Florida has endless possibilities when it comes to your vacation. From Disney World in Orlando to the beautiful sandy beaches of Miami and Key West, there is something for everyone in the family. Florida is a large state and has many cities for family fun or just quiet times on the hundreds of miles of beautiful coastline.

Beginning with the family entertainment, there are places like Seaworld, Universal Studios Florida, Walt Disney World and the "Islands of Adventure" theme parks. Each of these amusement parks has hotels either on-site or close by. Another great option is to get your own vacation rental home, condo or townhouse near the amusement parks.

Florida is peninsula state surrounded by beautiful beaches and coastal sands, which support all kinds of popular water sports. These include surfing, water skiing, sport fishing, scuba diving, parasailing, and just swimming in the beautiful blue waters off the Florida coast. If you're the adventurous type, grab your crocodile repellant and take a sight seeing ride on an airboat through the crocodile infested Florida Everglades.

Florida's Gold Coast consists of four cities, Boca Raton, Jupiter, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach. Each of these beautiful cities contains wonderful, pristine beaches. Palm Beach is the wealthiest in this area, where socialites and Hollywood's elite use it as their personal playground. But that doesn't mean you can't visit there. There are many wonderful shops and places to eat in Palm Beach.

When many people think of Fort Lauderdale, they think of spring break but there are many things for families to do there. The entire beach isn't taken up by spring-breakers. All of the normal beach-going activities and water sports are there for you and your family to enjoy in addition to the local shopping and quaint little cafés.

When people think of Boca Raton and Jupiter, Florida, they often think of retirement villages but this is not the case. Yes, there are many people who retire to these two cities; however there is much to do and see in both Boca Raton and Jupiter. Jupiter has a world-famous lighthouse open to visitors daily. If you want to stay out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the big cities and have a relaxing vacation, then you should consider spending part of your vacation in Jupiter. In Boca Raton, there are museums and several nature trails for you and your family to enjoy, and many Performing Arts Centers. The city can also boast about its Atlantic Avenue, which is in Delray Park and has the most modern nightclubs around.

If you enjoy the great outdoors, there are two national parks in Florida, Biscayne National Park and the Everglades National Park. Both have cabins or campgrounds in which to stay in for a weekend, a week, or even a month depending on your preference.

Other places to visit in Florida include Miami, the Florida Keys and the ever-popular Key West where life is slow and easy going and it's just a very relaxing atmosphere along the shores. In contrast, Miami Beach Florida is a bustling city with lots of shops, restaurants, tall buildings and commerce with plenty of things to do after dark. Take a walk on the strip (Ocean Blvd) where there are lots of shops and restaurants or have a drink and dive into the wild, multi-cultural nightlife that has made Miami Beach so famous.

Whichever cities you decide to visit in Florida, one thing is for certain, you'll never get bored and your family will have a great vacation they'll always remember.

Finding a Place to Stay in Florida:

Florida is filled with all kinds of different beach resorts, hotels, and motels. However, a hotel doesn't provide the same level of comfort as a private home, condo, or villa, so take this into consideration when planning your Florida vacation. Florida has many privately owned beachfront condos and ocean view homes and since many of these homes are people's vacation homes, there's no shortage of vacation rentals by owner to choose from.

To find a Florida Vacation Rental Home by Owner, Search our Florida Vacation Rental Directory.

FLORIDA KEYS & KEY WEST:

The Florida Keys consists of five island groups: Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Lower Keys, or the Big Pine Keys, and Key West. These islands are south of the Florida Everglades and protrude out into the Gulf of Mexico.

When you want to visit the unique Florida Keys, there are many sights and places to choose from because the Florida Keys span over 20 miles of beautiful seashore, where Highway 1 travels directly from Key Largo (the first island group) to Key West (the last island group). This highway has been improved over the years, where in the beginning, it was just a small two-lane highway. Today it is the busy highway that carries people to all of the different Keys for summer fun and even in winter when the weather is still warm.

Key Largo Florida is one of the most famous of the islands and boasts many attractions such as Jacobs Aquatic Center, Settlers Park, and Everglades National Park and, if you're daring enough, you can snorkel out to Christ of the Abyss - a statue of Christ just under water that watches over the ships and the many sea creatures in the area. There is also a lot of nightlife, shopping, and plenty of water sports to keep you busy when you visit Key Largo.

Next in the line of the Florida Keys is Islamorada Island, known for its Whale Harbor Channel and its Indian Key Channel. Diving and snorkeling are big off this island while there are many other attractions such as shopping and nightlife and art galleries and museums.

Next on the stop along the Florida Keys would be Marathon, which is also big on snorkeling and diving because of the Sombrero Reef. Marathon is popular for its many theaters and museums as places of interest for the entire family. Marathon also has many vacation rental homes and properties, which you can choose to stay in when visiting the Florida Keys.

The lower Florida Keys, also known as the Big Pine Keys, are next in line along the Florida Keys and have many snorkeling and diving opportunities in addition to many theater and art museums as well. The Sugarloaf Keys, another name for the Lower Florida Keys, is one of the largest of the keys and has many opportunities for shopping and cultural events for the entire family. Their biggest attraction may be the cultural events fairs presented throughout the year.

Key West Florida is one of the other popular destinations of all the Florida Keys. With several different theaters, art museums and the multiple beach sports to choose from, many people make Key West their destination for vacations during the summer months. Each summer, the locals have a festival paying homage to Ernest Hemingway who lived in Key West, Florida where he wrote his beautiful novels. The festival lasts 3 to 4 days.

Many people visit the Florida Keys during the winter as well as summer because Florida is known for its year-round warm climates. In fact, the winter is often more popular than the summer due to hurricane season, which runs from late July through October so plan your Florida Keys vacation accordingly.

Where to Stay in the Florida Keys

The Florida Keys are scattered with all kinds of different beach resorts, hotels, and motels. However, a hotel doesn't provide the same level of comfort as a private home, condo, or villa, so take this into consideration when planning your Florida Keys vacation. The Florida Keys have many private beach front and ocean view homes, and since a majority of these homes are people's vacation homes, there are usually many vacation rentals to choose from.

To find a Florida Keys Vacation Rental Home, Search our Florida Keys Vacation Rental Database.

Map of Florida Keys provided by Fla-Keys.com

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