PLAN YOUR PARADISE
How to find your perfect Florida escape
More than three million Canadians are expected to vacation in Florida this winter. Snowbirds seeking warm sand and surf will scour the web searching for the best beach in the state. But the answer, says Florida beach expert David McRee, depends on the traveller.
“If you’re a family with younger children, my recommendation is you stick with the Gulf side, because during the winter, there’s surf on the Atlantic side,” says McRee, a Bradenton, Florida, native who has been reviewing and photographing Florida’s beaches on his sites — beachhunter.net and blogthebeach.com — since 2005.
“Siesta Key is a very good choice. It stands out because the water is usually very clear, calm, and it’s very shallow for a long way out, so children and grandparents can feel safe.” McRee says parents will enjoy Siesta’s tightly packed sand for long romantic walks, while older kids might like a kayaking tour or renting a stand-up paddleboard.
For families who prefer natural beaches, McRee recommends Sanibel Island, near Fort Myers. Its beaches are a “shelling mecca,” says blogger Tobias Moran who, with his wife Becky, describes their finds at theshellking.com.
“We love the beaches of [Sanibel Island],” says Moran. “They all have their own personalities. From Captiva North End all the way back to Lighthouse, you can always find a good time on the beach to sun and shell.”
For avid beachgoers looking to find a hidden gem, visitflorida.com’s Beach Finder matches users’ personalities with a Florida beach. Toggle the buttons and watch your options change immediately.
A little “Adventurous” plus a little “Romantic” and “Secluded” plus “Manicured” equals South Beach in Miami. Then visitors can virtually “walk” that beach with Google Street View images and see related videos, articles and photography.
But there is more than sun and sand with this family playground: Florida has 161 state parks, in addition to national parks such as the Everglades, rejuvenating resorts and spas, and, of course, theme parks — not just the big three in the Orlando area (Walt Disney World, SeaWorld and Universal Studios), but Busch Gardens and the Kennedy Space Center, home to the Atlantis Space Shuttle exhibit.