Hillsborough County. Tampa itself is a beautiful city to visit with a great waterfront and lots of cool things to do. And if you didn’t have a theme park day yet during your Florida trip, maybe you should plan to include Busch Gardens in your visit. The rollercoasters are incredible and the zoo element makes it a very unusual sort of vacation experience.
You know I love State Parks, and there are some great ones here in the Tampa Bay area:
- Hillsborough River SP
- Cockroach Bay Preserve SP
- Terra Ceia Preserve SP
- Alafia River SP
- Honeymoon Island SP
- Caladesi Island SP
The Tampa Bay area is a great place to be based out of for making day trips around the Gulf Coast or up into the springs. Tampa has a cultural vibe similar to Miami but it isn’t as big, so it’s fun to explore during the day and then enjoy the neighborhoods at night. I think four days in Tampa is great, and then you can add a couple days in another area very easily.
Get a Tampa Bay CityPASS here!
St Petersburg aka St Pete, Florida
When I think of St Pete, I think of it as one of the place to visit in Florida for art, whether that be the murals and public art, the galleries or the Dali Museum. St Pete is beautifully set on Tampa Bay with an awesome public pier, great museums and lots of good food. And St Pete is tacked onto Clearwater (often referred to as St Pete/Clearwater), which has a wonderful beach. Between St Pete Beach with the big, beautiful, pink Don Cesar Hotel on its shore or Clearwater Beach with its tacky beach shops and mellow vibe, this area is really fun to visit.
A bonus spot to enjoy when you come to St Pete is Fort de Soto Park. This is managed by Pinellas County (not a state park) and it’s some of the best birding and beach time you can find on the Gulf Coast. We like camping at Fort de Soto Park, but it’s also a wonderful day trip. Two days in St Pete should be enough to enjoy the town and beach, but if you’re adding a visit to Fort de Soto Park, tack on one more day in St Pete to ensure you have enough time.
Sarasota’s Cultural Diversity and Circus History
While you might not initially think of Sarasota as one of the coolest places in Florida to visit, it actually is awesome. Sarasota is a small city, but the county includes some amazing towns, beaches and natural areas. And interestingly enough, Sarasota even has an Amish neighborhood! One of the things that I like about spending time here is the mix of communities all around the city, whether they be Latino neighborhoods, Greek folks, the Amish or just what you might call an average Floridian (but we all come from all over).
A highlight in Sarasota is the Ringling Museum. It’s a botanical garden, art museum, circus museum, historic castle on the bay… While there are lots of fun things to do in Sarasota, spending nearly a full day at the Ringling is a great way to fall in love with the Florida Gulf Coast. I think 3-4 days in Sarasota is perfect for getting to explore the shark tooth covered beaches (you read that correctly), do some kayaking, enjoy downtown and the Ringling.
Fort Myers and Sanibel Island
If you ask people that live here where their favorite of all the islands NOT in the Florida Keys is, they’ll tell you it’s Sanibel. I get it… and I agree. We love spending time on Sanibel with its perfect sand, its seashells and beautiful lighthouse… It’s a very unique island to visit and one of the best places in Florida to fall in love with our way of life. Sanibel is quiet and it’s free from major development, but it’s full of small beach resorts. Captiva Island, just north over the little bridge from Sanibel, is very similar. It’s all just such a vibe of relaxation and peace on the beautiful Gulf of Mexico.
The city of Fort Myers is also a really cool place to visit. There are lots of city things to do, of course, but then there are interesting museums, the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, the nature preserves and then a whole other beach town at Fort Myers Beach. And you cannot forget one of the best Florida State Parks for beaches: Lovers Key State Park. If I had to be abandoned to a beach, it may just be this one. With the many beaches, neighborhoods and the city, I would say that a four day visit to Fort Myers/Sanibel is perfect and you’ll leave wishing you had just a bit more time.
Naples and Marco Island to Relax in Quiet
The last towns on the southern end of the Florida Gulf Coast, this is where you go to plan your retirement. I’m not saying that Naples and Marco Island are not fun, because they really are awesome, but the quiet streets and upscale shopping/dining are just the sort of place you go to enjoy a life of leisure and pleasure. Yes, there are some really fun things to do around Naples and Marco Island, especially if you’re into kayaking and exploring the wilderness (cuz it’s right off the developed areas) but it’s a very sleepy place too.
I like spending time on Marco Island the best as it’s more our speed than Naples. Marco is a little busier with tourists and there are lots of easily accessible watersports, while Naples is where we like to go for fine dining and loligagging. I think having three days in the Naples/Marco Island area is good for having a mental reset and mellowing out.
TIP: if you come to this far stretch of SW Florida, you can very easily add Everglades National Park onto your trip. I know that laying on a beach can be boring for some people, so if that’s you, just pop over to Everglades City or Chokoloskee and you’ll have all the adventure you need.
Cedar Key
If you’re hoping to find a slice of Old Florida, that’s going to be Cedar Key. No, it’s not in the Florida Keys, but this small island in the Gulf is just before the Big Bend turns into the Panhandle. Cedar Key is quiet, it’s full of fishing spots and birdwatching lookouts, and there’s not much to do unless you’re into photography… and fishing, but I already said that. I love the stilted homes and the unique downtown. It’s not a major getaway, but Cedar Key is wonderful for a two day trip for relaxing and leaving civilization behind.
Where to Visit on Florida’s Atlantic Coast
I know that it seems like you can’t possibly get all of the different Florida experiences all into one trip, and that’s true, but you can visit multiple areas in one trip and really enjoy the variety of Florida. That trip should start in North Florida on the Atlantic Coast! You can enjoy just a North Florida road trip or carry it on down all the way to Miami, and that’ll include visiting NASA and the oldest city in the USA.
Jacksonville – the Largest City in the USA (by land mass)
While Jacksonville might not seem like the coolest city in Florida on the surface I think it’s awesome and we spend a lot of time here. Downtown is fun with some awesome restaurants (Spliff’s Gastropub is my favorite), a great vintage show theater (the Florida Theater), museums, tons of murals, and more bridges than you can shake a stick at. And that’s just downtown. Neighborhoods like San Marco and Avondale make it a fun place to explore and see if Florida living might be for you.
Jacksonville Beach is the other wonderful thing about visiting Jacksonville. This beach community feels like Orange County CA with its surf shops and hipster spots, but then also it’s a really mellow and unassuming beach community. Jax Beach was our favorite Florida beach town before we moved to St Augustine, and today it’s still in our top three. I think three days in Jacksonville is plenty of time to enjoy the city and get in some good beach days. When you’re done in Jax, head to Mayport where you’ll actually hop on the cutest little ferry to your next destination.
Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach
Amelia Island is what I picture when I think of old money wintering in Florida in their reclusive mansions on the beach. Today it’s full of beautiful resort hotels, but some of the historic goodness is still around. Big Talbot Island and Fort Clinch State Parks cap the ends of Amelia Island, so you get to be in a wonderful bubble with nature bookends.
Fernandina Beach, at the north end of Amelia Island, is a fun place to stay with easy beach access, bike trails and lots of good food. Coming to Amelia Island is a great weekend plan from places like Orlando or Atlanta. It’s a good two or three day destination, and one of the prettiest places to visit in Florida when it comes to live oak tree tunnels and quiet beaches.
St Augustine – the Oldest City in the USA
Our hometown!! Now this is going to a completely biased rant, but it’s because we love where we live. St Augustine is the best town in Florida, and for sure one of the best places to visit. Our city is the oldest continuously occupied town in the Lower 48 (there are Alaskan and Hawaiian towns with longer histories) and our National Park Service sites are really interesting. We have three forts, six distinctly different beaches, two islands, a lighthouse, fascinating museums and loads of ghost tours. It’s pretty cool to visit (so imagine how awesome it is living in St Augustine).
Our beaches are gorgeous and the people here are great (I love our neighborhood crew), but the biggest draw to St Augustine for most people seems to be our holiday celebration. From mid November to early January the Nights of Lights makes this one of the best places to visit in Florida. Downtown and along the waterfront everything is covered in holiday lights. There are tours for viewing the Nights of Lights from the streets or from the water. Bars and restaurants make fun Christmas menus, and the photo ops about. No, they don’t decorate our famous Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, but everything around it is lit up.
St Augustine is one place in Florida where I would say that 5 days or more is ideal for a visit. Sure, you can come for a day or two and just enjoy the historic downtown, but then you miss all the nature and a lot of our cool museums and getting enough beach time. When you come visit us, plan for as long as possible to visit St Augustine.
Daytona Beach and Ponce Inlet
There’s a reason that Daytona Beach has long been looked at as one of the coolest places to visit in Florida. Yes, A1A is absolutely loaded with hotels and beach resorts for every budget, but the reason for that is because the sand and water here are so perfect. True, I wish the vast stretches of beach in Daytona were untouched, but that’s not the case so we make do with what we’ve got. With a really fun boardwalk and ample beach access points (including actual parking areas) you’re set up for success to have a great beach vacation.
An easily overlooked side of visiting Daytona is heading down to Ponce Inlet. I think this is the prettiest beach on the Atlantic Coast of Florida. Between the beach parks and Disappearing Island, this southern point in Daytona is a dream. Visit the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, the Marine Science Center and go for a paddle from the boat launch and you’ve got one of the best days you can have on the Atlantic Coast. I think Daytona Beach and Ponce inlet is a solid three day visit, but you can make it longer by adding trips inland to Blue Spring State Park and other unique natural wonders nearby.
Titusville and Cape Canaveral
You might not have heard of Titusville before, but I’m sure you’ve heard of Cape Canaveral. That’s right: NASA!! Getting to visit Kennedy Space Center is on lots of peoples’ Florida bucket list, and rightly so. It’s fascinating and full of both fun and learning. And if you can time it right, there are special viewing areas for rockets launches all around Cape Canaveral. There’s more to visiting Titusville than Kennedy Space Center though…
The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore and two of the most pristine places to watch wildlife on Florida’s Atlantic Coast. With paddling spots, scenic drives, untouched beaches and more beautiful birds than you can imagine, you’ll love visiting and exploring the area. One of the coolest things to do when you visit Titusville and Merritt Island NWR is bioluminescent kayaking where the water actually glows. It’s incredible. To fit all of this in, I would give three days to Titusville and Cape Canaveral.
Jupiter and Palm Beach for Surprising Sights
While Palm Beach County may be famous for a variety of reasons (let’s please not talk about 45/47 right now), there are some truly beautiful areas to visit. The Loxahatchee River hits the Intracoastal Waterway at Jupiter Inlet, where you’ll find both some of the most fun kayaking around AND a beautiful red lighthouse. Visiting the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse means you also get to see one of the coolest banyan trees in Florida.
Continuing south in the Palm Beach area you’ll come to the Juno Beach Pier, Juno Dunes Natural Area and John D MacArthur Beach State Park. Palm Beach County really is known for the wrong things, because the natural beauty and outdoors fun is really the winner here. And the best part of coming to Palm Beach: Peanut Island and the Phil Foster Snorkeling Area. Yes! This is the best place for snorkeling on the Atlantic Coast north of Biscayne Bay. Bring your SUP and snorkel and enjoy the fish, turtles, sea stars and manatees! 2-3 days is just right for enjoying the Palm Beach area.
Places to Visit on the Florida Panhandle
Can you believe that everywhere we’ve talked about so far is in the main Florida Peninsula, and we haven’t even gotten to the Panhandle yet? The Panhandle is the western top part of Florida that goes along the Gulf of Mexico and ends at Alabama. This is the place in Florida that’s known for its crystal clear turquoise waters, white sand beaches and it’s where people from Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and the Midwest tend to visit when they say they’re going to FL. Yeah, there seems to be a big difference in the origin of visitors here vs the lower Gulf Coast and the Atlantic side. It’s interesting.
Pensacola, Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key
A lot of people are surprisingly unfamiliar with Pensacola, but it’s a great place to visit in Florida. It’s got a cool historic downtown (it was settled and abandoned before St Augustine), an absolutely dreamy beach, and it’s wonderfully LGBTQ inclusive. There are tons of things to do in Pensacola ranging from museums to farmers markets, dolphin watching, and even an awesome National Park Service site, Gulf Islands National Seashore.
What I think most people who are familiar with Pensacola think of is actually the Blue Angels. While I don’t like the Blue Angels and I think it’s an insane waste of taxpayer dollars, other people think they’re great and they enjoy seeing them practice over the bay. There’s also the National Naval Aviation Museum, the Pensacola Lighthouse and so much more. And you can’t forget two really great Florida State Parks: Tarklin Bayou Preserve and Big Lagoon State Parks.
I think Pensacola and its beaches are a good 5 day visit, and if you take time to add on Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Mobile, Alabama you can make it a full week.
Destin
Destin, Florida was made famous because it has the most clear water on the Gulf of Mexico, and then it was made more famous because Taylor Swift sang about it. Yes, the water really is as beautiful as the photos make it out to be. And yes, there really are tons of resorts and vacation rentals on the beach making it the premier beach destination for Midwesterners and people in the Southeast that don’t live by the beach. Is it all it’s cracked up to be? It’s pretty and I’ll never bad-mouth a beach, but…
You can visit much more interesting places all around Florida that offer much more to do than the beaches and the commodified entertainment of the mass produced beach neighborhood shops. It’s a good place to go and relax and enjoy the white sands, but I feel that it’s lacking in the culture, history and points of interest that most other Florida destinations offer.
That concludes our top picks for places to visit in Florida. If we drill down more into each one there are countless more specific spots that you just have to see to believe, but these cities are our top picks for what to choose from to build a great Florida vacation. If you have any questions or need some specific recommendations, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you plan an awesome trip to Florida!
