Best Vacation Spots In Florida In December – From the Atlantic East Coast to the Florida Panhandle, we’ve selected 13 laid-back Florida beach towns that you must visit.
Here’s the cool thing about Florida: You’ve visited many times and think you know the state and its beautiful sandy beaches and Florida’s best beach towns pretty well. But there are always surprises waiting for those who stray from the classic Panama City–Orlando–Miami–Key West stop. From Atlantic beaches that locals try to keep afloat to tropical islands found in the Gulf of Mexico, from Tampa Bay to the Florida Panhandle, most of our picks for the best beach towns in Florida also fly under the radar. don’t be defeated I don’t care about it, but I think it’s good. Escape the tourist crowds for a taste of old Florida where the simple things – sun, surf and a laid-back attitude – still reign supreme on these laid-back beaches.
Best Vacation Spots In Florida In December
There’s just one high-rise: the sleek One Ocean Resort & Spa along the main residential beach east of Jacksonville, one of Florida’s kid-friendly little beach towns. Unthinking surfers and tourists alike flock to enjoy an East Coast beach life that’s more like the Outer Banks than Florida. A surf spot called Mayport Poles, north of Atlantic Beach, is one of the best surf spots in Florida. And outdoor activities are plentiful here, both on and off the field. Swimwear-clad motorcyclists board colorful cruisers along the beach at low tide and past the rows of shops and restaurants along Ocean Boulevard where the Atlantic and Neptune beaches meet. Enjoy your morning coffee with surfers at Southern Grounds, a favorite hangout in Neptune Beach (adjacent beach district). Or opt for an afternoon sunset cocktail at Lemon Bar, right on the beach and connected to the beautiful Seahorse Inn. Families and locals on vacation head to Whit’s Frozen Custard for a sweet distraction from a fun day at the beach (after dinner, the line wraps around the block). There are hardly any chain hotels or restaurants in sight in this area and that is what makes Atlantic Beach so special.
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TIP Head north from Atlantic Beach (you can bike along the beach or take a car to get there) to Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park, which has some of the best mountain bike trails in Florida. The beach vacation here is also one of the best surfing spots in Florida.
Heading south from West Palm Beach, travelers tend to head directly to the vacation spots of Fort Lauderdale and Miami. But it’s worth getting off I-95 in Deerfield Beach for another Florida sojourn. With just 12 cruise ship-inspired rooms overlooking the sea, the luxury boutique Royal Blues Hotel is a modern hotel clad in teak wood and marble. But there’s still an old-fashioned feel to Deerfield that contrasts with the excitement of South Florida. The beach here is very natural and has been named “Blue Wave Beach” by the Clean Beach Council. Among the many kid-friendly outdoor activities you can do, you can cast a line from a 976-foot-long fishing pier that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean, or boogie board or surf at Deerfield Beach Pier, one of the best places to surf. in Florida. Those with certifications can enjoy the best underwater diving by taking Dixie Divers to the wreck of the Ancient Mariner; a 1930 Coast Guard cutter sitting upright in crystal clear, fish-filled water. Recommended Deerfield Beach restaurants include JB’s on the Beach for the view; The Modern Rose for lunch (twice voted Best Cafe in Florida) and The Cove for seafood.
INFO TIPS Accessible only by boat (with free weekend boat transfers), Deerfield Island Park has spectacular nature trails filled with mangroves and other native Florida flora.
Located about two hours from Orlando and Miami, Vero Beach, one of Florida’s best small beach towns, is located along Florida’s Treasure Coast. This stretch of the state’s Atlantic coast is named after the Spanish treasure fleet that sank here in 17. But luckier still are tourists who find their way to the tranquil sandbars above bustling resorts like Daytona Beach to the north. Made mostly of driftwood and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Driftwood Resort has great family-friendly rooms along with a lively restaurant and bar called Waldo’s overlooking the ocean. For delicious Cuban cuisine and a Caribbean vibe, stop by Gloria and Emilio Estefan’s elegant Wave Kitchen & Bar at the Costa d’Este Beach Resort & Spa. Kimpton Vero Beach Hotel & Spa is another beautiful beachfront property with activities for children and a heated pool for families on vacation. Turtles nest here from March to October; You can see the action on the turtle watching program which takes you to local beaches to see the turtles in action.
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TIPS Sebastian Inlet State Park, north of Vero, is one of the best places in the state to fish (try fishing for flounder or snapper) and also one of the best surfing spots in Florida.
Just 10 miles south of the busy spring break and biker scene of Daytona Beach is one of Florida’s quietest and cheapest beach towns, Ponce Inlet. Built in 1835 and Florida’s largest lighthouse, Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse is the crown jewel of this modest community of about 3,000, and it looks like something you’d see along the coast of Maine. There’s an observation tower and surrounding nature trails to explore, making a visit to the lighthouse one of the most kid-friendly activities you can do here (when you’re not building sandcastles or looking for shells on the beach, of course). Lighthouse Point Park, on the southern tip of the peninsula, has a fine sandy beach and calm waters frequented by playful dolphins. Cool off with a rum-infused cocktail at Hidden Treasure Rum Bar & Grill next to the lighthouse and enjoy Florida’s best seafood at Down the Hatch Seafood Company.
INSTRUCTIONS for paddling in the touch pool and learn about sea turtle and seabird rehabilitation programs with a visit to the Marine Science Center, a fun family outing.
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Located about 2.5 hours north of Tampa on the Gulf Coast, the group of undeveloped islands that make up Cedar Key make for a very different Florida vacation. Here’s getting back to nature and the simple things in focus in one of Florida’s cheapest beach towns. Cedar Key feels like a place where Hemingway hangs his hat. The Cedar Key Seafood Festival, held in October at the start of rock crab season, is a great time to visit as it is one of the few times of the year visitors have access to nearby Seahorse Key (accessible by boat), a protected area. an area of islands with a historic lighthouse that is part of the Cedar Key National Wildlife Refuge. Be sure to try local dishes such as red mullet sauce, oysters and clam chowder. You can rent traditional log cabins on stilts at vacation rentals and plan outdoor activities with companies like Cedar Keys Kayak to see horseshoe crabs, kingfishers and raccoons, as well as visit a 19th-century cemetery for a paddle trip. Campgrounds in Cedar Key include Shell Mound Public Campground, Low Key Private Campground, Motel and Tiki Bar, and RV Campground, Angler RV Campground.
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HOT TIP Anyone you ask for restaurant recommendations will likely point you to Tony’s Seafood Restaurant for its famous clam chowder, but be sure to visit 83 West for the best shrimp and grits in Florida as well.
The historic St. Augustine, America’s oldest city, is one of Florida’s top tourist destinations and can be as busy as an amusement park year-round. Popular travelers choose to visit as a day trip and then bunk north to the quiet beach community of Vilano Beach, one of Florida’s most relaxing vacation spots, where a beautiful beach retreat awaits. Magic Beach Motel is a cool retro hotel with funky murals in the rooms and free breakfast to start your day soaking up the sun and surfing at pristine Vilano Beach, one of the best beaches in Florida for surfing, especially with strong winds or big waves from the east. For the most romantic hotel in town, book into the historic Casa Monica Resort & Spa. The Beach at Vilano is a local favorite for dinner, with outdoor tables overlooking the Tolomato River. Live music accompanies the sunset here and the seafood is second to none.
INSIDE Tips Vilano beach is
