Mile upon mile of white and golden sandy beaches drenched in warm Florida sunshine yearround await you on the Gulf Coast, where the friendly, laidback resorts are far removed from the bustle of city life and make the ideal complement to time spent in Orlando. Florida’s Gulf Coast runs from lively Clearwater and St. Pete’s in the north, via chilled-out Sanibel and Captiva, to stylish Naples and Marco Island in the south. The resorts are all very different, but the basic ingredients remain the same - fun-filled days bathed in seemingly endless sunshine. Whether your idea of relaxation is a round of golf, dolphin or manatee-spotting, shell hunting or just catching up with the latest novels on the beach, this is the ideal place to chill out and unwind.

Clearwater Beach
Just two hours’ drive from Orlando, Clearwater Beach attracts many British holidaymakers with its soft, white, sandy beaches and a record-breaking 360 days of sunshine a year! It has a relaxed, laid-back atmosphere and retains the feel of an endearing small-town holiday resort. The more exclusive and largely residential Sand Key is a quieter alternative, and boasts another great beach at pretty Sand Key Park. Nearby Tampa provides one of Florida’s biggest attractions - the white-knuckle rides at Busch Gardens.

St. Petersburg
Also known as St. Pete’s, this neighbouring resort to
Clearwater offers a similarly relaxed pace of life, ideal for those wanting to lie on a beach all day and soak up the sun. Culturally, it is home to some fine museums, including the Salvador Dali Museum, which contains some of his most famous works. In the evenings, enjoy a choice of restaurants, live music bars or nightclubs or head into nearby Tampa to sample the nightlife of historic Ybor City.

Sarasota
The diverse and colourful city of Sarasota has a relaxed, friendly atmosphere and is regarded as the cultural capital of the Gulf Coast, with opera, ballet and theatre among its many attractions. It is also home to white, sandy beaches and the world-class shopping at chic St. Armand’s Circle on Lido Key, just across the bay. Don’t miss the fascinating
Ringling Estate, an extravagant mansion and art museum displaying the private collection of John Ringling, thelegendary American circus promoter. Activities in Sarasota include cycling, fishing, golf and tennis.

Fort Myers, Sanibel & Captiva
The relatively undiscovered city of Fort Myers offers the fascinating museum and winter home of Thomas Edison, plus the fun and lively beach resort of Fort Myers Beach, whose gently-sloping shoreline makes it ideal for families.

Naples
A charming resort destination with an atmosphere of understated elegance, offering everything you need for an active or relaxing holiday, not least its wonderful white, powdery beaches. Shopping is an art form, from the chic boutiques along downtown’s Fifth Avenue to the souvenir shops at the attractive ‘Tin City’ marina development. Naples offers an awesome choice of fine restaurants and,
with over 50 golf courses, it really is a golfer’s paradise.

Marco Island
This exclusive tropical island, Florida’s largest, lies around ten miles south of Naples and offers some beautiful beaches and a relaxed ‘town centre’ with plenty of shops and restaurants. Marco Island, being close to the nearby Everglades National Park, is home to a variety of natural habitats, and you can spend your days visiting a number of bird and wildlife sanctuaries, enjoying a dolphin-spotting cruise or cycling around the island’s lush interior.