Florida’s Paradise Coast includes Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades. Whether you are looking for beautiful beaches, great shopping opportunities, getting up close to tropical wildlife or just a relaxing family holiday, this is the place to be.

Florida’s Paradise Coast is blessed with beautiful white sandy beaches that stretch from Barefoot Beach Preserve at the northern tip of Collier

Naples Florida

County, through Naples, along Marco Island’s four mile crescent shoreline and into the Ten Thousand Island area of the Everglades. Some beaches offer full facilities whilst some are just perfect for beach walks along deserted sands. The beach resorts in Naples and on Marco Island allow easy access to the Gulf of Mexico.

Explore the backcountry mangrove estuaries by sailboat, canoe, kayak, motorboat, yacht, parasail or wave runner and marvel at the amazing scenery and wildlife. Whilst cruising the waters you will be treated to all kinds of wildlife including fish, birds, dolphins, sea turtles and manatee.

The natural beauty of the area attracts artists and art lovers who visit to see the amazing permanent art collections and travelling exhibitions. Apart from the Naples Museum of Art, the Marco Island Centre for the Arts and the Von Liebig Art Centre there are also some fine galleries to visit in the shopping districts and the Big Cypress Gallery which you will find deep in the Everglades. Every month the area hosts hundreds of art and cultural events and performances at the Philharmonic Centre for the Arts which is home to the Naples Philharmonic. The area has numerous museums displaying artefacts dating from the Calusa Indian Civilization and from the pioneers who settled in the area at the turn of the century. The unspoilt beauty of the area can also beseen at the many public parks including the Everglades National Park and the Big Cypress National Preserve. Enjoy a host of outdoor activities at the parks including nature photography, bird watching, hiking, boating and many more on your holiday packages to Florida.

Everglades Florida

A must on your family holidays to Florida’s Paradise Coast is a visit to Naples Zoo at the Caribbean Gardens. These historic botanical gardens are home to all kinds of wild creatures from zebras to alligators, islands which are home to apes and monkeys and great wildlife shows which the whole family will enjoy. Other great fun attractions for the whole family to enjoy are the Children’s Museum, the nature centre which is home to a wildlife rehabilitation zone and miniature golf.

Collier County has more than 80 golf courses which offer different levels of difficulty for the serious golfer and those just wanting a fun round of golf. Whatever your need there is a course for you. If you enjoy a spot of shopping then leave the men enjoying their golf and head off to the Naples area where you will find unique boutiques selling one-of-a-kind items, boutiques, interior design shops and art galleries. If you are lucky enough to book holiday packages to Florida anytime between Thanksgiving and New Year you will be treated to the festival of lights in downtown Naples. Marco Island offers several shopping venues where you can purchase art, island treasures and clothing.

Marco Island Florida

Dining out on Florida’s Paradise Coast is an experience not to miss. The area offers everything from waterfront cafes to top class five-star restaurants. Around Naples you will find a vast array of dining venues including open-air bistros and even a pub serving traditional Irish food. Dine by the water at Tin City and the Village on Venetian Bay. Marco Island offers all types of dining from laid-back waterside grills to gourmet restaurants serving freshly caught seafood. In Everglades City locally sourced seafood is the order of the day. Offering amazing views of the Ten Thousand Islands these restaurants offer all kinds of seafood dishes including stone crab, shrimp, snapper and if you are feeling adventurous you can try frog’s legs and ‘gator tail!

Whatever you are looking for in a holiday, Florida’s Paradise Coast has it all.

The Best Friends Pet Resort is due to open on August 27th.

Located on Bonnet Creek Parkway within the Disney World complex, the resort will be able to accommodate 270 dogs, 30 cats and other animals including birds and small mammals.

The luxury facilities available here for dogs will include standard accommodation with bedroom area and small patio, vacation villas with a television and luxury VIP suites with a television a large private outdoor play area, all located in the Doggy Village.
For cats there will be 2 and 4 storey condos which are located in the Kitty City Pavilion.

The whole luxury resort covers an area of over 50,000 sq ft both indoors and outdoors, 17,000 sq ft of which is an air conditioned indoor area. The resort has a waterpark( just for the dogs), a 3,300 sq ft play area with artificial turf and a 4,500 sq ft play area complete with trees.

The resort even offers a ‘bedtime stories’ service where they read a story to the dog before it goes to sleep!

Owners can leave their pets here just for the day or they can be left for longer periods and they can visit whenever they wish.

There are lots of travel deals to America available throughout the internet.

When on your bargain holidays to Florida why not book your animals into this great pet resort and enjoy your day without having to worry about your loved ones, remember you can visit them whenever you like.

The striking white towers of the newly updated Hyatt Regency Miami overlook Biscayne Bay and connect to the Convention Centre.
Located in downtown Miami, the Hyatt is conveniently located seven miles from Miami International Airport and less than two miles from the Port of Miami. The hotel is just a 15 minute drive from South Beach, Key Biscayne, Coral Gables and Coconut Grove.

Accommodation

612 renovated guestrooms, deluxe bath amenities, hairdryer, separate work area, flat screen tv, clock radio, dual line phones, dataport, T-Mobile high speed wireless internet access, iron and board, in-room safe, video checkout.

Guest Services

Concierge service, valet service and parking, In-room dining service, business centre, T-Mobile wireless T1 high speed internet access in all public areas.

Activities

Heated swimming pool (outdoor), excercise facilites (including weights, excercise cycles, stair climbers), tennis courts, beaches, water sports.
The hotel is close to the Bayshore Golf Course and the Miami Beach Golf Course.

Dining and Entertainment

Riverwalk Cafe, Riverwalk Deli, Pure Verde.

Meetings and Events

100,000 sq ft of function space (including 12,000 sq ft Regency Ballroom and 28,000 sq ft of exhibit space).
27 meeting/function rooms.
444 fixed seat Ashe Auditorium.
Exhibit Hall.

Locally

Miami Metro Zoo, Miami Beaches, Gardens Seaquarium, Parrot Jungle, Mary Brickell Village, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Bayside Marketplace.

What more could you want when on your holidays or on a business trip to Miami, the Hyatt Regency Miami has it all!

Disney Parks has just announced their plans for a new resort at Walt Disney World Resort which will be located adjacent to Disney’s Pop Century Resort Florida.

The new resort is being designed to be family orientated, with themed rooms and amazing sights to see around the resort, including a 35ft tall model of King Triton (from The Little Mermaid).

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will feature suites designed around four themes. These themes will be The Lion King, Cars, Finding Nemo and The Little Mermaid.

The new units will include 1,120 family suites in The Lion King, Cars and Finding Nemo wings and 864 themed rooms in The Little Mermaid wing. All rooms will have themed interiors.

Direct holidays to Florida – you just have to experience them yourself!

Location

This beautiful tropical lakeside paradise is located on the 45 acre Barefoot Bay, near Epcot Theme Park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park and Disney’s BoardWalk Area. This is an ideal resort for all the family to enjoy their summer holidays.

Accommodation

The guest rooms are spread over 200 acres of landscaped greenery, consisting of six villages – Trinidad North, Trinidad South, Martinique, Barbados, Aruba and Jamaica. Each village has 2-storey pastel coloured

Guest room

buildings which are located around a heated swimming pool. Accommodation here includes pirate themed rooms which have pirate ship beds and buccaneer accessories.

Facilities

The Custom House is designed to look like the reception area of a Caribbean retreat. Here you will find the resort’s lobby where guests can register.

The hub of the resort is Old Port Royale. Here you will find dining venues from quick snacks to a full service restaurant, a lounge, shops and a concierge desk.

Recreation and Activities

Relax on one of the resorts white-sand beaches. Swimming is prohibited in Barefoot Bay but there are lots of watercraft available for hire.

At The Marina you can rent a variety of watercraft, including sailboats, pontoon boats, canoes and pedal boats.

Enjoy the main pool complex, Fuentes del Morro Fort, which is themed like

Fuentes del Morro Fort

 an old Spanish Fortress with two waterslides, two 12-person spas and antique water cannons.

Join a game of beach volleyball at the lakeside court.

Take a jog around the 1.4 mile scenic run.

Take a bike ride around the resort.

For children there is Parrot Cay Island, complete with a playground, nature trail and birds in cages.
There is a water play area with three water slides and squirting hoses.
For the older children there is an arcade, inside the Old Port Royale complex, with video and pinball games.

Food court

Dining Options

Shutter’s at Old Port Royale – a Caribbean inspired restaurant.
Old Port Royale Food Court – here you will find four different food outlets.
Grab N Go Market – for freshly baked pastries, fresh fruit and ice cream.
Montegos Deli – for pancakes, cheesecake, soups, deli-style sandwiches and Philly cheese steaks.

Merlin Entertainments,  Europe’s No 1 and the world’s second largest visitor attraction operator,  has announced a multi-million dollar investment in the biggest family tourist centre in the world with the planned opening of LEGOLAND Florida.

Cypress Gardens

Merlin has purchased the historical Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven Florida and will open LEGOLAND Florida on the site at the end of 2011. Cypress Gardens is located about 30 minutes from Orlando, close to Tampa, and is a popular location for millions of visitors.
The deal to buy the 145-acre site includes the freehold on the current theme park and waterpark as well as an operating lease in perpetuity on the historic botanical gardens.
Merlin plans a significant multi-million dollar investment over a number of years, up to and beyond opening, in what will be the biggest LEGOLAND to date.

LEGOLAND

LEGOLAND Florida will be the biggest LEGOLAND Park ever opened and will offer a unique mix of more than 50 rides, shows and attractions, including spectacular LEGO models and other interactive elements for the whole family to enjoy together. The park will also have its own unique ‘twist’ reflecting its stunning location and adding a Florida flavour.

The Florida development will be Merlin’s second LEGOLAND Park in North America and will play an important role in the group’s continued growth in the US. The park will be geared towards families with children between the ages of two and 12. Its design will mirror the successful concept of the four existing LEGOLAND Parks in Denmark, Germany, UK and California. LEGOLAND California was recently voted the country’s best children’s theme park by Amusement Today for the sixth year running. It is also recognised as the fastest growing theme park in the US, enjoying an increase in visitor numbers year-on-year, including 6% in 2009.

LEGOLAND California

When it opens, LEGOLAND Florida will be the company’s thirteenth attraction here. It joins LEGOLAND California, SEA LIFE Carlsbad, Madame Tussauds New York, Hollywood, Las Vegas and Washington, D.C., LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Chicago and the Underwater Adventures Aquarium in Minneapolis. Four more attractions are also in development, SEA LIFE Phoenix, LEGOLAND Discovery Centres in Dallas Fort Worth and New Jersey and the Pepsi Globe observation wheel in New Jersey.

Direct holidays to Florida are available throughout the internet.

There are many varied and exciting things to do in Florida, the following are just a few.

Busch Gardens

Visit Busch Gardens, a huge amusement park in Tampa Bay featuring African wildlife. Giraffes, zebras and antelope roam freely through the 60 acre park, next to thrilling rides such as the Kumba.
Experience the terrifying attack of a great white shark on the Jaws Ride at Universal Studios, Orlando. 

Walt Disney World Resort

Visit Walt Disney World Resort, the biggest amusement park in the world. Visit Magic Kingdom, explore science at the Epcot Centre, take a safari adventure through Animal Kingdom and see the world of movies at Disney MGM Studios.

Meet Shamu and his pod of fellow killer whales at SeaWorld Orlando, southwest of Orlando. This is one of the country’s largest marine parks featuring whales, dolphins, sea lions, seals and otters.

Swim at New Smyrna Beach, billed as the ‘World’s Safest Bathing Beach’ and ‘Best Beach in Florida’. Enjoy backwater fishing, fresh seafood, historical sites and museums, and long seasons of sunshine.

Fort Myers Beach Pier

To get away from it all, go to Fort Myers Beach, ideal for family holidays with its safe, gently sloping shoreline and numerous activities.

Tee off at one of southwest Florida’s many golf courses. 

Relax in Naples, a charming city of understated elegance, cosy beach cottages and 5-star resorts. Naples is also known for its pristine shoreline and abundant wildlife.

Miami Beach

Experience the different watersports offered at Miami Beach, including kayaking, windsurfing, boogie-boarding and scuba-diving.

Join sportfishermen and anglers in The Keys for some of the best fishing off America’s coast. Compete with world records for catches of sailfish, marlin, kingfish, snapper, barracuda and grouper.
 
Swim with the dolphins in Key Largo or sign on for Dolphin Camp and learn about these amazing mammals from a resident marine biologist and trainers.

Busch Gardens

Florida is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, with visitors heading to ‘The Sunshine State’ in search of fun, sun and thrills. Walt Disney World, Magic Kingdom Park and Busch Gardens are just a few of the man-made attractions for which the state is famed. Orlando is the face of Florida that most people recognise, with its enormous number of theme parks, movie studios, water parks and entertainment facilities.

Florida Beach

But there is more to Florida than Mickey Mouse and white-knuckle rides. Winding waterways, freshwater lakes, hills, forests, exciting cities, 8,426 miles of coastline, countless bays, inlets and islands, and a legendary climate make this one of the most popular states in the USA.

Florida is divided into eight geographical regions. Miami and Miami Beach have long been a haunt of the rich and famous. Palm Beach scores equally highly in the glamour stakes. Fort Lauderdale is a popular spot for families, offering a wide assortment of sports and recreational activities. To the south, the Florida Keys offers a tropical climate, beautiful beaches and clear blue waters.

The capital of Florida, Tallahassee, is geographically closer to Atlanta than Miami and is strictly Southern in tone.

Sarasota

Tampa and St Petersburg are the main cities in the Central West region. Sarasota is the cultural capital of the region, thanks to John Ringling and his wife who amassed an impressive art collection, displayed in their restored mansion. The southwestern region is home to Naples, a popular seaside retreat.

In the northeastern corner of Florida stands Jacksonville, named after General Andrew Jackson. Nearby St Augustine is known as ‘America’s Oldest City’. Amelia Island, often called the ‘Isle of Eight Flags’, is the only site in the country to have been governed by eight different countries during its history.