10 Places to Visit on a Florida Road Trip
“The Sunshine State” is one of the most popular travel destinations with millions of visitors each year. The state of Florida has so much to see and do, and a road trip is the perfect way to experience it all. Check out our list of ten places to visit as you make your way through Florida on an unforgettable trip.
As Florida natives, we have had all the time to explore our state. Before we began traveling all over the US, we traveled all over Florida and truly experienced the diverse beauty the state has to offer. While we have dreamt of moving to another state one day, it’s difficult for us to think about leaving Florida. It’s the perfect state for day trips and vacations alike. I grew up going to St. Augustine for annual summer vacations at the beach and spent lots of Saturdays walking the trails at one of Florida’s many state parks. We got engaged on one of our favorite beaches here and honeymooned in the Keys. Most of our best memories were made here. Once you visit, you’ll realize why we love it so much. From locals, here are some of our favorite places!
St. Augustine, Florida
The oldest city in the United States, St. Augustine is full of history and things to do. A ride with Old Town Trolley Tours is one of the best ways to see the city and learn more about it. With 22 stops along the route, you’ll be able to walk down St. George Street, visit the Old Jail, see the Fountain of Youth, and explore the Castillo de San Marcos. If you visit from November to January, check out the Night of Lights, a beautiful holiday display of three million lights adorning the city.
If history isn’t your thing, St. Augustine has some of the best nearby beaches. Vilano Beach, about a ten-minute drive from downtown St. Augustine, is a popular beach for surfers. Located along A1A are several public parking lots with beach access. Our favorite place to park is at North Beach Park; there’s a walking bridge that extends over the road and offers amazing views of the beach below. Crescent Beach is another one of our favorites. It is often less crowded as there is only one main public access lot located here in between several rental properties.
St. Petersburg, Florida
Located in the Tampa Bay Area, St. Petersburg is known for its close to perfect weather and its artistic vibe. The Dali Museum is a great place to see artwork by the renowned artist, Salvador Dali as well as other rotating art installations. We visited back in the summer and spent hours just staring at his creative work. There are also several murals around the city, one of the most popular being the “You are my Sunshine” mural located at the corner of 7th and Central Avenue. Check out Paradeco Coffee, an art deco themed coffee shop with the best lavender lattes.
St. Pete also has many pretty beaches to visit. One of our favorites is Fort de Soto Park. With plenty of parking and mild crowds, this beach is quiet and relaxing. After our visit, we referred to this beach as the sand dollar beach, because the shore was lined with more sand dollars than we had ever seen before. The one downside to this park is there is a toll road you have to use to access the park. The toll only ended up being under a dollar when we visited back in 2019.
Anna Maria Island
While we do love the beach, I promise there is more than just beaches on this list. Grab a coffee at North Shore Café and take a picture at their postcard wall before walking around this cute little beach town. We only spent an afternoon here, but we loved every minute of it. It is definitely a slow paced, island time sort of place, so take your time and enjoy it.
Sarasota
If you’re visiting Anna Maria Island, you have to make the short drive up to Sarasota just to visit the Ringling Museum. The gardens and Ca d’Zan alone are worth the visit. Admission is free on Mondays but expect it to be crowded.
West Palm Beach
A city with luxury homes and high-end retailers, it’s a city for shopping and fine dining. We enjoyed walking up and down Worth Avenue and visiting nearby Juno Beach during our visit. If you’re in the area, you have to visit Grandview Public Market. They have so many delicious food options and we really loved the outdoor atmosphere. It’s a fun place for Instagram photos too!
Key West
Key West with its chocolate covered key lime pie on a stick holds a special place in my heart. There are so many amazing things to do here, one of our favorite things being visiting Kermit’s Key Lime Shoppe and trying all the lime-flavored treats. We have joked about ordering a case of the chocolate covered key lime pie and having it sent to us for our anniversary one year. Maybe we’ll just visit the Keys again instead. We spent our very short honeymoon here but packed a lot of sightseeing into two days. On the way into Key West, we stopped at Bahia Honda State Park. It’s a great place for snorkeling and the Old Bahia Honda Bridge Trail overlooks the bright blue water below. A super touristy thing to do is to take a photo at the Southernmost Point. There is always a line of people waiting for a photo, but it is nice to have someone available to take your picture behind you. We chose to park nearby and walk around to explore. Another great photo spot is the postcard wall at Cuban Coffee Queen. The coffee here is also some of the best we’ve ever had, and the Cuban sandwiches were great too. We took them to Smathers Beach for a picnic lunch, and while it wasn’t our favorite beach in Key West, it was still very pretty. There are several excursion options in the Keys, and we booked a sail, snorkel, and sailing day trip with Danger Charters. It was about a four hour experience and one we would highly recommend. Fort Zachary Taylor is another historic fort to visit with a beautiful beach beside it. We would have loved to visit Dry Tortugas National Park, however it can only be accessed by boat or sea plane, both of which require advance reservations and fill up quickly. We would recommend booking at least 6 months in advance.
Ichetucknee Springs State Park
Florida has several natural springs you can visit, but Ichetucknee is actually the only one we’ve ever visited. There are two entrances, the North Entrance and South Entrance. The North Entrance has the famous Blue Hole, a cave system that can be explored if you are scuba certified. If you don’t wish to dive, you can snorkel or observe the turquoise blue waters from the entry stairs. For tubing and kayaking, the North Entrance launch area is currently closed due to construction. However, the South Entrance has on site tube and kayak rentals and a tram that will take you to the midpoint launch, Dampier’s Landing. Weekends tend to be very crowded, so we tend to visit in the early mornings or on a weekday.
30A, Florida
Alys Beach, Florida
Known as Florida’s luxury beach community, Alys Beach seems like another world. It’s elegant white architecture and stunning homes are a perfect contrast to the beautiful blue hues of the Gulf of Mexico. We loved walking up and down every street taking it all in. Check out our weekend itinerary to neighboring Rosemary Beach here.
Rosemary Beach, Florida
Past Alys Beach is Rosemary Beach, another beautiful area of 30A that is worth a visit. The vibe is completely different but equally as charming. One of the best ways to see both towns is by bike. There are several rentals available, and all conveniently located. We rented from Peddlers.
Walt Disney World
This wouldn’t be a post about our beloved state of Florida without mentioning the “happiest place on earth.” There are so many wonderful planning resources available elsewhere for a trip to the Disney parks, but we had to include it on our list. From my first trip at age 6 to my bachelorette weekend, Disney World will always hold the sweetest and best memories. Ticket information can be found here.
Florida is full of adventure and fun! Enjoy your trip in “The Sunshine State”!
