Compare Florida holidays

The steamy swamps and tangled mangroves of the Everglades National Park cover a whopping 1.5 million acres of Florida's mainland, while the Keys boast the only living coral barrier reef in the United States. Both coastlines are peppered with white-sand beaches, with the Gulf providing calmer seas than the lively Atlantic.

Don’t disregard Florida when it comes to culture, either. Miami is a powerhouse of art and architecture, with a current of Latino culture flowing in from Cuba. But this party hotspot is just the start. From St Augustine in the north, with its colonial history, to the artsy, non-conformist spirit of Key West in the south, Florida can charm with brains as well as beauty.

Orlando’s theme parks become jam-packed as soon as the schools are out, so parents will need to book early to keep costs down. If you aren’t constrained by school holidays, you can unearth some great bargains between January and Easter, when the weather is mild and most children are in class.

Magical on a monumental scale, Orlando's theme parks bowl over little and big kids alike. You can spend some serious time among them and still not experience it all, particularly at Walt Disney World and Universal (the big two), which both comprise multiple theme and waterparks.

Ride the rollercoasters, splash down the slides, and find fictional characters and worlds brought thrillingly to life, from Harry Potter and Star Wars to Despicable Me and Toy Story.

Everglades National Park

Alligators, bottlenose dolphins, spoonbills and manatees can all be spotted in this vast subtropical wilderness of mangroves, marshes and woodlands, nicknamed the ‘River of Grass’ by its Native American communities.

There are numerous visitor centres dotted around this 1.5 million acre preserve, where you can zip across the swampy surface in an airboat, kayak through twisted mangroves, hike along overgrown trails, and feel thousands of miles away from the bustle of Miami’s nightlife or Orlando’s theme parks.

Kennedy Space Center

Find out what it’s like to blast-off into space, touch a moon rock and meet real astronauts at the Kennedy Space Center. This staggering slice of space exploration history on Florida’s Atlantic coast takes you on a journey from NASA’s birth through to its future missions, via plenty of interactive exhibits.

You can walk among the giant rockets from the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programmes, have a go on astronaut training simulators and get a sense of what landing back on earth feels like on the Re-entry Slide.

St Augustine

For a peek into Florida's bygone days, take a trip to St Augustine, a city that claims to be the oldest in the United States. Amble along cobblestone streets, sip coffee in charming cafes and discover Florida's swashbuckling history at the 17th-century fort on the waterfront, Castillo de San Marcos.

It’s next to the Colonial Quarter, a living history experience where you can see blacksmithing and demonstrations of historic firearms. There are many small-scale historic sites, including a Maritime Museum at the lighthouse. Beware, it’s reputedly haunted.

Miami

In many ways, Miami is a theme park for adults, with world-class shopping malls, beaches strewn with beautiful people, a cutting-edge cultural scene and a cuisine fragrant with Latin, Caribbean and soul food influences.

Don’t miss the city’s Art Deco architecture along Ocean Drive, the alfresco street art gallery Wynwood Walls or the Cuban culture of Little Havana. You'll find something eye-opening around every corner – the nightlife is jumping, the climate is sizzling and the vibe is unreservedly hip.

For beach holidays, the Gulf Coast tends to trump the Atlantic for young families, with calm, warm water and some of the finest white-sand beaches in the world. Teens who’d like to give surfing a go will love the east coast – Cocoa Beach has great beginners’ breaks.

For travellers on a budget

Orlando can run the gamut from upscale to budget, and so you can find bargain hotel choices there, particularly outside peak season. For great value villas, choose the neighbouring city of Kissimmee, which is convenient for access to Disney.

When it comes to beach resorts, New Smyrna Beach on the Atlantic coast has cheap apartment rentals, and on the Gulf side, Bradenton Beach and Anna Maria Island have great value apartments and homes with pools. In the Keys, Marathon Key has more affordable accommodation than either the Upper or Lower Keys.

For food and drink

Melting-pot Miami has a culinary scene to shout about, with everything from high-end dining down to food trucks. Cuban sandwiches and cortaditos (espresso with an equal amount of warm milk) dominate around Little Havana, but you’ll also find Peruvian Downtown, Thai in Coconut Grove and Greek in South Beach. If you visit between October and May, don’t miss tucking into stone crab claws, a Miami signature dish.

For an up-and-coming food scene focused on local sourcing, stay in Tampa Bay. Many young, exciting chefs have made this laid-back city their home, and you can taste the best of their talents at riverside street-food markets Armature Works and Sparkman Wharf.

For nightlife

Miami’s rooftop bar scene is legendary, with skyline sunset cocktails a must. Afterwards, tailor the night to your preferences – party at South Beach’s mega clubs, hang out with hipsters at Wynwood’s beer gardens and music venues, or chill out in one of Coconut Grove’s chilled waterfront bars.

Key West may be small, but this little island packs in an incredible number of bars within its borders – and it knows how to party. Head to Mallory Square for lively sunset celebrations, then bar crawl along Duval Street – there are more than 300 to choose from.

For culture

For avant-garde culture, you can’t beat Miami. Wynwood and the Design District are the epicentre of visual arts, South Beach has Art Deco architecture and a Frank Gehry-designed concert hall, and Miami Beach has a 30-acre Museum Park – not to mention the living cultural influences in Little Havana and Little Haiti. For a more low-key stay, St Petersburg has a host of world-class attractions across seven arts districts.

There are pockets of culture throughout the state. Explore history in the Atlantic coast town of St Augustine, one of the earliest European settlements in the nation, and find literary links in Key West, where Tennessee Williams and Ernest Hemingway lived.