Table of Contents
Introduction
Clear weather and amazing tourist attractions together with a variety of cultures, long coastlines, and warm weather during most of the year also help contribute to Florida, being one of the most sought after tourist destinations in the US and the world over. Also famously known as the sunshine state, there is always something for every traveler; family travelers, lovers, lone travelers, etc. Orlando has its theme parks and so much more to explore in the state of Florida such as the everglade.
Popular Destinations and Prominent Places
Orlando & Central Florida
The bad news is that Orlando is one of the most loved tourist destinations in Florida because of the world-known resort parks. Walt Disney World Resort is the world’s No 1 vacation destination which encompasses Magic Kingdom and Epcot, two water parks, and several hotels and shops and eateries. Universal Florida is nearby; the resort includes Universal Studios, Island of Adventure, Water Park as well as a themed park, Universal’s Volcano Bay, and City Walk. It is the fun spot in America for the thrilling rides; the Sea World Orlando as well as the LEGOLAND Florida.
The Gulf Coast
The Gulf Coast has some of the best beach fronts available in Florida. The self-spick rating platform of TripAdvisor rated Clearwater Beach as the number one beach in America in 2018 due to the white sand and clear blue water. Other city that also received the recognition from TripAdvisor is St. Pete Beach which is neighboring city and received #2 places. Sandy white Siesta Key and other gulf beaches – seashell hunting, gulf water warm enough for swimming, great vantage of dolphins, and beautiful orange red sunsets.
The Atlantic Coast
Where the gulf water is calm, there are great waves for surfing heard at the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Cocoa Beach is the nearest beach to Orlando which has a typical ‘Surf’s Up beach’ kind of theme. New Smyrna Beach has some of the best spots to surf and they’re perfect for the pros. Another popular holiday destination is Miami Beach with South Florida attractions, rich culture and unique art deco design.
The Florida Keys
It stretches south west of Miami and covers an area of over 113 miles and could be best described as a tropical paradise. Out of the above, Key West is possibly the most sought after destination being 90 miles north of Cuba. It’s famous for wind and water sports or snorkeling and paddle boarding in the clear waters that surround it or a visit to the Ernest Hemingway house and the nightly fiesta on Mallory Square known as the Sunset Celebration. It is therefore possible to engage in dolphin watching, deep sea fishing and other water activities apart from having a relaxed session at a waterfront resort in the keys.
The Everglades
I have always said that no visit to southern Florida is complete without a visit to the massive Everglades. It is in fact more than 1.5 million acres of subtropical wetland teeming with wildlife – alligators, crocodiles, panthers, flamingoes and many more. View them best by airboat, kayaking or on walking paths. This delicate and special environment should be explored from the viewer’s center and museum to get to know it. In Miccosukee Indian Village one can watch a genuine show of alligators wrestling.
Natural Attractions
Besides the famous sea and Everglades there is much to delight the lovers of the exotic Florida: the freshwater springs and tropical gardens. Silver Springs State Park allows viewing from a glass bottom boat over the clear water filled springs. Ichetucknee Springs allows visitors to float lazily on the inner tubes surrounded by trees as they enjoy the spring fed river. This is besides Myakka River State Park, one of Florida’s state parks which maintains thousands of acres of wetlands and other numerous diverse ecosystems ideal for hiking, mountain cycling, camping and wildlife viewing.
If You Love horticulture, you will find that Florida has over 20 botanical gardens where garden lovers can admire exotic plantings and rich colors all year round. Vero Beach’s McKee Botanical Gardens, Sarasota’s Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Leu Gardens in Orlando, and Harry P. Leu Gardens provide you with backgrounds perfect for beautiful IG pictures in the middle of tropical environments.
Urban Attractions
Florida’s cities are not only about the famous theme parks as people might think. Many Cuban traditions are well represented in Miami through the food in the Little Havana area and in the street festivals of Calle Ocho. In Miami you find the Art Deco hotels in the Miami beach, the colorful Wynwood Walls which are full of huge murals, and the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, which is like a jungle in the middle of the city.
The Florida Aquarium is in Tampa where you can touch stingrays, see the manatees on a guided river safari and interact with birds of prey at outdoor enclosures. Its newly upped ZooTampa at Lowry Park has installations with rhinos, cheetahs, wallabies, and. Ybor City is the oldest Latin neighborhood in Tampa filled with nice shops, cigar stores and trendy bars on 7th Avenue.
Kennedy Space Center, launch areas, rockets, space shuttles, astronauts: On Florida’s Atlantic Coast, a visit to Cape Canaveral is a visit to space travel. Space Coast also has the second largest boardwalk in Florida, Cocoa Beach Pier for seaside eating, fishing and beach nickel-dime selling an Orlando’s one hour southward eastern side.
Where to Stay
Florida has a large variety of suites for all including mega-resorts for families, historic inns and bed and breakfast establishments. Disney World resorts cater for returning to a hotel after a number of days in the park by being on the property and featuring well themed rooms and even character breakfast meals.
Many locations throughout Florida have resorts that actually border stretches of beach; for example, TradeWinds Island Resort at St. Pete Beach, the Postcard Inn at St. Pete Beach, and Miami’s mythical Fontainebleau featured regularly on TV programs. To get more romantic and calm, there are some B&B houses on the beach such as The Beachcomber Inn in St. Pete Beach, and a resort Little Palm Island Resort & Spa on the private island in the Florida Keys available only by boat or seaplane.
Today, RV parks and campings these sites across Florida ensure that the visitors get the necessary experience they desire in nature. Areas that are close to rivers or an ocean allow for canoe or kayak in case one is interested and fish if one has a taste from the comfort of your home for the time you are in that location. Campgrounds in Myakka River State Park, Anastasia State Park near St. Augustine or even Long Key State Park in the Florida Keys are camping loops within the wildlife area so packed with birds, small wildlife and plants.
Check Out: National Palace Museum: A Treasure Trove of Chinese Art and History in Taipei.
When to Visit Florida
From a tourism perspective, Florida is a place people visit when it’s sunny and thus people visit the place all the year round but certain seasons have their own advantages. October is considered to be less busy than September due to when children return to school the price of hotels decreases. Early spring on its part has accordant 70 degree temperatures of women maids, flowers, fruits, and baby animals.
All of them are good but all attractions are available for what are sometimes marathon theme park days but the heat is really bad in late spring and summer. Hurricane season is between June and November mainly affecting South Florida, which should be taken into account when looking for a beach vacation.
The period between January and March, particularly when the North experiences winter, is snowy and lots of retirees from the North travel South making Florida snow free in this period. However, even in North Florida and the Panhandle the season turns to drier weather and sunshine abounds throughout the entire season. In addition, amusement parks navigate holiday celebrations, you get parades over and over, and snow and ice are not a factor either.
What and Where to Eat
It’s said there are two types of vacations: “see food” and “eat food”. Just like other tourists who visit Florida for attractions such as Disney and Universal studios, there are food lovers due to good Florida sea-food houses, Cuban restaurants that are a craze, USDA choice Brazilian steakhouses or rodizio where you get to eat as much as you can afford.
As for Florida, along its shores the primary kind of food is seafood. These are some of the foods visitors need to sample while in the Florida Keys: grouper, mahi mahi, spiny lobster, stone crab claws in season, and raw bars, oysters, and shrimp cocktail. Easy fast food seafood baskets or ladies can be bought with menu price at the ready baits of piers and harbors or brushed, battered and barbecued, blackened or fried and offered for them at any grocery joints or go to the gourmet joint waterfront restaurants.
Tourism corridors in central Florida provide guests with vegan/vegetarian, halal, kosher, and gluten-free labels throughout quick service and theme park table service restaurants. Disney’s Epcot World Showcase features its respective country foods such as French, Morocco cuisine, or Mexican. Its neighbor, International Drive in Orlando offers Fogo de Chão and Texas de Brazil for Brazilian House of Steak, Pointe Orlando restaurants, Cuban flare at Cuba Libre, Greek Taverna Opa, Tapa Toro with Spanish Tapas.
Ironically, the real Florida barbecue made from local citrus or key lime can be experienced in places near the rural inland. For the best Southern food experience, go for the smoked pulled pork, the brisket, gator sausage among others. There are various markets for fresh tropical fruits from roadside stalls offering orange juice, strawberry shortcakes and the key lime pie, outdoor sites consisting of bicycle trails decorated with points for tourist interests, especially the central Florida strawberry trail from plant city to downtown Orlando.
Conclusion
The experiences in Florida are always unique, from the azure waters as though in bath water and sandy shores, like powdered sugar; to rocketing across the Space Coast. Innovatively designed unique thrilling attractions that Investigation visitors globally churn local legends. Cozy by hotel pools adorned with palm trees, leisurely airboat excursions looking for the reflection of alligator eyes in grassy waters below, or feeling the warmth of that squishy fine sand underfoot.
Just like the cuisine, its specialties are similarly rich and satisfy the palate, apalachicola oysters, Cuban sandwiches, key lime pie. Consequently, with 12 months of sunshine being the daily fare, Florida is host to people from around the world coming in to experience the different systems within the southernmost state in America.
For more info : Click Here.
FAQs
When is the best time to visit Florida?
This beaches’ destination is most preferred during spring from March up to May and during fall ranging from September up to November since the weather is relatively warm but not hot, there are few crowds compared to summer and hotel costs are relatively cheap.
What else can one do in Florida other than visiting the various parks?
So much more of Florida than tumble driers and theme parks. One can sunbathe on world-class sandy beaches at the Atlantic coast or Gulf coast, wildlife safari in the enormous ‘River of Grass’ Everglades, take a dip in colorful botanical gardens, natural springs and waters, fish in the deep sea, see dolphins at a close distance through fishing charters, do shopping and dining in Miami, Tampa Bay, visit a galaxy of space travel at Kennedy Space Centre and so on.
What is the state food of Florida?
Florida cuisine draws attention to such a main staple as freshly caught local seafood directly from the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico of Florida. Grouper, shrimp, oysters, clams, spiny lobster and stone crab claws (in season) are popular in all coastal cities. The cubano sandwiches loaded with ham, roasted mojo pork, Swiss cheeses, pickles and mustard trace their roots back to Florida due to when Arabs and Cubans migrated there. Oranges, a speciality of Florida that is also a tropical fruit, is used in foods, beverages and deserts across Florida. But no course in the meal is taken without tasting delicious and zesty key lime pie, meant to have originated in the Florida Keys.
