Best Vacation Destinations in Florida

The quest for the best Florida vacation destinations is a common inquiry – and deeply researched topic – among our guests. So we did the legwork to deliver these curated selections tailored to various travel interests.

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“Where in Florida should I plan my next vacation?” It’s a commonly asked question the concierges at Opal’s 22 Florida-based resorts receive when guests are departing our properties and already pondering their next getaway. Their answers? It’s not as straightforward as you think. After all, with 1,350 miles of sun-kissed shoreline, the Sunshine State serves up a multitude of diverse destinations that are home to it all: arts and culture, outdoor recreation, delicious dining, and family adventures. To provide a truly thoughtful answer, it requires some follow-up questions based on what kind of Florida travel experience guests are looking for. For example, are you planning a trip with your kids or your significant other? Do you have a specific region of the state in mind? Or are you looking for a particular experience, such as exploring arts and culture, scores of shopping, or diving into an underwater adventure?

Drawing inspiration from our guests’ most common responses and interests, we’ve curated this list to spark a few Florida vacation ideas for your next trip.

BEST PLACE TO VISIT IN FLORIDA…

For Unihabitated Beach: Delray Beach

With approximately 228 beaches spanning roughly 835 miles along Florida’s coastline of straight stretches, gentle curves, and intricate inlets and islands, there is seemingly a swath of sand to be sought out around every corner of the sunshine state. That said, there’s only one beach that takes home the title of “number-one best beach in Florida” in USA TODAY’s annual 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. And in 2024, the crown went to Delray Beach’s two-mile stretch of golden sand.

So what’s all the fuss? Deeded to the city in 1899 – but only with the promise of preservation – there are no high rises or excessive development, making it a rarity along the coastline. In fact, the city has invested so much into keeping it scenic, natural, and accessible, it’s also earned Blue Flag designations in 2023 and 2024, making it just one of two beaches in the US to meet rigorous environmental standards. Not to mention, it boasts perfectly temped waters (73 degrees!) consistently year around, and its gorgeous golden sand is raked and graded each morning, promising a perfect canvas to stretch out and sunbathe.

• Related Reading: Why Delray Beach Was Voted Best Beach in 2024

• Where to Stay in Delray Beach, FL: The Atlantic Suites on The Ave | Delray Sands Resort | Opal Grand Resort & Spa

BEST PLACE TO VISIT IN FLORIDA…

For Art: St. Petersburg

In 2022, Condé Nast Traveler named St. Pete one of the top small U.S. cities with “big-time art scenes.” And for good reason, too. Working artists have long called the city home, fostering a vibrant, flourishing community that now boasts seven (yes, seven) diverse art districts that serve up a kaleidoscope of unexpected delights from grassroots to the fine arts. For example, in just a matter of miles, you can go from witnessing the surreal masterpieces at the Salvador Dalí Museum or the whimsical glass sculptress of the Chihuly Collection at the Morean Arts Centre to the vivid billboard-sized street murals splashed across what is now a thriving arts and entertainment hub known as Grand Central District. One of the most novel newcomers is FloridaRAMA, an immersive art and technology museum featuring 20 different rooms from 70+ Floridian artists, where touching the weird, wonderful, and whacky creations is encouraged.

• Related Reading: FloridaRAMA: An Artist’s Surreal Salute to the State of Florida

• Where to Stay near St. Petersburg, FL: Treasure Island Beach Resort

BEST PLACE TO VISIT IN FLORIDA…

For Couples: Naples

St. Augustine, Sanibel Island, and Vero Beach were all listed in an October 2023 U.S. News Travel’s article summarizing the most romantic getaway destinations in Florida. But another locale on that list that particularly stood out to us? The swanky city of Naples. Indeed, this Gulf Coast destination epitomizes romance with its secluded sugar-sand beaches, a plethora of intimate date-night venues, and some of the most spectacular sunsets in Southern Florida. And perhaps nothing is more romantic than strolling the seaside community’s historic main street – Fifth Avenue South – hand-in-hand among open-air sidewalk bistros, upscale boutiques, art galleries, and tropical landscaping. Not to mention, for adventurous outdoor-oriented couples, the city is your gateway to the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States: Everglades National Park.

• Related Reading: Romantic Getaways That Will Sweep You off Your Feet

• Where to Stay in Naples: Edgewater Beach Hotel | The Capri Inn

BEST PLACE TO VISIT IN FLORIDA…

For Botanical Gardens: Sarasota

Thanks to a unique combo of climate, biodiversity, and geography, Florida brims with botanical gardens, from Delray Beach’s Morikama Museum and Japanese Garden to St. Pete’s Sunken Gardens in south Florida to Point Washington’s Eden Gardens State Park in the northwest. That said, no lush oasis made as many major headlines in 2024 as the 45-acre Marie Selby Botanical Gardes set on Sarasota Bay. That’s not just because it remains the world’s only public garden dedicated to the study and display of epiphytes – better known as orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads, ferns, and other tropical plants – but because it’s now also the world’s first net-positive-energy botanical complex. That’s owed to the recent installation of a 57,000-square-foot solar array (it exceeds the facility’s energy demands by more than 10%!), part of a three-phase $52 million expansion. The capital upgrades have also included a new stunning welcome center, a research center, a rooftop garden, and a globally-inspired restaurant concept called The Green Orchid.

• Related Reading: Your Guide to Sarasota

• Where to Stay Near St. Armands Key: Cirque St. Armands Beachside (coming February 2025) | Lido Beach Resort | The Resort at Longboat Key Club | Zota Beach Resort

BEST PLACE TO VISIT IN FLORIDA…

With Kids: Clearwater Beach

When it comes to family-friendly vacations in Florida, the first place that likely jumps to mind is Orlando – specifically Disney World. But if theme-park-style amusement is on your list, then you should seriously look to Clearwater Beach as your family’s ultimate playground. Yes, it’s home to what has been rated as one of America’s top beaches, time and time again. But also because of the plethora of kid-friendly attractions within easy walking distance, from the evening carnival-like atmosphere at Pier 60 to the plethora of boat tours that make a big splash with kids, including Little Toot Dolphin Tours, Captain Memo’s Pirate Cruises, and Mega Bite Tours. And, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Clearwater Marine Aquarium, the rescue and rehab facility that saved a very special dolphin which became the star of family favorite films Dolphin Tale (2011) and Dolphin Tale 2 (2014). While Winter the dolphin passed in 2021, there are plenty of other stars to see here, including rescued residents like sea turtles, North American river otters, pelicans, and many more.

• Related Reading: Our One-Day Itinerary to the Best of Clearwater Beach’s Pier 60

• Where to Stay in Clearwater: Sandpearl Resort | Opal Sol (coming February 2025)  | Opal Sands Resort

BEST PLACE TO VISIT IN FLORIDA…

For Festivals: Key West

For such a small island – sizing in at just 4.2 square miles – Key West sure knows how to go big when it comes to parties. That’s perhaps best demonstrated in the seemingly never-ending merry-go-round of annual eclectic Key West festivals that call this southernmost outpost home. From October’s wild and zany (and clothing optional) Fantasy Fest and the literary reverence of July’s Hemingway Days to May’s high-energy Songwriters Festival, Key West thrives on its reputation as a vibrant, party-loving destination.

• Related Reading: Top 2025 Key West Festivals You Won’t Want to Miss

• Where to Stay in Key West: The Capitana Key West | The Laureate Key West | Opal Key Resort & Marina | Sunset Key Cottages 

BEST PLACE IN FLORIDA…

For Scuba Diving (& Snorkeling): Key Largo

Google “where to scuba dive in Florida” and the results will tout places like the Florida Panhandle for its famous Shipwreck Trail, Miami for its abundant coral shelves and patch reefs, and even the freshwater springs of Central Florida. Still, most of the listings will be dominated by one destination in particular: the first of the fabulous Florida Keys, Key Largo. Dubbed the “Dive Capital of the World,” Key Largo is renowned not only for its numerous dive sites – such as the world’s second-largest artificial reef, the 510-foot USS Spiegel Grove, the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, and the iconic Christ of the Abyss underwater statue – but also for the easy access to these sites that cater to divers of all skill levels. The result? A mind-numbing profusion of colorful sea life always at your fingertips. Not a certified diver? Not a problem: Snorkeling is just as popular of a pastime here for the beginner-friendly reefs that reside in waters averaging around six to eight feet deep.

• Related Reading: Key Largo Diving: Best Dive Sites by Skill Level

• Where to Stay in Key Largo: Reefhouse Resort & Marina

BEST PLACE TO VISIT IN FLORIDA…

To Witness Turtle Nesting Season: Jupiter

The coastline of North Palm Beach County, particularly the stretch in Jupiter, is home to Florida’s highest density of nesting loggerhead turtles. We’re talking up to 200 new nests each night during peak nesting season. Why so dense here? “Sea turtles are known to return to the same stretch of coastline where they hatched,” explains Sarah Hirsch, director of research at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center, the research team responsible for patrolling this popular nine-mile stretch, from Coral Cove Park to John D. MacArthur Beach State Park. “So while it’s not 100 percent confirmed, one working hypothesis is that because the Gulf Stream cuts in really close to the coastline here, hatchlings have a shorter and easier journey out to the Gulf Stream. Therefore, they have a higher survival rate and, consequently, will return in larger numbers to this same stretch to nest as adults.”

Want to witness these ancient reptiles in real life and in a safe and respectable manner? Loggerhead Marinelife Center offers hosts regular Guided Turtle Walks, Nest Excavations tours, and Hatchling Releases, held select months during the nesting season.

• Related Reading: Your Guide to Florida’s Sea Turtle Nesting Season

• Where to Stay in Palm Beach County: Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa