Destination Spotlight - Gulf Coast - Florida USA

Florida is known as the "Sunshine State", famed for its warm year-round climate, its exciting theme parks and sandy beaches.  The State has promoted itself to tourists since the mid 19th century but it was the development of Walt Disney World in the mid 1960s that confirmed Florida as a top international tourist destination.  Whilst many of the thousands that visit Florida each year get no further than the attractions and entertainments of Orlando, both the gulf and gold coasts of the State are growing in popularity amongst Europeans and are developing their tourist trade.

Florida’s Gulf Coast, bordered by the warm Pacific waters, offers a welcome respite from the brashness of Orlando.  Here you will find lively towns and quiet villages alongside long sandy beaches, small islands and expanses of hidden swampland. Some of the southern coastline is still fairly undeveloped and many visitors come simply to kick back and chill out.

A quick tour of the Gulf Coast

Tampa is the largest city along the Gulf Coast, offering a thriving business community, a collection of fine museums and a buzzing nightlife. Having begun life as a small community supporting a US Army base, Tampa flourished thanks to a thriving port and cigar rolling production. The latter attracted a large Cuban population which contributes to the cultural diversity and atmosphere of the city today. A range of tourist attractions can be found in and around the city. The Florida Aquarium can be found at the dockside offering shark tanks, dive shows and a catamaran tour around the bay. A minimum of 4 hours is recommended to take in Tampa’s Museum of Science and Industry - an ideal family day out; here you will find dinosaur exhibitions, IMAX theatre shows, planetarium shows and a butterfly garden. You can also experience a hurricane or a jet plane flight and there’s a specially designed interactive science centre for children aged 12 and under.

Just outside Tampa is Ybor City. Once home to a busy Cuban cigar-making community which declined in the post-depression era, the city is now undergoing something of a revival and tourists are regularly drawn to the lively nightlife whilst the old cigar factory has been renovated to house a variety of trendy shops and restaurants.

Busch Gardens ,near Tampa, is one of Florida's most popular theme parks offering a variety of exhilarating rides including "Gwazi", a large wooden rollercoaster and "SheiKra", the first dive coaster to incorporate an Immelmann loop, a water feature, and a second drop through an underground tunnel. The park also offers one of the country's foremost zoos with over 2,700 animals, live shows, restaurants and shops – more than enough to keep the whole family happy!

Across Tampa Bay, you will find the Pinellas Peninsula, home to the resorts of St Petersburg and Clearwater.

St Petersburg calls itself "the city of the arts" and boasts 6 local museums including the Florida Holocaust Museum, the Florida International Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Salvador Dali Museum. The latter holds a permanent and comprehensive collection of Dali’s work including 96 oil paintings. Guided tours, including child-friendly family tours on a Saturday are available. The Sunken Gardens botanical attraction is over 100 years old and home to some of the region's oldest tropical plants. Here you will also find a popular interactive museum for children "Great Explorations". Downtown, the Pier has been revitalized by year-round entertainment and events including "PierFest" and the Children's Fishing Tournament.

Head west to the coast and you’ll find some of Florida’s busiest beaches. Pinellas Peninsula’s white-sand beaches stretch for over 35 miles along a collection of barrier islands. Fort De Soto beach, at the tip of the peninsula, is one of the most popular, voted “The Best Beach in America 2005”. The Fort de Soto Park is a popular recreation area with boat launch facilities, camp sites, picnic areas and a playground. Other beaches in the St Petersburg/Clearwater area include St Pete Beach, Redington Shores, Redington Beach, Sunshine Shores and Sunset Shores. Outdoor activities here are plentiful including sailing, fishing, cycling and bird-watching. The Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary can be found on the beach at Indian Shores, offering visitors the chance to see birds such as the brown pelican and white egret.

 

Destination Spotlight - Gulf Coast - Florida USA

Clearwater Beach caters well for tourists with a variety of seafront vendors selling everything from hot dogs to sun tan cream.There are pirate and fishing trips, sailing charters, dinner cruises, dolphin tours and parasailing available from the marina or landlubbers can take the "Jolley Trolley" down Mandaley Avenue from one end of the beach to the other. Children will enjoy the Marine Aquarium or the sunset festival entertainment and playground at Pier60. The third week in October welcomes the Clearwater Jazz Festival. Free to the public, this four day festival showcases some of the greatest talents of jazz against a backdrop of brilliant sunsets and one of the world's finest beaches.

To the south of Tampa Bay, back on the mainland and lying across the Manatee River, is the city of Bradenton. The Bradenton area has a number of sandy beaches and parks including Lake Manatee Park, a 548 acre recreation area. The area also offers an abundance of shopping opportunities including Main Street at Lakewood Ranch, a fashionable shopping district with speciality boutiques and a gourmet market. And, if you fancy making the most of the exchange rate, just north of Bradenton, you will find the Prime Outlet Centre with 130 factory stores including Gap, Banana Republic, Ralph Lauren and Coach.  For a spot of refreshment after all that shopping, visit the Rosa Fiorelli Winery, just south of Lake Manatee. This award winning business offers vineyard tours and wine tasting. Other attractions include the Village of the Arts and the South Florida Museum

To the west of Bradenton, Anna Maria Island is accessed by two bridges from the mainland and is divided into three municipalities, Anna Maria at the northern end, Holmes Beach in the centre and Bradenton Beach at the southern tip. Anna Maria retains a friendly small-town atmosphere and boasts a seven-mile long beach bordered by tall pines. Visitors come here to get away from it all and the attractions tend to be natural rather than man-made. The beaches here are a nesting ground for loggerhead turtles and the surrounding waters are home to bottle-nosed dolphins and manatees.

Continuing south down the mainland will bring you to the well-to-do town of Sarasota, on the shores of Sarasota Bay. This is home to the Ringling Museum Complex encompassing a Venetian Gothic mansion and a collection of European Baroque paintings. Downtown you will find a good collection of bookshops and a selection of lovely cafes. The popular white-sand beaches of Sarasota lie on the barrier islands of Lido Key and Siesta Key. Other local attractions include the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, the Sarasota Classic Car Museum, Sarasota Jungle Gardens and G-Wiz, the Hands On Science Museum.

The abundance of pre-historic fossils of sharks teeth and other marine creatures along its shores has earned Venice the title "Shark Tooth Capital of the World" and every August visitors flock for the annual "Shark Tooth and Seafood Festival". Along the 14 miles of gulf beaches, Venice municipal beach and Caspersen beach are two of the best locations for a spot of fossil hunting. Diving is also popular here due to the coral reef which lies less than half a mile offshore.

Further along the coast, Englewood and Rotonda are coastal communities with long stretches of beautiful, sandy beaches and plenty of privately owned self-catering accommodation. Water sports, fishing and boat charters are available from local marinas and there are 3 championship golf courses in the locality. The area is also served by a variety of supermarkets, stores and restaurants.

Fort Myers is perhaps most famous for being the winter home of Thomas Edison in his later years. Visitors now enjoy guided tours of his home with its exotic gardens and interesting museum. Henry Ford's winter home, next door, is also open to the public. From here, visit Fort Myers Beach across the bridge on Estero Island or cross the causeway to the islands of Sanibel and Captiva. The islands are famous for their laid back atmosphere, beautiful beaches and the wide variety of shells that can be found along the shore. Discover the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island offering nature exhibits and walking trails. Other attractions include the Sanibel Historical Village and Museum which depicts the area’s history back to the time of the Calusa Indians.

 

Destination Spotlight - Gulf Coast - Florida USA

Back on the mainland, Naples offers excellent shopping, numerous art galleries, fine restaurants and a number of challenging golf courses. The Naples Zoo is a popular local attraction with families. Naples is on the doorstep of the Everglades National Park and the area offers a number of airboat and eco-tours for close encounters with the local wildlife.

Just south of Naples, measuring four miles wide by six miles long, Marco Island is a popular beach destination whose population more than doubles during the high season from January to March. Visitors are welcomed at South Marco Beach and Tigertail beach which has a child’s play area, showers and refreshments. There are also two residents’ only beaches. The area is a nesting area for many birds including Least Terns and Black Skimmers and various species of Sandpipers. Herons, egrets, ibis, turns, sandpipers, plovers and gulls can all be seen in the tidal bay between Tigertail Beach and Sand Dollar Island. If you are lucky, you may even spot the odd Osprey overhead. Water sports are popular activities here and there are many sea excursions and fishing trips available locally as well as yacht charter and sailing schools.

In 1947 the Everglades was declared a National Park and protects rare and endangered species such as the American crocodile and Florida panther. The eerie landscape of mangrove swamps and sawgrass prairies has been portrayed in many Hollywood films but there is no substitute for getting up close and personal with this fascinating eco-system. There are a variety of park tours available including National Park Ranger-led tours and activities. An air-boat ride through the swamp is a truly exhilarating experience that should not be missed.

 

How to get there

There are many flights into Orlando (Sanford) from the UK with charter operators such as Thomson, First Choice and Airtours although they tend to operate fewer flights and departure points in the winter than the summer months. Virgin Atlantic offer direct flights to Orlando from London Gatwick and Manchester. BA offer direct flights from Gatwick to Tampa and Orlando. Both of these scheduled operators also offer direct flights from Heathrow to Miami.

There are also airports in Fort Myers, St Petersburg, Naples and Sarasota. Flying into one of these regional airports usually involves a stop elsewhere in the States. For example, US Airways offer flights from Manchester and Gatwick to Fort Myers via Philadelphia; Continental offers flights to Fort Myers from Gatwick and Manchester via Newark; NorthWest Airways offers flights from Gatwick via Detroit to Sarasota; Delta offers flights from Gatwick to Sarasota, via Newark; Continental offers flights from Gatwick to Tampa, via Houston and United Airlines offers flights from Heathrow to Tampa via Washington or Chicago. These are just a small selection of the possible variations but, if you want to cut down your driving time, flying into one of the regional airports further down the coast could be your best option. The flights are often priced similarly, if not cheaper, than flying directly into Orlando.

Car hire in Florida starts from under £15 per day with pick-up points across the State including Kissimmee, Orlando, Sanford, Miami, Naples, St Petersburg, Clearwater, Fort Myers, Sarasota, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Key West.

To get to the gulf coast resorts from Orlando, follow the I-4 until it joins MidWest I-75 which follows the coast, close to all the main holiday resorts from Tampa to Naples.

 

General Information

Florida is 4 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time

Flight time is approximately 8 hours from the UK

The currency is the American Dollar (£1 is currently equal to about 1.9U$)

 

Climate

The Floridian climate is renowned for being pleasant year round. November through to April is usually warm and mostly dry. This is high season in southern Florida, when the Canadians fly south for warmer weather. During these months, you’ll find local accommodation prices are usually at their highest. May through to October is hot and humid. Although, when it does rain, it is usually in short bursts and often in the late afternoon. June to November is the hurricane season.

January is usually the coolest month whilst July and August tend to be the hottest and most humid.

 

Where to stay

There is a vast array of accommodation along the Gulf Coast of Florida. Privately-owned holiday villas are plentiful, offering self-catering facilities and, more often than not, a private covered pool. There are also many international, resort-style hotels and smaller guesthouses along the coast. The following are some popular hotel options:

 

What to eat

The Americans take their food seriously and portions can be large – don’t worry if you can’t eat it all in one sitting, your waiter will be happy to parcel it up for you to take home!

There are many restaurants along the Gulf Coast, offering a wide variety of culinary delights and whilst there are a number of fine dining establishments, many eateries are family friendly with children’s menus and crayons to hand.

• Seafood – there are many specialty restaurants but wherever you eat, there will often be shrimp, florida snapper, grouper, stone crab or tuna on the menu
• Key Lime Pie
• Florida Oranges
• Gator Jambalaya - if you’re feeling adventurous!
• Florida gumbo - seasoned oysters, shrimp and fish served with rice
• Smoked mullet
• Orange - Cranberry Pork Chops
• Chocolate orange brownies
• Cinnamon rolls
• Corn bread
• Blueberry French toast
• Cuban sandwich – invented in Tampa, this sandwich is made with a soft baguette-like white bread, usually made with lard. It is spread with mustard mixed with mayo and some hot sauce, and then layered with your chosen filling.
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What to buy

• Fossilised sharks teeth from Naples
• Art & paintings from one of the many galleries in Naples or St Petersburg
• Clothing, luggage or accessories from one of the many malls or factory outlet villages such as Prime Outlet Mall, north of Bradenton
• Wine from one of the wineries around St Petersburg (Florida Orange Groves Winery), Clearwater (Murielle Winery), Alva (Eden Wineries) or Bradenton (Rosa Fiorelli Winery)
• Christmas Decorations from one of the many year-round Christmas stores

 

Destination Spotlight - Gulf Coast - Florida USA

Activities

Golf
Florida is almost as well known for its golf courses as it is theme parks and enthusiasts will not be disappointed along the Gulf Coast – Florida boasts over 1,000 courses and there are over 80 in the Naples area alone! Many hotels have their own courses and there are numerous golfing communities where you’ll find private villas to rent. The courses are open year-round but quietest during the summer months from May through to October.

Fishing
The beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel are known as the "Tarpon capital of the world" and fisherman flock here every spring to fish the Boca Grande Pass. The name of the game however is "Catch and Release" as there is a 50$ state permit fee to kill a Tarpon.

For those interested in sea-fishing, there are many charters and fishing trips for all levels of angler – these are available from all along the coast, including Marco Island, Sarasota, Fort Myers Beach, Clearwater and Tarpon Springs. Try your hand at hooking shark, barracuda, black fin tuna and Spanish and king mackerel. There are also miles of shoreline, countless oyster bars and acres of sea grass beds that attract an abundance of salt water fish.

For the fresh water angler, Rotonda has miles of canals and numerous golf course lakes offering some excellent bass and catfish. Other popular areas include the freshwater canals in Cape Coral and the Caloosahatchee River. Local freshwater fish include bass, crappie, blue gill and catfish.

If you don't fancy bobbing about on the water, there are ample fishing opportunities from the piers and bridges. Popular spots in the St Petersburg/Clearwater area include Long Pier at Redington Beach, Pier60, St Petersburg Pier, Fort De Soto Park and The Friendship Trail Park at Gandy Bridge for Spanish mackerel, red drum, speckled trout and snook.

Canoeing & Kayaking
Many enthusiasts head for Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, which encompasses 110,000 acres of uplands, islands, and estuaries from Gordon Pass at Naples to Everglades National Park. There is a visitor centre between Marco and Naples, south of US 41 on Tower Road.

Fort Myers Beach & Sanibel are also known for good kayaking – paddle through Pine Island's aquatic preserves for a good look at the local birdlife

Twelve miles of the Myakka River flow through the Myakka State Park attracting enthusiasts with its beautiful scenery and abundant wildlife. Canoes can be hired from the Myakka River Outpost.

Cycling
Boca Ciega Millennium Park in Seminole, Pinellas County has nature trails as well as pedestrian and cycle paths.

Sanibel island offers 17 miles of protected cycle paths, ideal for families. Local companies hire a range of bikes including tandems and accessories for children.

Fort de Soto Park on the Pinellas Peninsula has a 7 mile recreation trail where visitors may run, bike, rollerblade or walk

The Pinellas Trail is a unique linear park covering 50 miles from St Petersburg to Tarpon Spring with cycle and hiking paths

Caloosahatchee Regional Park, Alva offers a 10 mile looped mountain bike trail over rolling terrain with the opportunity of spotting wild boar, deer and gopher tortoises. Bike hire is available in the park.

Myakka River is one of Florida’s largest State Parks with ample facilities for walking and cycling. There are seven miles of flat, paved roads for cyclists as well as back-country dirt roads (depending on the weather). Cycles can be hired in the park.

Many of the parks which offer cycle tracks have daylight hours of opening and regulations including wearing a helmet so it is always worth checking any local restrictions at the park information centres or cycle hire shops before you set off.

Diving

A popular diving spot is the coral reef less than half a mile offshore from Naples Municipal Beach

 

Destination Spotlight - Gulf Coast - Florida USA

Bird watching

Florida attracts "twitchers" from all over the world, drawn by the vast array of migratory and resident birdlife.The South West Florida Birding Festival takes place on the 19-21 January 2007 providing an excellent opportunity to learn about the rich bird life of this region. There will be guided trips and expert presentations. Full details can be found on the Rookery Bay website (see below)

The estuaries, inlets, back-waters and country parks provide many bird-watching opportunities along the Gulf Coast some of the most popular locations are listed below:

• Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary in Sarasota is one of the largest Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Centers in the U.S., and home to over 70 species of Florida's native and migratory birds.
• The Rookery Bay mangrove estuary, just south of Naples, is home to over 150species of birds including bald eagles, ospreys, roseate spoonbills, black skimmers, and least terns.
• The Sanibel Lighthouse at the eastern tip of the island is a prime viewing spot, particularly during the October migration. Birds spotted here include warblers and Peregrine falcons.
• The Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve near Fort Myers has a boardwalk trail and observation decks for visitors, where you can spy wild turkeys, blue jay, herons and woodpeckers as well as a variety of other wildlife. Other visitors include bobcats, raccoons,deer and squirrel.
• The "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island is a hotspot for migratory bird populations and serves as a stopover for a number of species, including egrets and night herons.
• The riverfront at Caloosahatchee Regional Park, Alva is home to blue egrets and great blue herons as well as a vast array of other local wildlife and plant species.
• Honeymoon Island State Recreation Area, Dunedin has an Osprey trail for a rare glimpse of these magnificent birds in their natural habitat.

 

Reading to get you in the mood

The Rough Guide to Florida by Mark Ellwood, Todd Obolsky, and Ross Velton

Drivesafe Abroad (a guide to road signs) by Neil Farley and Ceri Williams

Florida Gulf Coast (Moon Handbooks) by Laura Reiley

Cross Creek by Marjorie Rawlings Kinnan

The Language of Sharks by Pat MacEnulty

Nine Florida Stories by Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Kevin McCarthy

Beachcomber's Guide to Gulf Coast Marine Life: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida (Beachcomber's Guide) by Susan B. Rothschild and Nick Fotheringham

The Florida Cookbook: From Gulf Coast Gumbo to Key Lime Pie by Jeanne Voltz and Caroline Stuart

A selection of local events

 

Destination Spotlight - Gulf Coast - Florida USA

Top Tips

• Seat belts must be worn by the driver and front passenger.  The appropriate child seats and restraints must be used for all passengers under 12 years old.
• Do not drink and drive
• It is legal to turn right at a red traffic light as long as there is no traffic coming and there is no sign telling you otherwise.
• If you are in a crash you must stop.  However, if your car is blocking the traffic you are advised to move it out of the way if possible.
• The Financial Responsibility Law requires drivers to be financially responsible for damages and/or injuries they may cause to others when a motor vehicle crash happens. This law requires any person to have bodily injury liability insurance at the time of any of the following:

A crash where you are at fault and injuries have occurred.
A suspension for too many points against your driver license.
A citation for DUI, which results in a revocation.
A revocation for Habitual Traffic Offender.
A revocation for any serious offense where this department is required to revoke your license.

• All our car hire packages in the USA include the minimum insurance coverage required by law.  In Florida this is as follows:

$10,000 Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) (to one person).
$20,000 Bodily Injury Liability to two or more persons.
$10,000 Property Damage Liability (PDL), or
$30,000 Combined single limits.

• At four-way stops, the first vehicle to arrive should move forward first. If two vehicles reach the intersection at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
• Passing on the right is legal when there are two or more lanes of traffic moving in the same direction or the vehicle you are passing is making a left turn
• Remember to park on the right side of the roadway, with your car facing in the same direction as the traffic flow,  unless it is a one-way street
• Do not park within 15 feet of a fire hydrant
• Many of the turnpikes around Orlando are toll roads – remember to keep some cash handy to pay.