My husband and I want to go on vacation this winter and we love the beaches in the Caribbean and Cancun area. We have a child who will be a year old in November and want to bring him with us. We are concerned about taking him with us to a third world country and I was trying to think of another place to go that would be like Caribean. We live in Washington State. Any info would be helpful. If anotehr state would suit our needs, we are open to where ever. Thanks!
Any beaches like the caribbean in Florida - any other place?
Plenty of nice beaches in Florida. From the Tampa area south on the west Coast to Naples would be some of the nicest. Siesta Key has white sand and I guess blue green water at times. I liked Captiva Island by Ft. Myers as well. The Palm Beach area has blue green water and brownish-gold sand, as well as all the way down to Miami. Some of the nicest are also in the Florida panhandle (Destin, Pensacola, etc.), but those might be a little cool for November, and sometimes seaweed interrupts the water color.
Any beaches like the caribbean in Florida - any other place?Chaloop,
We just relocated from Seattle this spring.
We haven%26#39;t been to the west coast, yet. But we really enjoy the beaches around Jupiter: Juno beach, Jupiter, etc. The water is pretty, the sand is not like flour, but it%26#39;s fine.
This weekend we went exploring in Miami. We accidentally wound up on the bridege to Key Biscayne so we checked it out. I have to say it was absolutely gorgeous. The water was emerald green and blue and the beaches looked like a lot of fun. There is a Ritz Carlton in KB but also some more moderately priced places. I would recommend checking out some websites for Key Biscayne.
My husband commuted before we moved. He could get on the red-eye non-stop from Seattle to Miami on Alaska Airlines. I think that flight is only offered during peak travel times, which is starting about now until April.
Unfortunately, Florida, even in it%26#39;s warmest location [Key West] is still sub-tropical. One problem is the water is too cold for swimming in the winter compared with the Caribbean. Second, some of the very best beachs are around Tampa/St Pete [Fort De Soto] a Cape Canerval [Canaveral National Seashore]. Also Cresent Beach on Siesta Key is said to be special. The beaches up around Jacksonville Beach and St Augustine are beautiful, but the are a full climate zone removed from Maimi/Ft Myers/ the Keys and just not a good place till maybe April, and even then the water is COLD till summer.
The warmest areas will be the Greater Maimi, Keys, which don%26#39;t really have much in the way of beaches, and over by Ft Myers/Naples/Marco Island. None are equal to what you%26#39;d find along the Mayan Gold Coast or the Caribbean. Naples is a nice upscale place with some excellent beachs. Marco has a bunch of high rises that can block the sun on the beach till later in the AM certain parts of the years, but it has some nice resorts and is quieter than the east coast and pretty much free of any winter/spring break crowds. Ft Myers Beach is a bit commercial for my tastes, but Lover%26#39;s Key State Park, off the south end of Estero Island [FMB] is a beautiful and just about a perfect spot along Florida%26#39;s west coast. You can easily reach it from the Bonita Beach/Naples area as well. Also Delnor Wiggins State Park in that same stretch. Sure to be warmer than St Pete and about the same as Maimi, just quieter. Lots of condo places to rent in the area.
The water in Jan/Feb will only be in the high 60%26#39;s in the Gulf and colder in the Atlantic except down by Maimi. No decent snorkeling, except maybe around some of the Keys. Avg Gulf and Atlantic temps can be found
http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/wtg12.html
Just scroll down for charts for Southern Atlantic and Eastern Gulf of Mexico water temps.
Have you considered the US Virgins? St John is small, quiet and very safe with great snorkeling beaches, although they are %26#39;pocket%26#39; beaches - not the big wide stretches of sand you%26#39;ll find around Cancun. Another option would be the Turks and Caicos islands, especially Provodencials [Provo]. Grace Bay beach is widely considered on the finest snorkeling beaches around. Also a favorite of mine is Anguilla - also a British island, and home to some awesome ultra luxe resorts and some more moderate places for the rest of folks. ;-) You%26#39;d need to fly to Puerto Rico and Change planes for that island though.
If the Caribbean is too far, or the flights too awkward, Fl is the warmest spot in the Continental US, but it would seem to me that the Big Island or Maui would be a much safer bet for warm weather and comfortable swimming - not to mention closer. Certainly I%26#39;d take either ahead of FL, in Jan/Feb especially.
The closest to the Caribbean I have seen is in North Captiva. The beach and water are beautiful. The vegatation is very natural and you will think you are in the Caribbean or Africa. There is no nightlife and very limited dining and shopping, so if that is important, this might night be for you. But if you are looking for a relaxing and magical experience, try it. The water is very calm there also, so I think it would be great for a young child. The area is very similar to the British Virgin Islands in feel, only better. You can rent a house there and bring your food with you to the island. With a young child I think this would be easier than restaurants for you. Let me know if you need any further info. Donna Ellswick
I%26#39;ve been to the caribbean a couple of times and I am a native of Florida but I really cant think of any beaches here to compare. In saying that, I think the beaches up in the Panhandle are even more beautiful, not the same, different but in a good way. Water is clear and sand is like sugar with dunes and sea oats. Check out some of the websites for beaches any where from Cape San Blas all the way up to Destin. Wonderful area.
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