FLORIDA FOR CULTURE VULTURES
There are more than a few grains of truth to the observation that the majority of tourists who travel to Florida do so in search of warmer weather. But the idea that the Sunshine State is little more than some giant al-fresco tanning salon is a little unfair. Art and history abound – and even then, the most cultured afternoon in a gallery can conclude with sunset drinks...
MIAMI NICE
There can be a tendency to regard Florida’s glitziest city as a 24-hour strip of seafront hotels and late-night bars. But while beach-side Miami does seem to exist in an eternal happy hour, there is much more to the wider metropolis than a cocktail ambience. It has some of America’s most impressive galleries. The Pérez Art Museum (pamm.org; £12) is a treasure trove of sculpture, photography and contemporary creativity; Lowe Art Museum (lowe.miami.edu; currently free) covers much of the last two millennia, but puts plenty of emphasis on the likes of Goya, Monet and Picasso. Then there is Little Havana, the district which, home to thousands of Cuban emigrés, enshrines some of the spirit and flair of the island-nation 200 miles to the south in the restaurants of Calle Ocho.
A one-week stay at the five-star Nobu Hotel Miami Beach costs from £2,750pp, including (direct) flights and transfers, with Luxtripper (020 4538 2013; luxtripper.co.uk)
SAINTS ALIVE
The north-east corner of Florida is often overlooked by tourists; a shame, as it is home to some of the state’s most intriguing locations. Chief among these is St Augustine, the city that, founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, can claim to be the oldest Europeanbuilt settlement in the United States. It wears its heritage well – in the Castillo de San Marcos, a classic starshaped 17th- century fortress, and in the 18th-century cathedral-basilica which, with its Spanish-mission facade, could as easily be in California or Mexico. The coast that flows away below it is almost as sepia. Flagler Beach, 30 miles to the south, is a delightfully old-fashioned seaside town, its pier a haven for fishermen.
A seven-night getaway to the four-star Casa Monica Resort & Spa, in St Augustine’s historic centre, flying from Heathrow to Orlando on May 14, costs from £2,353pp, including a week’s car hire, through Expedia (020 3788 0445; expedia.co.uk)
KEEPING IT SURREAL
The name is a little confusing – the planet is, of course, home to another, more famous St Petersburg. But this pleasing small city, roughly midway up the Gulf Coast, has nothing to do with Russia (beyond the fact that the country inspired its name). Yet it does have an intriguing European influence – playing host to what is perhaps Florida’s most exciting art institution. Its Salvador Dalí Museum (thedali.org; £21) is the greatest gallery outside Europe dedicated to the Catalan surrealist. Its striking building of glass and concrete houses the former collection of A Reynolds and Eleanor Morse – Florida-based philanthropists and Dalí obsessives who amassed a treasure trove of his work. The 96 oil paintings there include The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus,a vast work.
A seven-night getaway to the four-star Hotel Zamora – in the seafront resort area of St Pete Beach, 10 miles to the west of the city – flying from Heathrow to Tampa on June 4, costs from £1,871pp through Love Holidays (01234 975 975; loveholidays.com)