As a native Floridian I may be a bit biased about the state, but I think there are hundreds of reasons to answer the question “Why travel to Florida?” In fact, there are so many amazing and wonderful experiences I’ve been privy to just by nature of my home state I that I dare you to read this list of 50 reasons to visit Florida!
50 Reasons to Travel to Florida!
- Theme Park capital of the world
- Even better, most parks are located in Orlando, or an easy drive from Orlando
- The Everglades National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Spot and airboat rides on the swap are unique to Florida
- It’s the Sunshine State
- The number one petting zoo in the country is at Lowry Park Zoo in the Tampa Bay area
- Key Lime pie, right from the source where it originated in the Florida Keys
- The Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg has the most Dali masterpieces outside of Europe
- Learn about the national Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus at the Ringling Museum in Sarasota
- 8,500 miles of shoreline, 7,800 lakes, 320 springs and 35 rivers means there are endless way to enjoy the water!
- From South Beach in Miami, to the beaches on Siesta Key near Sarasota, we have that covered
- Ybor City in Tampa is the largest party district in the United States
- The Florida Keys has some of the best dive spots in the world
- You can swim with dolphins here at Sea World’s Discovery Cove, or the Dolphin Research Center on Marathon Key
- Our spring is not too rainy and sunny nearly every day
- When it rains, it’s probably only going to last for 15 minutes, so it doesn’t ruin your plans
- Spring break capital of the US; Panama City and Daytona Beach are hubs of inter-state spring break revelry
- A slice of the US Southern culture is palpable in the Florida Panhandle
- Sweet tea is standard! You won’t have to sugar your un-sweetened tea and watch the crystals sink to the bottom, it’s essentially our state drink.
- Top-class fishing from all over the state
- Manatees swim in the cold fresh water rivers
- Real mermaids delight the little girls in your family if you head to Wiki Wachee State Park
- Delicious Cuban food!
- 20 percent of the state speaks Spanish natively, so why not practice your Spanish?
- Citrus. Yeah, we have plenty of that!
- Wonderful museums in all of the major cities (Orlando, Tampa and Miami in particular)
- The Kennedy Space Center Visitors Center is a whole day activity
- Why not skydive in Titusville?
- Music at the Hard Rock and the House of Blues, along with the Ford Ampitheatre are great venues for international bands and concerts.
- Looking for campy dinner shows? Orlando offers Dixie Stampede, Sleuth’s Mystery Show, and Medieval Times
- Year-round outdoor celebrations since our weathers so moderate
- The grouper here is some of the best you’ll ever eat, and the scallops follow as a close second
- Florida oranges…so tasty we ship them all over the world
- Alligators! In the wild, or in a contained environment, your choice (though sometimes not your choice…)
- Palms trees lend a slice of classic paradise
- Tropical birds you’ll find no-where else in the United States
- Head to Tarpon springs for a Greek salad the locals here uniquely make with potato salad
- Spectacular sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico, enough said
- Snorkel to see the massive Christ of the Deep statue under water off the Keys
- Quirky and iconic glass bottoms boats give glimpses of the gorgeous coral and fish living in Florida’s waters
- Key West’s Duval Street is well-worth people watching and window-shopping for a day of lazy enjoyment
- Boat out to the Dry Tortugas for a bit of local lore and unique wildlife
- Drive across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge , the largest cable-stayed bridge in the US and the #3 bridge in the world according to the Travel Channel
- St. Augustine is the oldest settlement in the US
- Ernest Hemingway was a fan of the state and you can visit his home and museum in Key West
- Experience a bit of Native American culture at any of the handful of Reservations in the state
- Head to Key Largo, unofficially the Dive Capital of the World
- The Annual Mug Race is the longest sailboat race in the world from Palatka to Jacksonville along the St. Johns River
- Collect prehistoric sharks teeth in Venice, Florida and you won’t be the only one of the beach digging through the sand
- Head out on one of the may Caribbean cruises that launch from Fort Lauterdale
- The options are endless so everyone in your family will leave Florida happy and with wonderful memories!