Florida.co.uk
Website for visitors to Florida, the greatest holiday destination in the world
Beautiful beaches, sparkling water and a laid back lifestyle await visitors to Florida's Atlantic coast. From relaxed and budget-friendly coastal towns, to pricey and tony resort communities, the Atlantic Coast of Florida is an easy place to find exactly what you're looking for.
Daytona Beach is one of the world's most famous destinations for families, spring breakers, and racing enthusiasts alike. The city has historically been known as having a beach where the hard packed sand allows cars and trucks to drive on it (in designated areas) and has thus made it a metropolis for motor sports. The old Daytona Beach Road Course hosted races for over 50 years but was replaced in 1959 by the Daytona International Speedway. The city is also the headquarters for NASCAR and the Grand American Road Racing Association. But the 23 miles of beach is also famous for many other things besides cars and racing. A spring break destination for years, Daytona Beach is all about sunshine, parties, and beautiful people looking for a good time. Whether you want to play volleyball on the beach, cruise the boardwalk, enjoy free concerts, or just sit back with a cocktail, Daytona Beach might just be the place for you.
A souped up hot rod cruises Daytona Beach
New Smyrna Beach enjoys the prestige of being the second oldest city in North America and offers visitors many historical legends and artifacts to prove it. In fact, more than 30 historical sites continue to intrigue visitors new and old. New Smyrna Beach has boomed in the past few decades changing from a sleepy beach town with dirt and gravel roads to a thriving coastal community that has maintained its small town charm. On weekends and in summer months, the beach gets crowded with sun-worshipers, as large numbers of Orlando residents flock to the ocean. But during weekdays the town reverts back to its sleepy self.
The star attraction in New Smyrna Beach is its 13-mile stretch of white sandy beach. Sunbathing, swimming, bicycling, going for a stroll or just lying around is the choice of most visitors. But the beach is also well known to surfers, offering some of the finest waves on the Atlantic Coast.
Smyrna Beach is also known as an ideal destination for bird watching, boating, and fishing. It's also a great spot for lovers of the arts as it hosts annual music and visual arts festivals.
This barrier island turned launch site of America's space program is home to NASA and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex where guests can follow America's exploration into orbit through exhibits, movies and tours. Aside from checking out the Visitor's Complex, the most popular things to do in Cape Canaveral are to visit the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse, visit Patrick Air Force Base (a tour is offered once a month by reservation only), or check out the magnificence of a shuttle launch.
Spectacular shuttle launch at Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral is also home to Florida's fastest growing port - Port Canaveral. Disney, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines all make their homes here. Aside from long, extended cruises, short evening cruises are also available. These cruises are particularly popular for their onboard casinos.
It's been called the textbook beach town, and Cocoa Beach offers endless ways to enjoy recreation and leisure. One of the more affordable holiday spots in all of Florida, there is no shortage of fun and exciting things to do and see in and around the area. In Cocoa Beach holidaymakers can go deep sea fishing, parasailing, surfing - you name it. One can also take a fabulous eco-tour to get up close and personal with Florida's vast wildlife.
When you've had enough of the beach, head into historic Cocoa Beach, a restored brick-walk village in downtown Cocoa where you'll find specialty shops and restaurants. In the evening enjoy dinner at one of the many fabulous restaurants on the beach. After dark, kick back and enjoy the casual nightlife activities that run the spectrum from groovy jazz clubs to beachside cafes.
Whether you are planning a family beach holiday, leisure travel, a weekend getaway, or just a day at the beach, you'll find what you're looking for here.
Port St. Lucie is a relaxed and welcoming city on the Atlantic Coast that is free of the busy crowds that flock to some of the more popular cities in the area. It is truly an idyllic ocean escape. Warm breezes, loads of sunshine, and a relaxed atmosphere await enthusiastic travelers escaping colder climates.
Port St. Lucie is a recreation-rich area that is particularly appealing to water-sports and golf enthusiasts. The city is home to PGA Village as well as a large selection of other golf courses, both private and public. Guests to the area will find both inland and deep-sea fishing to be excellent. Boating, sailing, scuba diving, and surfing are also readily available. Thousands of acres of nature preserves are another defining quality of the Port St. Lucie area. Turtle and bird watching, hiking, horseback riding, and even manatee sighting is ideal for nature lovers. Shopping, theater, museums, and historic attractions are also options for visitors to the area. Of course, simply sitting and doing nothing is sometimes the most fun of all. And there's no better place to do it than Port St. Lucie.
Located in Palm Beach County, Boynton Beach is one of the country's fastest growing areas. With lots of shopping, fine dining, and exciting nightlife, it is quickly becoming a popular tourist spot. But even more so, it's a popular place for golfers. With a wide variety of courses, Boynton Beach is quickly becoming a golf lover's paradise. Today, Boynton Beach has moved beyond its roots as a farming town to become a place where business and industry thrive. The tourist industry is just one of them.
Nothing says country-club style like Palm Beach. Palm Beach, the small island town across the Intracoastal Waterway, has been the traditional winter home of America's aristocracy for years -- the Kennedys, the Rockefellers and the Pulitzers, just to name a few. Palm Beach is the place to come if you want to see how the other half lives. But this is not only a city of chic resorts and upscale boutiques. In fact, Palm Beach holds some surprises, from a world-class art museum to one of the top bird-watching areas in the state. But don't expect to find any great deals. For more reasonable prices (but still higher than much of Florida), head over to West Palm Beach.
Across the water from Palm Beach proper is downtown West Palm Beach. With its palm tree-lined streets, scenic waterfront views, quaint shopping areas, historic neighborhoods, and year-round outdoor festivals, West Palm Beach is a little slice of Paradise. Clematis Street is the area's nightlife center, with a great selection of bars, clubs, and restaurants. Newly developed City Place is full of shops, restaurants, and other entertainment options that liven up the once-quiet area. In addition to great beaching, boating, and diving, you'll find superb golf and tennis throughout the county.
Tropical road way in West Palm Beach
Boca Raton is one of South Florida's most expensive, and beautiful cities -- home to ladies who lunch and upscale charity social events. Amusingly enough, the city's name literally translates as "rat's mouth," but it's doubtful that the elegant city's residents would put up with any vermin.
If you're looking for funky, colorful, and wild, look elsewhere. Boca is a luxurious resort community and is reserved for people willing to pay a pretty penny to enjoy its offerings. With little in the way of nightlife, entertainment in Boca Raton is restricted to leisure sports, fancy dining, and upscale shopping. And the city's residents and its visitors seem quite happy to keep it that way.
Luxury waterfront development in Boca Raton
A great place for a family holiday, Pompano Beach is a classic Florida beach town. Beachside activities are very popular in Pompano Beach, with boating, beach volleyball, swimming, diving, and more taking up much of everyone's time. Other attractions include visiting the Pompano Pier, which extends over 1,000 feet into the Atlantic Ocean. Pompano Beach is also home to Florida's only harness racing track, Pompano Park racing.
Sport fishing is big in Pompano Beach and you can arrange for a saltwater charter to take you on a day of deep-sea fishing. Or if a little exercise and relaxation is what you desire, then try one of the many championship golf courses or tennis centers located throughout the area. You can surf or scuba dive, rent a boat and sail or motorboat along the Intracoastal Waterway. Or just relax on the beautiful sandy beaches and enjoy the warm waters and breezes.
Pompano Beach is also the proud home base for the Goodyear Airship "Stars & Stripes" and its crew. Better known as the Goodyear Blimp the "Stars & Stripes" and its crew travel thousands of miles each year to capture and cover major events.
Fort Lauderdale has come a long way from its days as the spring break capital of the USA. It's now regarded as a great holiday spot for visitors of all ages, and offers a diverse range of attractions, all within an increasingly classy resort city atmosphere. Diverse hotels, a thriving arts and entertainment scene, a world of golf and more will thrill visitors to this coastal area. Since Fort Lauderdale is a major yachting center, why not plan a day cruise? Or spend the day relaxing at one of the many spas. Area museums invite you to explore acclaimed art, culture, science and history exhibits. Every visit is a visit to paradise, from the beautiful beaches to the yacht-filled waterways to the amazing Everglades. Indulge yourself in Fort Lauderdale.
Fort Lauderdale Intracoastal, beach in the background
Hollywood, Florida attractions include a spectacular variety for those on Florida beach holidayss. Attractions range from the Anne Kolb Nature Center (a remarkable mangrove eco-system that invites you to explore its 1,500-acre world by paddle, bike or foot) to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino for the dining, entertainment and nightlife crowd.
Characterized by quaint sidewalk cafés, brick-lined foot paths and blocks of unique boutiques, shops, art galleries and restaurants, the pedestrian-friendly area of Historic downtown Hollywood is the perfect place to relax for a day. Just minutes from the ocean, the downtown district is on the National Register of Historic Places and is the home of year-round festivals, street markets and a wide variety of entertainment.
Florida's most exciting city! Blessed with year-round beautiful weather and unrivaled ocean access, America's largest southernmost resort city is also a sought-after international entertainment destination. Miami caters to action and excitement thirsty visitors from around the globe with some of the world's top golf, tennis and sporting venues. Add sparkling waters that are a magnet for boating enthusiasts, fishermen, divers and water sports aficionados, and it's easy to see why Miami is the number one choice for holidaymakers of all ages. Miami is also home to many entertainment venues, theatres, museums, and more. Truly a global city, visitors to Miami will find no shortage of fabulous ways to keep busy.
Miami Beach lies on the island between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean and as such, there are lovely breezes that help alleviate the south Florida heat and humidity. The Beach area is famous for many things, among them its Art Deco District in South Beach, where one can see hundreds buildings in the famous architectural style of the 1920s through to the 1950s. (South Beach is also famous for its tolerance for topless sunbathing.) A huge area for entertainment, Miami Beach is a popular destination for tourists and locals that are seeking out nightclubs, trendy restaurants, and non-stop parties. Wall flowers beware - it's hard to stay on the sidelines when visiting Miami Beach!
Aerial view of Miami Beach
See also Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach | Miami and Miami Beach
Other Florida areas: Orlando | Gulf Coast | The Keys
Orlando/Kissimmee
Gulf Coast
Atlantic Coast