All Articles 10 best places to visit in Florida for a winter escape

10 best places to visit in Florida for a winter escape

By Colleen Stinchcombe16 Dec 2021 6 minutes read
Miami, Florida's sky-high buildings reach right up to the turquoise-blue waterline
Miami.
Image: Nisian Hughes/Getty Images

When Northern states get hit with rain, snow, and darkness, Florida represents a sunny paradise with crystal-clear waters, 70-degree days, and an extended flip-flop season. But despite its reputation for doling out regular doses of vitamin D, Florida doesn’t provide all-day beach lounging everywhere across the state. Each of its top destinations has its own appeal, including historic architecture, cultural attractions, and yes, OK, sometimes a lot of beachy fun. Before you make like geese and migrate south for the winter, here’s what you should know about the best warm places to visit in Florida this winter—and what each of them has to offer.

West Palm Beach

A pink sunset glows over downtown West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach.
Image: ddmitr/Getty Images

Palm Beach has a reputation as a place reserved for the one percent, but West Palm Beach—just over the lagoon—has a more down-to-earth feel with prices the rest of the 99% can afford. Shop to your heart’s content in downtown’s four retail districts. Redecorate with stylish home furnishing at Clematis Street, find a one-of-a-kind gift at the funky boutiques at Northwood Village, hunt for treasures that date back to the 18th century on Antique Row, find your next outfit at trendy retailers in the Italian-inspired Rosemary Square, or score a deal at Palm Beach Outlets.

Iconic wintertime experience: For two weeks in January, West Palm Beach hosts the South Florida Fair, the highest-rated fair in the state. Don’t miss its gravity-defying rides, deep-fried treats, and themed exhibits.

Tours and experiences in West Palm Beach

Orlando

Tourists walk toward the castle at Walt Disney World Orlando
Walt Disney World Orlando.

If you’re coming to Orlando, embrace the city’s signature amusement parks. At Universal Orlando Resort, tour Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley with your fellow wizards. Catch a wave at LEGOLAND Water Park or lounge in the lazy river. Want to visit a galaxy far, far away? Blast off to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World Resort. Or for an only-in-Florida attraction, come to Gatorland, where you can zipline over a pond of alligators. (Don’t worry—you're clipped into a harness high above the enclosure the whole time.)

Iconic wintertime experience: Ditch the cold weather but keep the holiday spirit going with a Christmas at Orlando Gaylord Palms, where you can go tube down slick indoor hills, quiz Santa’s elves, and decorate gingerbread houses.

Tours and experiences in Orlando

Miami

A nighttime view of the Miami skyline
Miami.
Image: judsoncarter/Tripadvisor

If you’re looking for culture, Miami has it in spades. Yes, this city has plenty of gorgeous beaches, but its cosmopolitan vibe and Caribbean and Latin American influence set it apart from Florida’s other beach towns. (Read: Pack your fancy clothes.) Catch a live salsa performance, browse colorful Haitian art displays, or dine at spicy seafood shacks.

Iconic wintertime experience: Miami’s best New Year’s Eve event is at Bayfront Park, where you can watch the Big Orange drop when the clock strikes midnight.

Tours and experiences in Miami

Florida Keys

An aerial view of Key West, one of the Florida Keys
Key West.
Image: felixmizioznikov/Getty Images

The Florida Keys don’t have the big, sandy beaches so typical of the Sunshine State—but this chain of tropical islands is surrounded by warm water and offers nonstop water adventures. Snorkel with tropical fish at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park on Key Largo, take a spin on a Jet Ski, or feed a hungry tarpon fish at Robbie’s Marina. Back on dry land, explore the area’s mythic history, including Ernest Hemingway’s 1930s house, now a museum and cat sanctuary.

Iconic wintertime experience: Collect unique souvenir gifts and original artwork at the Key West Holiday Fest, where Christmas lights illuminate your path along the harbor.

Tours and experiences in Florida Keys

Destin

Beach chairs and umbrellas on Crystal Beach
Crystal Beach.
Image: SWMaryland/Tripadvisor

The clear blue-green waters of Destin earned it the nickname “Emerald Coast.” You can spend days here enjoying the pristine water at Crystal Sands Beach, with its top-notch snorkeling and rentable sunbeds, but don’t miss out on shopping (and eating) along the Destin Harbor Boardwalk—our favorite detours include a stop at Boardwalk Fry Co. for hand-cut fries and loading up on bath-time goodies at Naples Soap Company. You can also paddle your way to the nearby boat-access-only sandbar, Crab Island.

Iconic wintertime experience: The four-day 30A Songwriters Festival is a chance to see renowned and up-and-coming songwriters perform across more than 30 venues in Destin.

Tours and experiences in Destin

Tampa

A manatee sticks its face out of the water.
Manatee at Tampa Electric's Manatee Viewing Center.
Image: MamaPat202/Tripadvisor

If you’re looking for a classic beach escape, Tampa isn’t it, but animal lovers will hardly miss the sand when they can come nose-to-nose with their favorite critters here. Spot sleepy sea cows at Tampa Electric’s Manatee Viewing Center, or get up-close with sand tiger sharks and curious otters at The Florida Aquarium. Meet a few members of the world’s second-largest tortoise species, the Aldabra giant, at Zoo Tampa. Or feel like you’ve traveled abroad at Busch Gardens, where you can hand-feed kangaroos and giraffes in their stateside safari.

Iconic wintertime experience: Enjoy 2.6 miles of holly-jolly Christmas lights along the Tampa Riverwalk and join in a mobile scavenger Holiday Hunt.

Tours and experiences in Tampa

Naples

Boat light reflect on the dusky water along Fifth Avenue South in Tampa, Florida
Fifth Avenue South.
Image: marinaelena2018/Tripadvisor

Glamor is just a natural part of Naples. Locally owned art galleries and boutiques line Fifth Avenue South, global luxury brands cluster at Pelican Bay's Waterside Shops, and ritzy golf courses sprawl across the city. But the beaches here have a quieter feel, bordered by residential streets and single-story bungalows. Catch a sunset on Naples Pier or explore Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park by kayak. For a truly remote experience, explore the deserted isles of Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge.

Iconic wintertime experience: Build your own multi-course and multicultural meal from the food trucks at Celebration Park in the Bayshore Arts District. Winter's moderate temperatures make it the best time to enjoy the open-air venue.

Tours and experiences in Naples

Sanibel Island

A thick layer of sun-bleached seashells line the beach at Sanibel Island
Shells on Blind Pass Beach.
Image: JLSThousandOaks_CA/Tripadvisor

There’s no better spot to hunt seashells than Sanibel Island and its smaller sister island, Captiva Island. Keep your eyes peeled for conchs and cockles at Bowman’s Beach or be awed by the pure abundance of shells at Blind Pass Beach. You can even learn about your shell haul at Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum. Not into shell-spotting? No worries. You can cycle the island's 25 miles of bike paths, go birding, or just soak up the sunshine at the island's six public beaches.

Iconic wintertime experience: The area’s winter winds make for great kite flying—and less-than-crowded beaches mean you’ll have plenty of places to practice.

St. Petersburg

St. Pete Pier leads into downtown St. Petersburg
St. Pete Pier.
Image: Bob19512014/Tripadvisor

Once known as a sleepy hub for retirees, St. Petersburg now buzzes with artists and entrepreneurs opening up new businesses and boutiques. But its mainstay attractions have always been worth a trip. Tour The Dali museum, where the building is every bit as surrealist as the artwork it contains. Stretch your legs along Bayshore Drive and Beach Drive, where you’ll pass every kind of seafaring vessel, from glamorous yachts to dinghy-style sailboats. Bring your binoculars to Sand Key Park to see heron, roseate spoonbill, great horned owl, anhinga, and common moorhen eating and nesting amid the salt marsh. And if fishing is your thing—cast a line at the world’s longest fishing pier, the four-mile Skyway Fishing Pier State Park.

Iconic wintertime experience: Go ice skating on St. Pete Pier. Yes, really—the Winter Beach event runs from November 20 to January 17 and provides wraparound views of the ocean and pier from the rink.

Tours and experiences in St. Petersburg

St. Augustine

An actor demonstrates colonial shipbuilding at Colonial Quarter.
Colonial Quarter.
Image: joedespa/Tripadvisor

Nicknamed “America’s Oldest City,” St. Augustine lets travelers do a bit of time-hopping. Take in the 17th-century Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fortress in the U.S., or explore life for early colonists at the living history exhibit Colonial Quarter. To get the lay of the land, tour the city via the hop-on, hop-off Old Town Trolley Tour, which stops at 22 attractions along seven miles. And for a bird’s-eye view, climb Augustine Lighthouse’s 219 steps to the tippy-top for views of Salt Run and Conch Island.

Iconic wintertime experience: St. Augustine’s mesmerizing Night of Lights display runs until January 31. Take a city-wide “lightseeing” tour on everything from a cycle boat to a horse-drawn carriage or a helicopter.

Tours and experiences in St. Augustine

Colleen Stinchcombe
Colleen Stinchcombe writes about outdoor recreation, health, and the environment. Her work has appeared in Outside, Sierra Magazine, and The Seattle Times, among others. When not on assignment or crouched over a laptop, she's likely hiking, biking, or curling up in any available sunbeam at her home near Seattle, WA.