9 Best Places To Visit In Florida Besides Orlando (2024)

Florida has a shoreline of more than 8000 miles. One of the areas which are highly requested by the tourists is Sunshine state. Other than the sites in Orlando and the likes of Disney Theme Parks, there are so many places to visit in Florida. But you need an appropriate list to guide you because it will be hard to pick spots in Florida to visit and enjoy the entire state.

Florida is a universe of magnificent beaches, breathtaking and diverse wildlife, excellent fishing spots, and unlimited fun for the kids. Let us guide you through the list of best places to visit in Florida besides Orlando.

9. Best Places to Visit In Florida Besides Orlando

1. Tampa:

This place is situated in Florida’s gulf coast on Tampa Bay. Tampa is also known as the symbol of diverse cultural offerings and a modern business hub with great stories. In Tampa, you have this Henry B. Plant Museum, which was established in 1891 as a posh hotel. The museum is quite quirky in form. You can visit Busch Gardens, which your kids would love to play in. Ybor city in the area which was in existence since the early 20th century built by cigar factory workers is one attraction of Tampa.

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Not to Miss: Tampa Bay History Center at downtown and riverwalk should not be missed.

2. ClearWater:

This is one of the most visited places in Florida for families. This is the holiday destination, which is situated between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. This is as long as 3 miles lined with restaurants, bars, fancy hotels. There is this ClearWater Marine Aquarium where the habitat for hurt sea turtles and dolphins is developed, they heal there and also entertain people who visit there. Bright house field is the area in ClearWater where the Phillies baseball team comes to practice.

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Not to miss: An area called Pier 60 is filled with street artists; they come with the intention of an entertaining audience and see the sunset.

3. Destin:

On the Florida Panhandle, you will find a city in the northwest of Florida called Destin. This city is situated on a peninsula that divides Choctawhatchee Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The white powder-like sand on the beaches of Destin is mesmerizing. Fantastic fishing centers and numerous golf courses increase the charm of this city. Kids love the giant duns at Henderson beach state park, and you can also go on a hike because the coast is surrounded by oak and pine trees.

Not to miss: You should not miss the Fort Walton Mound, an archaeological place built in 850A.D. by the Pensacola tribe.

4. Delray Beach:

It is a coastal city in Florida that is relatively small in size but high in notable mentions. The art community is pretty lively in the downtown, such as pineapple grove art district full of marvelous public art and art galleries. There is one more museum called the Cornell Art museum, which holds the place for contemporary art built-in 1913. A creative art school in Florida arranges various art festivals all year round. There are great cafes and restaurant which serves mouth-watering foods.

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Not to miss: Taking the first Friday art walks is a great way to immerse yourself in the art scene of the city, to see a concert and catch a show of some kind.

5. Pensacola:

This is the westernmost city on the shore of Florida Panhandle; it has got an old school charm to it. It divides the Gulf of Mexico and Santa Rosa Island to give birth to an island that is fun for the kids to play. You can always start with Pensacola village, where there are about 19 buildings from the early 19th century, which keeps this historic charm as a museum. Near the area, there are beaches on the corner and aligned with that there is the National naval aviation museum and Fort Barrancas, which was built in 1839.

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Not to miss: By taking the in-depth spiral staircases to the top of Pensacola Lighthouse, which was established in 1859, you can view the entire property from there.

6. Florida Keys:

This is one of the most significant stretches of about 120 miles of tropical islands at the southern side of Florida, dividing the Atlantic ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. You will find the last key among the Florida keys is Key West when you start from the ends of Dry Tortugas National Park to 15 miles from Miami. This is famous among the locals by the name Key Weird. Key West is covered by eminent shops and bars on Duval Street. They celebrate sunset almost every day on Mallory Square. There is the facility on the key that you can hire a boat and get to the place you want to be for fishing, diving, and kayaking.

Not to miss: You can go on a stroll exploring a field of mangroves, try a simple cuisine, quaint, etc.

7. Fort Lauderdale:

Fort Lauderdale is famous for the beautiful boating canals. It is situated 28 miles north of Miami on the southeastern coast of Florida. The best place to start your journey is The Strip, a long line of attractions on the ocean shore. It has posh restaurants, luxury hotels, quirky boutiques, and lively bars in its property. You can visit the International Swimming Hall of Fame, which has all the information about the legends. It would be best to visit the NSU Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale, to get the idea as to what the local artists are doing.

Not to Miss: There is this place called Stranahan House, which was built in 1901, the oldest structure in Fort Lauderdale. Stranahan House is still standing strong.

8. Fort Myers:

This is one of the best places to visit in Florida besides Orlando. To protect the settlers from the Seminole Indians, Fort Myers was built on the shore of Caloosahatchee. Fort Myers has developed its status as a modern commercial center, which acts as a door for sunny south west beaches, attracting thousands of tourists from all over the place. Besides swimming, kayaking, and relaxing on the beach, you can explore Fort Myers in different ways. In Fort Myers downtown, you can pay a visit to these unique museums such as Berne Davis art museum and the Sidney. There is a Lake regional park that has this miniature version of the train, and kids love it.

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Not to miss: You should take a tour guide to the Edison and Ford winter estates where the names like Thomas Alva Edison and Henry Ford spent their wintertime.

9. Gainesville:

On the campus of the University of Florida, this college town is situated. It is one of the largest cities in North Central Florida, about 90 minutes from Jacksonville and the famous Orlando. It has more than 21000 acres of Paynes prairie wilderness, forests are dense and covers the city from all the sides. You can hike and trail on the bicycles for more than 30 miles to see the birds of rarest types, well-fed bison, and alligators of different species. It is the top priority of the outsiders to see and live in Gainesville for some time and then go to their homes.

Not to miss: Visit Quilt Museum, festival and trail, walk through the cedar lakes woods.

Florida has thousands of islands, besides Orlando, it has so much to offer than those theme parks. Beaches, historical structures, and informative museums make Florida the place that it is. We suggest you go through this list of best places to visit in Florida besides Orlando to get help.