Florida tips (not Orlando)

[ilovechops]

DH, DD and I are going to NYC in Nov for a wedding for 3 nights, we then plan to fly down to Florida for 5 nights for some sun. Can anyone recommend where to go / stay?

We have decided against Orlando / Disney for this trip as DD is only 2.5yrs and we will go again at some point to do that big trip.

So we are looking for: lovely beaches, watersports and relaxing in hotels. Some day trips/kid friendly activities would also be good. I will be 5 months pregnant so basically we won't be doing all that much but DD will probably get a bit bored if it's 5 days straight sunbathing so we will need some activities.

So far people have mentioned flying into Tampa and Bush Gardens but nothing else. Any tips?

Thanks

Miami, Florida keys, mini cruise to the Bahamas? We are going in Feb and plan to go to the Everglades too.

I would look at Miami and or the Fort Lauderdale areas.

Busch Gardens in Tampa is fine as a zoo but the rides they have are mainly aimed at the teenager and adult markets.

Fort Lauderdale is great - a nice mix of beach and city, close to Miami, nice beachfront hotels and easy to get around on water taxis. We've also done the 3/4 night cruises to the Bahamas and they're good too

Boca Raton is lovely as is Sanibel.

Treasure island and Clearwater are just lovely. You can fly to Tampa. It's about 30 mins away.
I've Stayed at the marriot and the Hilton in Clearwater, and sunset vistas suites in treasure island.

It's a fab area of Florida. I love it there.

I second Sanibel Captiva (Sanibel is the side of the island nearest the mainland, the main road through the middle leads straight to Captiva). There are gorgeous beaches for paddling and finding shells. There are boat trips, fishing trips and wonderful birdlife and manatees. Lots of lovely places to eat too.

If you want a really quite area try Melbourne/Indian harbour. I have family there and it really is miles and miles of almost empty beaches, mostly just retirees and surfers around. Brevard county zoo is a good day out near there, just the right size for small children and i the area is close enough to Orlando to do a day at disney if you want.

I also recommend Captiva. I've stayed at South Seas a few times and always loved it. If you are flying down from NYC, you can fly straight into Fort Myers rather than Miami which is 3hr drive away. Then it is just a short drive over the Sanibel-Capitva causeway.

www.southseas.com/

Sanibel

Yup, you can't go wrong with Sanibel/Captiva. However, they were a bit pricey for our budget so we stayed at Fort Myers Beach (FABULOUS beach, but avoid the busy bit where the college kids go on break) and just drove across to the islands.
I've found Miami and F.Lauderdale a bit too built up and city-y for me as I usually want a laid back beach hol, but that is probably only because I haven't been there enough to find the quieter bits.

I have lived in Florida for more than 30 years and we often take our vacations in state, especially during the winter. I second Sanibel/Captiva. Beautiful beaches, great restaurants and easy to get to.

Near Sanibel/Captiva On Fort Myers beach there is the Pink Shell resort. You can stay in a condo/apartment with full kitchen, washer/dryer etc but still have the benefit of a hotel. There's a toddlers pool, restaurant on site, room service and it's right on the beach. I've not stayed there though so can't personally recommend but it looks lovely. Have fun :)