Rising up in New England, I at all times liked visiting Florida for household holidays. It’s a reasonably fast flight, and plenty of Florida cities have direct airline service from Boston and Windfall. Florida can also be dwelling to many great locations, seashores, and sights. It’s additionally usually sunny and heat – a pleasant distinction to the winter climate in New England.
Inside Florida, there are many totally different journey locations to select from. There are two totally different coasts and even two totally different time zones.
Nature lovers will take pleasure in all the great nature to discover within the space. In case you are a seashore lover, there are miles of seashores – a number of the most stunning seashores within the nation. After all, there are additionally the world-famous theme parks.
So earlier than you guide your Florida journey, you need to take into consideration what sort of trip you need to have, which is able to dictate which a part of Florida is value visiting in your trip. In case you are in search of a trip on the coast, positively think about the Florida Gulf Coast.
This space, alongside the Gulf of Mexico, gives a number of stunning seashore cities with fabulous resorts and different sights. Florida’s Gulf Coast is a wonderful place to go to with children and is considered one of my favourite locations to go to in the US. With heat waters a lot of the 12 months, it’s additionally a pleasant place to go to to flee the chilly in early spring.
Listed here are a few of our favourite locations to go to on the Florida Gulf Coast with children.
Disclosure: I visited Sarasota for gratis for a press journey (the place I visited Lido Seashore Resort and the Resort at Longboat Key Membership). All opinions are my very own. This submit accommodates affiliate hyperlinks. A purchase order/click on via considered one of these hyperlinks might end in a fee paid to us. All opinions are my very own.
Locations to Go to on the Florida Gulf Coast With Youngsters
Sarasota
I had at all times heard of Sarasota however didn’t know a lot about it till I visited final spring. Situated south of Tampa, Sarasota is handy to a number of airports, together with one proper within the metropolis.
It’s dwelling to a number of stunning Gulf Coast barrier islands, together with the barrier island of Longboat Key, providing attractive seashores and a few great family-friendly resorts. It’s probably the greatest seashore holidays for households. Siesta Key Seashore, probably the greatest Florida Gulf Coast seashores, can also be within the space.
If you happen to take pleasure in kayaking, I positively suggest a visit via the mangroves. You possibly can entry these from the launch at Ted Sperling Nature Park. Guided kayak excursions can be found in addition to kayak leases.
For households, Sarasota is most often called the winter dwelling of the Ringling Brothers Circus. I extremely suggest a go to to the Ringling complicated, which features a circus museum, an artwork museum, and beautiful grounds.
It’s a pleasant break from the solar and the seashore and gives a lot for households to take pleasure in. I particularly liked the massive miniature circus, which is one thing children are prone to love taking a look at.
See resorts in Sarasota. We suggest the Lido Seashore Resort and the Resort at Longboat Key Membership.
See our favourite Florida resorts with the household.
Fort Myers
Fort Myers is a good place so as to add to your trip record, and it will possibly even be mixed with a number of different locations on this record. In case you are a baseball fan, you possibly can take pleasure in watching the spring coaching video games from the Grapefruit League, which incorporates our favourite crew, the Crimson Sox.
Fort Myers additionally gives family-friendly sights just like the Manatee Park, the Imaginarium, and the Shell Manufacturing facility. You may as well fly into the Fort Myers airport, after which journey to different Florida Gulf Coast trip locations, like Naples, Marco Island, or Sanibel Island.
See Fort Myers lodge opinions.
Marco Island
Our very first journey to the Florida Gulf Coast was to Marco Island. This island, positioned a bit over an hour from Fort Myers, is a gorgeous and quiet place to trip. Keep at a seashore resort, and also you’ll need to spend most of your time soaking within the solar and having fun with the water.
You may as well take part in quite a lot of water sports activities, together with parasailing (which my daughter liked throughout our trip).
If you find yourself prepared for a break from the seashore, positively think about a visit on the Dolphin Explorer. This eco-tour runs about three hours and may be very academic and enjoyable.
Through the journey, you’ll be capable to see quite a lot of totally different dolphins and can be taught all about them. We completely liked this journey and positively suggest it for households visiting Marco Island.
See resorts in Marco Island. We suggest the Marco Seashore Ocean Resort.
Sanibel Island
Sanibel Island is positioned rather less than an hour from Fort Myers, making it a straightforward day journey. Or, you possibly can select to remain in a single day, proper on the island.
Sanibel is thought for its stunning, shell-lined seashores, that are excellent for shell gathering. There’s additionally the J.N. Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge and the Bailey-Matthews Nationwide Shell Museum. Captiva Island is another choice within the space.
See resorts in Sanibel Island.
Clearwater
I had at all times heard nice issues about Clearwater’s white sand seashores. So, once I took a fast journey to Tampa, I knew that I needed to take a day journey over to Clearwater. It’s positioned about 35 minutes from the Tampa Worldwide Airport, proper on the Gulf Coast.
Clearwater is thought for the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, a facility centered on rehabilitating and releasing animals. If you happen to’ve seen the Dolphin Tales films, you already know all concerning the aquarium.
There’s additionally Clearwater Seashore, a white-sand seashore that gives family-friendly festivals and occasions all year long. Throughout our go to, we loved lunch at Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill, which is positioned proper on the seashore.
In case you are a seashore lover, you’ll positively need to expertise the water waters and white sand seashores of Clearwater Seashore. Moreover, the city of St. Petersburg, dwelling of St. Pete Seashore, can also be within the space.
You possibly can go to Clearwater for the day, or keep at a lodge proper on the seashore. Most of the native resorts are positioned close to the Pier 60 fishing pier.
If you happen to’d like to incorporate a theme park go to throughout your journey to Clearwater, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay isn’t too far-off.
Clearwater’s sugar white sand is so well-known that there’s even an annual competition celebrating it. The Pier 60 Sugar Sand Competition takes place within the spring every year. Throughout this competition, you possibly can see sand creations produced from this sugar-white sand.
See resorts in Clearwater right here and our Gulf Coast locations to go to net story right here.
There are different nice locations to go to on the Gulf Coast of Florida, together with Venice. See issues to do in Venice, Florida right here. As well as, you possibly can usually take a ferry boat to the Florida Keys for a day journey. Total, it’s a gorgeous area to go to, with so many issues for households to see and do.
Extra Assets: Need to learn extra Gulf Coast journey suggestions and opinions? Click on to learn our submit with vacation spot suggestions, concepts on what issues to do, lodge opinions, and extra.
