What are the most popular leisure activities in Florida?
Florida is a diverse state where residents and visitors can pursue a tremendous variety of leisure activities. From exploring historic sites to enjoying the vibrant beach life the state is rightly famed for, Florida truly does offer something for everyone.
Sporting activities in Florida
Florida's climate allows residents and visitors to enjoy the great outdoors every month of the year. This has led the state to have a thriving sports atmosphere where activities like golf are always on offer. Palm Beach Gardens, located along the coast, hosts the state's most popular golf course, the PGA National Resort and Spa.
Florida is also a place where people can enjoy some unusual water sports. The island of Key West, for example, offers a park known as Fury Water Adventures, where popular activities include snorkelling along coral reefs and water trampoline, an activity most visitors will have never have enjoyed before. Meanwhile, miniature golf is popular in Orlando, where tourists can also enjoy some indoor sports such as bowling.
The beach lifestyle
The most popular leisure activities in Florida are centred on the state's extensive system of beaches. This is not surprising in a state with more than a thousand miles of coastline. In fact, when the beaches surrounding Florida's coastal islands are also included, the state has more than 2,200 miles of coastline. The coast has been an important part of the Florida lifestyle from the very beginning. The oldest established city in America is St Augustine, founded in the mid-1500s but now a popular beach city.
Popular beach activities include surfing, swimming, sun-bathing, scuba-diving, and mechanised water sports such as para-sailing and water-skiing. During the evening and night hours, beach cities such as Miami and South Beach feature an active lifestyle characterised by dance clubs and other trendy night spots.
Not all beaches, however, are filled with frenetic activity. In cities such as Naples, located on Florida's western coastline, the beach is a tranquil place considered perfect for a romantic holiday for two.
Taking cruises
There are relatively few places on earth where tourists and locals routinely want to take advantage of short cruises. Several cities along the coast of Florida, however, serve as hubs for large cruise lines that allow tourists to branch out and explore the nearby Caribbean islands or the coast of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. Miami, in fact, is known as the ‘Cruise Capital of the World’, but visitors can just as easily board cruises that depart from Tampa or Key West.
Theme parks
Most Floridians would agree that no holiday in their state would be complete without at least one visit to one of the major theme parks located in the Orlando area. This city, of course, is famous for being the home of Disney World, Sea World, Universal Studios, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Those who appreciate a more active theme park experience may prefer Wet 'n Wild, a large outdoor water park also situated in Orlando.
Tourists visiting Florida with an eye toward possibly purchasing a second home in the state will be pleased to know that they will never lack for fun, exciting things to do in the Sunshine State.