Based on Go to Florida, the Florida Tourism Business’s official web site, Florida is the one state that borders the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Not solely does it border two our bodies of water, however while you’re within the state, you are by no means greater than 60 miles from the closest physique of saltwater.
If you happen to’re fascinated by a transfer to the Sunshine State, take a look at our record of one of the best locations to stay in Florida for many who love the seaside and people who do not.
Finest Locations To Reside in Florida for Seashore Lovers and Metropolis-Dwellers
We all know there’s extra to Florida than its seashores and theme parks, however in case you do occur to like the sandy shores and crashing waves, we all know just a few locations. Our record additionally consists of places with out direct seaside entry, however they’re nonetheless not more than 60 miles away. We have coated all the state with our suggestions for one of the best locations to stay in Florida.
1. St. Pete Seashore
Gorgeous sundown views, miles of seaside boutiques, open ocean, and mouthwatering beachfront delicacies pepper the shores of St. Pete Seashore. Tons of sugar white sand beautify the Gulf of Mexico-fronted seashores. Locals and guests get pleasure from a dip within the water or a parasailing journey by way of the blue sky. Dolphins pop up alongside boat excursions and kayak rides, and mountains of eclectic fish, turtles, and crabs mingle underwater.
2. Sanibel Island
Lofty palm tree species pop up across the preserved island. The inhabitants of Sanibel Island emphasize conservation efforts by way of restorative plans and protecting tips stopping hurt to the seashores and wildlife. Numerous fowl species soar by way of the open air of Sanibel, making the white, sandy seashores their house. Within the jungle-like setting behind the seashores, bobcats, iguanas, rats, coyotes, lizards, and squirrels could roam.
One other side that makes Sanibel a beloved seaside is the abundance of enormous shells on the shore. Get up within the wee hours throughout low tide to identify monumental scallops, whelks, sea snails, and nearly any shell you possibly can consider.
3. Captiva Island
Just a few miles previous Sanibel Island, Captiva Island greets newcomers and locals with a tranquil seaside presence, combatting Sanibel’s noisy reputation. These looking for a serene waterfront space to name house rejoice over Captiva Island’s considerably distant houses and seashores.
Our ideally suited day on Captiva Island contains a solar lounge on the seaside, a seashell scoop, a sundown sitting, and a meal on the iconic Bubble Room. Vintage Hollywood merchandise aligns each sq. inch of the Bubble Room’s inside, offering patrons with a novel panorama to peruse throughout their eating expertise.
4. West Palm Seashore
West Palm Seashore earned its title due to the plentiful palm timber lining the streets. Round each nook, a gentle palm tree holds its place, welcoming these with its shady fronds. Snorkelers and scuba divers adore the cerulean Atlantic Ocean outlet because of the surplus of Loggerhead, Leatherback, and Inexperienced Sea Turtles, along with different unimaginable sea creatures within the space. Out of the water, residents fancy bicycle excursions by way of the Palm tree-lined streets, airboat rides, and fishing for goliath grouper.
5. Clearwater Seashore
U.S. Information and World Report named Clearwater Seashore one of many high 5 seashores on this planet final 12 months. Miles of umbrellas, seaside baggage, and pop-up chairs unfold by way of the silky sand, inviting guests to cease and keep some time. This seaside city has plentiful dolphin households greeting the sundown cruises and boat excursions all through the crisp Gulf of Mexico water. Resorts, waterfront eating, and million-dollar houses affirm Clearwater Seashore to be the most effective locations to stay in Florida.
6. Saint Augustine
Combine a haunted city with a beachfront metropolis, and voila! St. Augustine materializes. St. John’s County Ocean Pier rolls out into the Atlantic Ocean, granting residents a spot to fish or watch the awe-inspiring sunsets. Residents trying to quench their sand sport-related tastes present up for seaside volleyball tournaments or strive skimboarding. They’re additionally concerned in sea turtle nesting lookout teams throughout Might and October for firsthand perception into the turtle life cycle.
7. Siesta Key
Siesta Key spreads over eight miles of crystalline sand and aqua-blue waterways close to Sarasota. Siesta Key makes a speciality of distinctive boat excursions. clients board eco-friendly watercraft for customized views of manatees, dolphins, and above-water fowl and vegetation habitats. Every eco-tour relays the significance of respecting the ecosystem whereas viewing it.
Turtle Seashore serves as a year-round house to the slow-moving, majestic creatures we all know as turtles. The sand high quality shifts from the silky, delicate silt to a grainier composition, and the water stays at a shallow stage 50 ft out.
8. Venice Seashore
Often known as the shark tooth capital of the world, Venice Seashore appeals to anybody out there for locating free-range shark enamel washed ashore. Seashore browsers uncover variegated shark enamel and seashells. Water wanderers stray from the shore to a coral reef that hosts fossils and close by turtles. Anglers perch atop the Venice Fishing Pier and solid a line, ready for a grouper or snapper to chew the bait.
9. Amelia Island
One other family-oriented, community-based seaside city is Amelia Island. The northern barrier island covers 13 miles of white sand seashores alongside the Atlantic Ocean. Fundamental Seashore Park accommodates nearly each exercise a modern-day beachgoer might dream of.
A mini golf course close to the doorway attracts in households to try a spherical or two. A skatepark close to the seaside pleases out of doors fanatics whereas their water-adoring brethren plunge into the surf.
10. Key Largo
Reside within the Florida Keys with out driving too far into the Florida Keys. Key Largo is positioned about 90 miles from Miami and 97 miles from Key West. The primary and northernmost key unveils a tropical oasis beneath the nice and cozy waters for scuba divers and snorkelers. The underwater exercise indulgers discover radiant coral reefs teeming with sea life whereas looking for an underwater sculpture entitled “Christ of the Abyss.”
11. Miami Seashore
Categorizing Miami as a singular entity is complicated in itself due to the array of identities and environments widespread within the southern metropolis. But, Miami’s seashores all the time host friends. Artwork Deco buildings border the sandy bays, well-known eating places name to seaside explorers, and artists of all disciplines entertain passersby on the boardwalks.
For enjoyable, Biscayne Bay cruises take clients on waterfront boat rides showcasing celebrities’ homes. Yoga academics arrange courses on the velvet sand, and jet skiers and parasailers trip into or over the horizon. Miami Seashore considers itself the most effective locations to stay in Florida.
12. Treasure Island
Treasure Island is just a few miles north of St Pete Seashore. The Gulf of Mexico coalesces with glistening white sand, engaging everybody to take a stroll on the seaside. The gulf breezes and clear waters make for a good looking, stress-free setting.
Each weekend, trampolines and gargantuan water slides seem, asking seaside our bodies to partake within the actions for all ages. Yearly, Treasure Island hosts a well-known kite competition, charming gifted kite fliers. It additionally hosts “Sanding Ovations,” a sugar sand sculpture contest that includes artists from everywhere in the world.
13. Orlando
Other than fast entry to well-known theme parks like Disney World, Sea World, and Common Studios, Orlando locals bask within the palpable leisure scene. In November, digital music fanatics get pleasure from EDC (Electrical Daisy Carnival). A plethora of up-and-coming and established artists fly to Orlando for performances in standard venues like Amway Heart, The Plaza, The Beacham, and The Kia Heart.
From a culinary perspective, Orlando is the epitome of a improbable foodie city. For our plant-based readers, take a look at Kres Chophouse’s vegan choice. Don’t fret, carnivores, the steakhouse has loads so that you can select from too.
14. Lakeland
Lakeland could not present direct entry to the seaside, however that does not imply it refrains from water entry. Given its title, the smaller Floridian metropolis welcomes locals and guests to discover its lakes. Town homes 38 named lakes with loads of smaller, unnamed our bodies of water filtering in. Animals exploring their free-range lake entry embody river otters, gopher tortoises, bobcats, bald eagles, and, in fact, the alligator.
With the heavy wildlife inhabitants comes keen employees craving to prioritize the animals’ well being and security. Lakeland leans on wildlife foundations and rehabilitation facilities to optimize their native species’ well being, making this a superb house for a scientist or conservationist.
15. Mount Dora
One other smaller lakefront Floridian residency is Mount Dora. The artsy neighborhood affords the idyllic small-town life as Orlando is its closest large metropolis. The ‘Mount’ of the flat states metropolis refers back to the historic city’s 184-foot peak. Colourful, old school road indicators pepper the walkways of the boutique-laden downtown.
Journey-hungry folks get pleasure from a kayak trip by way of the scenic one-mile Dora Canal. Timber envelop the kayakers, casting a shadow over their journey earlier than the canal merges with Lake Eustis. Another choice for outdoorsy fanatics consists of strolls by way of Palm Island Park Boardwalk (convey binoculars for bird-watching endeavors) and biking alongside the graceful pavement by way of the staggering oak timber.
16. Kissimmee
Disney World is in Kissimmee, not Orlando. Common and Seaworld exist in Orlando, not Kissimmee—a small distance, however an enormous distinction. Kissimmee is Orlando’s smaller, quieter cousin, with fewer folks and extra wildlife. Whereas Orlando values heightened attraction for fast-paced metropolis life, Kissimmee indulges in nature. Locals love sizzling air ballooning over lakes, peering beneath for indicators of the inexperienced monsters our state fostered a repute for.
Maybe somebody desires a closeup of mentioned gators, so that they hop aboard a high-speed airboat trip and cruise alongside the scaly reptiles. People also can select to check their limits and zip line by way of excessive altitudes in the course of the Kissimmee.
The job market pursuits a number of disciplines due to heavy crowds flowing by way of Kissimmee. Park rangers, wildlife conservationists, theme park employees, and journey fanatics coexist with dancers, singers, and acrobats.
17. Tampa
On daily basis, Tampa grows. A brand new automotive joins the congested freeway, and hire rises. All for good cause. Tampa hosts a wealth of actions attention-grabbing to each age group. For youths, we’ve the Gasparilla kids’s parade, a tackle the pirate invasion, the Florida State Honest, the aquarium with an astounding assortment of sharks and sensory studying reveals, and a few kids’s museums like MOSI (Museum of Science and Business) and the Glazer Kids’s Museum.
Tampa invitations guests for a day at Busch Gardens or Journey Island, a visit to Skatepark of Tampa, or a exhibiting of certainly one of Tampa Bay’s wealthy theater productions. Adults will love Gasparilla Pirate Invasion, a soothing stroll down Tampa’s Riverwalk, or looking by way of artwork shows within the Tampa Museum of Artwork. Sports activities followers cheer on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium, and hockey followers shout for the Tampa Lightning at Amalie Area.
18. Gainesville
1000’s of faculty college students populate Gainesville because the city boasts the most effective universities within the state—the College of Florida. Nonetheless, the school metropolis simply blends college life with occasions and actions for all residents, like tranquil parks and museums. The Kanapaha Botanical Gardens appease any plant lover or aspiring botanist with a wide ranging choice of lily pads.
The Butterfly Rainforest (part of the Museum of Pure Historical past) delights guests with various butterfly species flitting by way of the world. The UF campus holds the world’s largest occupied bat home, the place over 500,000 bats usually abide.
19. Lake Wales
The primary attraction in Lake Wales spreads over 250 acres of greenery with a centerpiece paled pink, stained glass tower jutting out of the Iron Mountain. Lush vegetation and native fowl species entrance guests, lulling them within the park with soothing bell chimes from mentioned pale pink tower in Bok Tower Gardens.
That serene out of doors panorama resembles the texture of current in Lake Wales. Residents adore the coexistence with nature, particularly since homes favor a spread-out plan with copious yard house between different homes. Lake Wales is ideal for the retiree or somebody in opposition to the fast-paced metropolis life.
20. Plant Metropolis
Plant Metropolis is the perfect habitat for strawberry aficionados. Annually, Plant Metropolis hosts The Strawberry Pageant, an 11-day celebration honoring one of the best fruit on this planet, the strawberry. The locals collect to showcase their livestock and strawberry-infused concoctions as different Floridians and out-of-state guests pile into the fair-esque competition.
Apart from the annual strawberry festivities, Plant Metropolis residents get pleasure from exploring the Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum for historic perception into prepare life and a day journey to Keel Farms, a scrumptious, sustainable vineyard serving the best blueberry wine within the state.
21. Tallahassee
Tallahassee is one other landlocked school city and the capital of Florida. Historical past buffs will admire the well-kept historic legacy of the early days of Florida’s existence from colony to statehood. The Florida Historic Capital Museum illuminates Florida’s political affiliations. The Museum of Florida Historical past spotlights the artifacts and individuals who helped form the state.
Lastly, the Knott Home Museum (run by the Museum of Florida Historical past) takes guests again to Florida within the 1800s. The Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park and Cascades State Park exemplify historic relevance amidst beauteous vegetation.
22. Ocala
When on the lookout for a small-town, community-oriented neighborhood, look no additional than Ocala. The agricultural, Central Florida metropolis savors the type of neighboring really feel most of Florida lacks. Although Ocala fancies its farm life, it nonetheless hosts just a few occasions throughout the 12 months for residents who do not are inclined to farms or livestock. Town places on comedian conventions, an iteration of the Kentucky Derby, a Two Rivers Music Pageant, and a Blueberry Pageant, amongst others.
Ocala possesses certainly one of North America’s largest pure springs—Silver Springs State Park. The well-known glass-bottomed boats give guests unparalleled perception into the underwater phenomenon making up Silver Springs State Park. Sea Cows float by way of the clear water, roaming round Blue Tilapia. Sea turtles mingle, all beneath the glass-bottomed boat or kayak.
23. Winter Haven
Central Florida is house to Winter Haven. Watersports fill many locals’ days given the town’s 600-acre chain of lakes. The canal-connected chain welcomes anglers to catch Largemouth Bass and Bluegill as different watersport artists (tubers, waterskiers, wakeboarders, pace boaters, and paddleboarders) soak in the fantastic thing about the lakes. Along with the spectacular lakes, Winter Haven is house to Legoland Florida and the Peppa Pig Theme Park.
24. Dade Metropolis
One other quaint, tight-knit city finds itself an hour exterior the Tampa Bay space. The primary attraction is the Pioneer Florida Museum, an homage to those that lived off the land in instances passed by, displaying all of the instruments used to craft life out of the land. The museum additionally focuses on girls’s and youngsters’s lives, with a schoolhouse and old school kitchen on show.
If the Pioneer Florida Museum would not sound interesting, journey over to Giraffe Ranch Farm Excursions. Guests can feed the animals and watch zebras, cattle, and horses frolicking by way of the safari. In 2020, Dade Metropolis opened a snowpark that permits guests to expertise a winter wonderland through a man-made, snow-tubing observe.
