Family Vacation Ideas in Florida 2024
Think of Florida, and chances are you’ll think Disney World and year-round sunshine. While these two attractions, alone, are enough to get thousands of visitors from across the globe flocking to the Sunshine State each year, Florida really does have the diversity of attractions to ensure that whatever your interests, you’ll have the holiday of a lifetime.
Summer is coming, and people are ready to bring out their summer clothes in preparation for vacation time. Florida has been one of the premier vacation destinations for years now. Generations of families have made their annual vacation to the state to enjoy the beaches, sunshine, and a relaxed atmosphere. Though Disney World is its most famous attraction, the state of Florida offers a variety of other experiences that make it a place you and your family can return to again and again.
Theme parks and beaches, swamps and alligators, hot clubs and cool hangouts – not for nothing is Florida the vacation capital of the US. With all-year-round sunshine, extraordinary beaches and more attractions than you could shake a stick at, Florida has everything to offer the discerning traveler.
While many visitors head here for the theme parks around Orlando, Florida’s cities have a distinct appeal all their own. There’s art deco Miami, laidback Fort Lauderdale, kooky Key West and tempting Tampa Bay. Like the diverse and eye-opening landscape of this extraordinary state, its cities are equally diverse and all have something special to tempt visitors. Its long history as a travel destination also means you are spoiled for accommodation choice – Florida vacation rentals range from the backpacker-on-a-budget motel room to 5-star luxury villas and apartments overlooking Miami Beach.
Magical Miami
Located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida, Miami has, over the past decade, transformed itself into a cosmopolitan and sophisticated destination for the hip and trendy. With one of America’s best urban beach scenes, upscale shopping and dining, high-end resort hotels a vibrant nightlife and plenty to keep kids occupied, Miami attracts visitors looking for a resort with something for everyone.
A melting pot of Caribbean and Latin immigrants, American retirees, party people and wide-eyed tourists, Miami is the most exciting and dramatic city in the southern United States. Best known for Miami Beach, which is actually separated from the city on its own barrier island, for its architecture, for its cultural scene and for the celebrities who love to hang out in its hottest nightspots, Miami is a feast for the senses.
Mingle with the Cuban immigrants who have made Little Havana their home; go celeb spotting in South Beach and gawp at the beautiful people spilling out of stretch limos; hang out in the Design District where funky boutiques and chilled-out bars vie for space alongside art galleries; stroll along Ocean Drive and marvel at the stunning Art Deco architecture. Or head west out of the city for a trip to the Everglades, that unique Florida ecosystem that’s home to ‘gators and amazingly lush vegetation.
Float into Fort Lauderdale
Once the party destination of choice for US college students, today Fort Lauderdale has reinvented itself as one of the most sophisticated and stylish travel spots in Florida. Its marinas and waterways are packed with yachts and boats of every shape and size, its long sandy beaches a delight for any sun worshipper. Take a boat ride around the city while your guide points out the multi-million dollar homes of the rich and famous lining the waterfront.
Away from the water, Fort Lauderdale has a buzzing, vibrant arts and cultural scene, excellent shopping, a terrific selection of restaurants and a delightful nightlife.
The Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a chain of small islands strung into the water off the southern tip of Florida on the Florida Straits. The string of 13 major islands is connected by U.S. 1, otherwise known as the Overseas Highway.
Each of the major Keys has its own character and attractions, culminating in the most populated city, Key West. Fishing, boating, swimming, diving, and nature viewing are major attractions in the Florida Keys. The area caters to visitors with many resorts, restaurants, bars, shops, and museums. Because summer is on its way, it’s time to break out the summer clothes and hit the Florida beaches.
Key West
If you’re looking for a laid-back, beach vacation with the tropical vibe offered by its Caribbean counterparts, the Florida Keys are the place to go. The Overseas Highway makes it easy to drive between the islands in this 126-mile-long chain, where turquoise waters, coral reefs, exciting fishing and a chilled out island lifestyle provide the ultimate family and couples getaway. While the Upper Keys from Key Largo to Islamorada are full of motels and souvenir shops, the further down the keys you travel the more idyllic and relaxed they become, until you reach tranquil Key West, the favorite of many.
The southernmost point of the US, Key West is actually closer to Havana than it is to Miami. And there is an otherworldliness about this unique spot, probably because of its relative isolation, and probably because there’s only one road in and out. Key West’s biggest attraction is its fabulous beaches and water sports including superb diving, but the area is also renowned for its arts scene – it’s been attracting the offbeat, bohemian and the kooky for generations and there is evidence of that everywhere. Head for Ernest Hemingway House to see where the acclaimed author found his inspiration over the decade that he lived in Key West.
Take Time Out in Tampa
Located on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Tampa is the main city at the center of Tampa Bay – a massive conurbation that includes Clearwater, Venice and St Petersburg. Tampa itself is the main business and commercial hub of the region, but its waterfront is a fabulous selection of museums, bars, clubs and restaurants.
The arts are a big part of life in St Petersburg, dubbed the Sunshine City. Its downtown area is simply packed with galleries and museums. Clearwater is a quieter seaside town with a great beach life. Venice, with a canal system that mimics its more famous namesake, is another delightful seaside town – look out for the sharks’ teeth that are regularly washed up on the beach from the ancient burial grounds close to the shore.
Busch Gardens, Tampa
If you’ve already made the rounds at Disney World, you can still thrill the kids with a Florida amusement park at Busch Gardens in Tampa. This park offers a variety of rides, animal exhibits, restaurants, and shops. Many lodgings are available in the area, and it offers a great fun atmosphere.
Charming St. Augustine
Further north on the Atlantic coast is charming St. Augustine, which will delight visitors looking for a quieter scene. The oldest continuously-occupied European-established city and port in the US, historic St. Augustine, with its fortress, cobblestone streets and side-variety of unique shopping and eating choices offers a quaint step back in time.
St. Augustine is one of the most historic areas in the state of Florida. It was the first continuously inhabited site in the country. First settled by Spanish explorers, it became an important military outpost, and you can still visit Castillo de San Marcos, the stone fort built to guard the city. Today, you can also visit a replica of St. Augustine as it looked in the early days. Many lodgings, restaurants, and other attractions are available in the area. This is a great opportunity to teach your kids a part of history.
Florida’s Space Coast
For all the space enthusiasts in the family, make a visit to Port Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Museum to see artifacts of the U.S. space program. Enjoy other nearby attractions such as the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, historic downtown sections of the local towns, the surfers at the Cocoa Beach Pier and the famous Ron Jon Surf Shop with 52,000 square feet of surfing-related products and summer clothing. Kids are sure to love this place.
Anyone interested in space exploration will not want to miss a visit to Florida’s Space Coast, where Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center offer visitors a thrilling insight into America’s amazing space endeavors. Those with more earthly interests in motor sports will want to head further north still to Daytona Beach, home of the celebrated Daytona 500 and Daytona Speedweeks.
The Florida Everglades
One of Florida’s best kept secrets is the Everglades and the Ten Thousand Islands, a rare and beautiful subtropical wilderness, which is visited by relatively few visitors each year. Jet airboats take visitors deep into the swamps to view the abundance of bird and wildlife. While most visitors are keen to see the ubiquitous alligators, the parks and refuges that comprise the Everglades have far more to offer naturalists.
The Florida Everglades National Park provides a number of experiences for visitors to enjoy this extraordinary ecosystem. With bike rentals, kayaks, tours, visitor’s centers, ranger programs, hiking paths, camping, and concessions, the park offers a memorable family vacation in the quintessential Florida environment. Plenty of photographic opportunities await visitors to the park, and you may even be able to get a glimpse of the elusive Florida panther and black bear.
Other Florida Destinations
While there is an abundance of man-made attractions in Florida, nature lovers will also find plenty to enthrall them. Panama City is a great destination for nature enthusiasts, having, as it does, six state parks and miles of the Florida Birding Trail, the Gator Trail and kayaking opportunities in its environs. Shell Island, where thousands of beautiful shells are uncovered at low tide, lies between the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrews Bay and is home to a large population of bottle-nosed dolphins.