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Florida vacation villas
Florida villas to rent
There are parts of Florida that can be literally out of this world. The state’s east coast transports holidaymakers to the stars because it is the Space Coast.
British families could spent three weeks of their annual holiday along the long east coast and still not discover it all. There is a 200-mile stretch of the east coast from just north of Fort Lauderdale to just north of Daytona Beach that leaves holidaymakers spoiled for choice.
Tracing the east coast on Highway A1A, many turn offs can lead to some amazing holiday finds – secluded beaches, nature reserves and tiny islands. It is a different sort of family Florida holiday but if the kids get restless it is comforting to know that the theme parks of Orlando are just an hour or two’s drive inland.
In a series of four weekly features we are looking at five fab attractions and things to do in each area of the state. This week’s Florida Focus is on the eastern side of the state where the Atlantic rollers have forged beaches so long and wide that you can drive on them.
Florida often sees more than 1.5 million Britons visit in a year, who reckon a nine-hour flight and a slight dose of jetlag are well worth the 3,000-mile trip.
Apart from the diversity of the attractions, the major Florida selling point is its weather. It has virtually year-round sunshine, with consistently-high summer temperatures which average 33°C and even in midwinter, the temperature can be around 23°C.
By American standards Florida is not massive – around 150 miles across its widest point by more than 400 miles long. Yet it rarely seems crowded.
Florida has a very high standard of accommodation to rent, ranging across deluxe villas, apartments and executive homes.
Daytona beach vacation rentals
Daytona Beach – A long wide expanse of beach with the foreshore behind it lined with hotels, bars, restaurants and apartment blocks. An amazing 500 feet wide by almost 23 miles expanse which also takes in Ormond Beach, there is so much room on this beach that holidaymakers used to be able to drive on to the firm sand. This is now restricted for environmental reasons but it does not spoil the holiday fun. This beach was once used for world land speed record attempts and speeds of 276mph were attainable. Elsewhere in Daytona there are some excellent shops, bars and restaurants but the bars can get a bit raucous when the students of America arrive for Spring Break. If wet T-shirt competitions are not your thing then family holidaymakers should check the internet for Spring Break dates. Daytona remains obsessed with speed and one of its major attractions is the International Speedway circuit. Nearby is the Daytona USA museum which exhibits historic racing vehicles and has a number of interactive racing displays. Visitors can book high-speed track drives with experts. Further north, New Smyrna Beach has been dubbed the "safest beach in the world”.
Space Coast
Is a 72-mile stretch of coast that runs roughly from Titusville in the north to Palm Bay. It gets its names from the fact that it is under the flight path of rocket launches from nearby Cape Canaveral. The many beaches offer a grandstand view of Space Shuttles as they soar into the sky. If visitors are looking for uncrowded beaches and roads here, avoid space launch times.
Kennedy Space Centre
Visitors to Cape Canaveral can reach for the stars and catch up on space-age technology. The attraction is known as the home of the Space Shuttle but has been pioneering space exploration since the late 1960s. There are tours of the Apollo/Saturn Visitor Centre with actual rockets as exhibits and the Astronaut Encounter, is an interactive show hosted by real astronauts. Other facilities include a Rocket Garden and an IMAX cinema.
Florida Beaches
The beaches – East-coast beaches, of which Cocoa Beach and Melbourne Beach are just some, have excellent soft sand – some with dunes. Many of them are interspersed with or are part of areas of special natural importance such as Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and the Canaveral National Seashore. Wildlife to be found in the area are bald eagles, alligators, otters and sea turtles.
Palm Beach – Go upmarket in the hang-out for the rich and famous. Palm Beach’s palm-tree lined boulevard’s and a reputation for attracting the rich does not stop holidaymakers from enjoying the beaches, severely bending the credit card in prestigious Worth Avenue or taking in the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens.
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