Being a peninsula, Florida has more oceanfront beaches than any other state in the country. In addition to the sun, the sand, exciting cities, fascinating people, and cultural combinations of food and attractions, Florida is also home to the best beach cities designed for family fun and enjoyment.
1. West Palm Beach
The most popular family action takes place in downtown West Palm Beach at CityPlace. Family FunFest takes place every second Sunday each month. It’s chock-full of family fun and events. Huge discounts at the stores, live music, clowns, Star Wars characters, and superheroes keep the family entertained.
West Palm Beach is also home to family fun spots like the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, with three large venues offering entertainment from Broadway to classical, from pop music to opera. Lion Country Safari promises more than 900 wild animals, including rhinos, zebras, lions, and giraffes.
Kids will love the Airboat Rides West Palm Beach, whose luxury airboats glide through the Florida Everglades. Black Sparrow Pirate Adventures sweeps the family away on the Black Sparrow Pirate Ship to search for lost treasure and the pirates on Peanut Island.
2. Fort Lauderdale
It’s not just a beach vacation getaway for college students on summer break. Fort Lauderdale is also home to the cosmopolitan attractions located on Olas Boulevard, the Everglades Nature Center, and excellent deep-sea fishing excursions.
Families love the Barbie Dreamhouse Experience, with its two life-sized houses that includes pink elevators, Barbie fashions, and the walk-in “glitterizer.” The VIP Megastar Experience grants you access to the “Rockstar Stage” and Barbie’s “Fashion Runway.”
Billie Swamp Safari is great fun for the family with airboat rides, Native American culture, and the Swamp Buggy tours. The Buehler Planetarium on the Broward Community College campus takes you right into outer space. Finally, the Bluefoot Pirate Adventures promises fun face painting and lessons in pirate slang. Then it’s off on a pirate adventure for treasure and a battle against “Barnacle Bill” who uses real water cannons on the high seas.
3. Miami
It’s not just glitzy nightlife in Miami, there are family/kid-friendly adventures as well, from swimming at Biscayne Bay, to the year-round festivals – the most family friendly being the Calle Ocho Carnival.
Beyond the sun and surf, come visit the 2,000-alligator strong Everglades Alligator Farm. Perhaps you’d rather enjoy a dolphin show at the Miami Seaquarium where you can meet “Flipper” from the 1960s TV show. Of course, there’s the opportunity to see the rarest animals in the world like lemurs, orangutans, and ligers at Jungle Island. The animal theme continues with the Zoo Miami, which features meerkats, monkeys, rhinos, Komodo dragons, and flamingos. But if you’d rather be the animals in displays, come to the South Dade Monkey Jungle where humans appear in cages and nearly 400 primates run free on a 30-acre preserve.
Other family fun beach towns are endless along the Florida coast, including Pensacola, Daytona, Destin, Naples, and more. You simply can’t go wrong if you’re looking for the perfect family road trip stops in the Sunshine State.
