Say the name Florida and most people associate the with Disney World and Miami – both great in their own right but there are many more amazing things to do in Florida!
The state has a diverse landscape, from the top-rated beaches to the Everglades National Park (now a UNESCO World Heritage spot) and all of the amusement parks, hiking, diving, snorkeling, canoeing and so many other activities in between. We’ve broken the things to do into several key categories so you can plot out the best spot in Florida for your interests!
All the Things You Can Do in Florida
Visit Our Wildlife and Nature Spots!
Wildlife and Nature feature prominently on the to-do list of many vacationing to Florida and the State’s 150 state parks offer up a heap of opportunities. Some of the things you’ll find to do in this section include hiking, scenic drives in some of the state’s best parks, live animal encounters, and ideas for canoeing, and kayaking throughout the state!
Beaches and Fun in the Sun!
With 663 miles of beaches the state of this is a top reason a lot of travelers make the trek to Florida. Not only do we have several of the top-rated beaches in the world, but we also have an incredibly well developed tourism industry to make sure you enjoy every second of your visit to the state. In addition to the top-rated, I’ll also share a couple of my favorite spots as a lifetime and local Floridian.
Get in Some Major Theme Park Time
Florida is, quite literally, the theme park capital of the world. Orlando is really the hub of the theme park action with Disney World, Sea World, and Universal Studios all within a short 20 mile radius of one another. Those are the major ones, but you also may love Busch Gardens, Adventure Island, Weeki Wachee and some of the other fun and smaller theme parks sprinkled throughout the state.
My Five Favorites
- Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex: No trip to Florida is complete without a day spent exploring the launching point for all of America’s manned space missions. All of the major US Space Shuttle launched from Cape Canaveral and the Visitors Complex is very well designed. Marvel at the spacecraft displays and the Astronaut’s Hall of Fame, and enjoy the Kennedy Center’s two original IMAX movies. Other features include displays and interactive exhibits chronicling the space exploration.
- Everglades National Park: You’ve never been anywhere like this before, the Florida Everglades is a completely unique spot on earth. And the options for exploring the Everglades are endless: airboat rides through the swamps, swamp walks on the weekends, and consider a stop at Everglades City and Shark Valley for some fun and campy attractions.
- Fort DeSoto State Park: Though a State Park, it’s really the beach you’re after here. It’s located on Florida’s West Coast Florida and you can easily drive over from St. Petersburg to avoid the much more touristy and popular St. Pete Beach. You’ll find the park filled with local families on the weekend and you can and should pack a picnic and grill out on the beach!
- Dolphin Research Center: (Marathon Key, The Keys) Operating as a nonprofit, this Center offers some of the neatest animal encounters in the state. They are home to about 15 dolphins and have walk-in programs where you can kiss a sea lion or learn how to communicate with dolphins!
- Visit Universal Studios: (Orlando) This is my favorite of the many theme parks in Florida; this park has the most diverse rides, there is something to appeal to every single age group, it has the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and it’s not ever as insane as the tourist over-load that can happen at Disney. Although Disney is the classic, be sure to add a day into your schedule for this theme park
See What Our Locals Have to Say:
Why not check out the Top 10 ten section for some of the highlights from all across Florida rounded up into handy lists with photos, descriptions, and travel planning details!