Favourite coastal places to visit and hotel you stayed in

[Sara & Jas]

Hi there We're (that is me, Sara, DH Jason, DS George 17 and DD Eva 13) love Florida/Orlando but have never travelled to the coastal areas and have decided to spend a week in Orlando and a week travelling around and seeing places we haven't visited before. Broadening our horizons so to speak.
I would love to hear about your favourite place in Florida and why and also your hotel recommendations.
We're going on 21st July this year and landing in Miami,(we'll be flying home from there too) staying in a hotel that night and then travelling up to Orlando on the Sunday after breakfast. We have a villa booked for a week and thats as far as I've got with the plan. I was thinking of heading towards Clearwater/St Pete's, then maybe Sarasota/Naples, fitting the Everglades and an airboat ride in if poss and maybe a couple of days at the Keys.
Any advice/recommendations will be most gratefully received. Thanks you

[tocpe321]

Most of our holidays to Florida have been fly drives and mainly flights into Miami. We have stayed in St Petes Beach, Naples and the Keys, as well as Miami.

In St Petes Beach last time we stayed in the Gulf Tides Inn a short distance from the beach. It’s nice and lowkey and run by a British family.

In Miami we used to stay in Sunny Isles, North Miami Beach. This was years ago and I don’t know what the area is like now.

In the Keys we stayed in Key Largo and Key West. We loved the drive down through the Keys and across 7 Mile Bridge.

Naples was really nice and we went to Sanibel and Captiva, as well as visiting Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

We are Orlando’d out now. Hopefully we will get back to Florida and would like to stay in the South West around Cape Coral and Naples area.

Happy planning.

[Sara & Jas]

Originally Posted by tocpe321

Most of our holidays to Florida have been fly drives and mainly flights into Miami. We have stayed in St Petes Beach, Naples and the Keys, as well as Miami.

In St Petes Beach last time we stayed in the Gulf Tides Inn a short distance from the beach. It’s nice and lowkey and run by a British family.

In Miami we used to stay in Sunny Isles, North Miami Beach. This was years ago and I don’t know what the area is like now.

In the Keys we stayed in Key Largo and Key West. We loved the drive down through the Keys and across 7 Mile Bridge.

Naples was really nice and we went to Sanibel and Captiva, as well as visiting Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

We are Orlando’d out now. Hopefully we will get back to Florida and would like to stay in the South West around Cape Coral and Naples area.

Happy planning.

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Thank you! DH quite fancies Naples. I'm looking forward to the drive along the Keys listening to my "Cocktail" soundtrack full blast (if the kids don't moan too much... haha!)

[scooby99]

I personally think that trying to fit 5 different locations (Clearwater/St Pete's, Sarasota, Naples, Everglades & the Keys) into a 7 day trip is too much and would recommend maybe picking 2 (at most 3) of those locations.
We have stayed/visited the first three and say you can could easily fill an entire week in just one of those locations.

[floridafan101]

Yes I agree with a week to get down to Miami I would maybe have 3 days in st Pete’s or Anna Maria and then another 3 or 4 days in Naples maybe before heading back across to Miami. Too many stops will not give you chance to explore anywhere. It’s a long drive to Key West and back especially after driving down from Orlando.

[Guest]

One of my favourite (if not my favourite) coastal places is Fort De Soto Park in St Petersburg.

I've been to Florida 15 times and only discovered this last time ... cannot wait to go back.

Also really like Ponce Inlet - the lighthouse and beach there are lovely too.

[Colette-S]

I've tried a few on both coasts and Naples is my favourite by a mile. Sarasota lovely too, wasn't fussed on St Pete but that was probably more about the hotel

[lottiesmum0]

I absolutely love Naples! It’s my ‘happy’ place. I feel so relaxed there. Last year we rented a villa and loved that too.

[°o°-Hannah-°o°]

Where are the golden spots on the east coast? We’ve done Vero a few times so want to try somewhere new on our drive up from Miami

[tocpe321]

Originally Posted by Sara & Jas

Thank you! DH quite fancies Naples. I'm looking forward to the drive along the Keys listening to my "Cocktail" soundtrack full blast (if the kids don't moan too much... haha!)

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Be careful.

One year we had a convertible and were driving down through the Keys with Michael Jackson tape playing.

All was well with the world till the Police Officer pulled me over for going a tad over the speed limit.

Thankfully he was understanding and just gave me a warning.