07 August 2019

When you think of Florida you think Disneyworld and theme parks. Those places are awesome, but Florida has so much more to offer. I am lucky enough to have travelled to Florida many times and I always take a trip to the Gulf Coast. After the fun of the theme parks there’s nothing better than the sun, sea and sand of the Gulf Coast beaches. When to travel? Florida is nicknamed the sunshine state and it certainly lives up to its name. It is a year round destination and has 2 seasons, wet and dry. Dry season runs from November to April and you can expect temperatures of around 23-26 degrees. Wet season (summer) runs from May to October and it is hot, with temperatures in the 30’s. This tropical climate does bring with it some the rain and thunderstorms but if you have travelled to the Caribbean it is very similar with short heavy bursts of rain and storms lasting maybe 30 minutes. It is certainly not a reason not to travel in the summer. I always travel in mid July and the thunderstorms are part of the fun, so my children say and I have to agree! Travel times You can reach the beaches of the Gulf Coast in less than 30 minutes from Tampa and around 90 minutes from Orlando. Clearwater is the closest and Sarasota is around an hour from Tampa, Fort Myers around 1 hour 45 minutes. Driving is very straightforward making the beaches really accessible. Which beach? Clearwater Beach is one of my favourites that I return to many times. I stayed at the Hilton right on the beachfront and it’s the best location in Clearwater. Spend your days lounging on the powder white sand beach or if you have children you may find yourself at the giant inflatable waterslide that is a permanent fixture on the beachfront. It’s so much fun! There’s nightly entertainment and they have an open air cinema once a week that’s free to attend. Clearwater is definitely a family friendly resort and there is so much to do. The pirate ship is a really fun day out too. There is a large selection of restaurants all within a 5 minute walk and you can eat anything from Pizza to Fine dining. There’s something for everyone with well known chains and independent restaurants. Dunkin Donuts is right opposite the Hilton, but I definitely didn’t go there on a daily basis! Fort Myers is a charming beach resort and very welcoming to tourists. The beaches are not quite as wide as Clearwater but still have that lovely white sand. You must check out Love Boat ice cream, it is the best ice cream I have ever tasted with more flavours than I could count or remember. They recently opened a newer bigger branch to accommodate the demand from the locals and tourists. If you go at the busiest time the queue can be seen all down the street so be prepared for a wait! The real draw for Fort Myers though is its proximity to Sanibel island, what a gem that is. A day trip is a definite must. Pack up the car, park up when you arrive and first hire some bikes and cycle round the island, and don’t forget to stop for lunch at the lighthouse cafe! Then spend the afternoon on the beach catching the sun, collecting shells with the kids and swimming in the clear blue warm waters of the ocean. I have just returned from a trip to Sarasota and I was blown away by the beaches there. Siesta Key beach is the number one beach in the USA and you can immediately see why. The beach is vastly wide and goes on for seems like miles. Another great plus is that the sand is 99% quartz meaning it never feels hot on your feet. You can safely wander down to the ocean without scalding your soles! Accommodation by the beach can be pricey so if you would rather spend your money when you are there rather than on your accommodation, hire a villa just across the bridge in one of the neighbourhoods. We had a lovely villa 10 minutes from the beach and the location was great. Convenient for the beach and for attractions around Sarasota. There’s plenty of restaurants all within a few minutes’ drive. We took in a film at one of the 4 cinemas in the area too. If you would like me to create a personalised Florida itinerary for you, please get in touch.