Best Time to Visit Florida: A Month-by-Month, Region-by-Region Guide
March to May and October to early December are the sweet spots, but the right month depends on which part of the state you're headed to.
Outdoors & travel writer
Ryan P. has lived in Florida his whole life and loves the outdoors. A dad of two, he covers beaches, springs, small towns and trip planning for The Florida Guide, from the Panhandle to the Keys.
Ryan P. has lived in Florida his whole life, and he spends as much of it outdoors as he can: on the beaches, springs, rivers and trails from the Panhandle to the Keys. He’s a dad of two, so his trips range from easy beach days with the kids to longer weekends on the back roads.
At The Florida Guide, Ryan covers beaches, the outdoors, small towns and trip planning. His stories focus on the details that make a trip go smoothly: drive times, parking, the best time of year to go and where to stay when you get there.
22 stories
15 min read
March to May and October to early December are the sweet spots, but the right month depends on which part of the state you're headed to.
8 min read
Where to stay in Tampa, from The Tampa EDITION on Water Street to Hotel Haya in Ybor City and the Epicurean in SoHo, with room counts and who each suits.
13 min read
South Beach, Mid-Beach, Brickell, Coral Gables or Key Biscayne? How to pick the right Miami neighborhood for your trip, with independent hotel picks in each.
8 min read
Tampa has the bigger city scene; St. Pete has the walkable waterfront and the beaches. Here is how to choose where to base your Tampa Bay trip.
8 min read
Sanford pairs a five-mile lakefront trail with a brick downtown full of breweries, antique shops and a beloved German restaurant. Here is how to spend a day, or a Thursday night, on Lake Monroe.
15 min read
How to plan a Tampa Bay trip: what to do in Tampa and St. Petersburg, which Gulf beaches to pick, the best small-town day trips, and when to go.
8 min read
From riverfront towers downtown to a 1925 beach landmark and a classic Ponte Vedra resort, here's where to stay in Jacksonville and who each hotel suits.
8 min read
Key West is a walkable historic town; Key Largo is a quiet base for snorkeling and diving an hour from Miami. Here is how to choose, or do both.
9 min read
Wild bison on the prairie, a 120-foot sinkhole, a free art museum and clear springs nearby. Here's how to spend a few days in Gainesville.
9 min read
Fishing, galleries, tarpon feeding and calm beaches: a practical guide to Islamorada in the Upper Keys, with the Morada Way art walk dates and where to eat.
8 min read
Mount Dora is the small lake town Orlando locals escape to: antique malls, a lighthouse on Lake Dora, a packed festival calendar and two million holiday lights. Here is how to plan a day or a weekend.
9 min read
How to drive the Overseas Highway from Miami to Key West: drive times, the best stops by mile marker, the Seven Mile Bridge and one- and three-day plans.
Locals who fish, eat, explore and live here write the stories on The Florida Guide. Tell us what you know.
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