8/12/2019 Traveler Guide South Florida

1/5

Traveller's Guide: Florida's Gulf Coast

Given that Florida's first "tourist" arrived in 1513, it took a long time for the state's GulfCoast to draw any serious attention almost 400 years, in fact. But then the 16th-centurySpanish adventurer Juan Ponce de Len was in search of the Fountain of Youth, not great

beaches. As a result, it wasn't until the early 20th century and the spread of Florida'srailroads that the west coast really caught on.

The "Gulf Coast" is a misnomer, though, especially when it comes to the UK's holidayindustry. The full length of Florida's Gulf of Mexico coastline is 770 miles but, in touristterms, the 210 miles from Tarpon Springs, north-west of Tampa, to the southern tip ofMarco Island, on the fringe of the Everglades, are generally considered the essential"Gulf Coast".

That narrower definition still contains plenty of reasons to visit, from seemingly endlesswhite-sand beaches to wildlife refuges, charming coastal towns, chic shopping and

several cultural treasures, such as the home of the Ringling Brothers circus (see panel).

The region falls into five main areas, each offering its own take on the sybaritic seasidevibe, plus some surprisingly cosmopolitan touches. Starting in the north, there is thestretch known as "Florida's Beach" for its sheer family-friendly style. Here, the twincities of Clearwater and St Petersburg (visitstpeteclearwater.com)voted the best beachdestination in the US by TripAdvisor users recently are neighbours to 16 coastalcommunities. These include the Scottish-tinged Dunedin, secluded Caladesi Island andTarpon Springs. This last place is an amazing Greek transplant created by late-19th-century sponge-harvesting immigrants who maintain their Mediterranean traditions tothis dayalong with arguably the best Greek restaurants in America.

St Petersburg features the fanciful new Dali Museum (001 727 823 3767; thedali.org;admission $21/14), set in an extremely avant-garde building, and the eye-catchingChihuly Collection (001 727 822 7872; moreanartscenter.org; admission $14.95/10). Atweekends, the local glitterati turn up to see and be seen, notably at the recently renovatedclassic 1920s Vinoy Resort (001 727 894 1000; marriott.com). The movie SpringBreakers, starring James Franco, is currently being filmed in St Petersburg/Clearwater.

Florida's current film star is Winter, the tailless dolphin. Clearwater Marine Aquarium ishome to the animal that became a Hollywood sensation in the 2011 film Dolphin Tale,the story of a crippled young dolphin rescued by the aquarium from a lobster trap andfitted with an artificial tail. Winter is now the region's mascot and can be seen in hernewly refurbished facility (001 727 441 1790; seewinter.com) on Windward Passage($17.95/12).

The biggest city, though, is thoroughly modern Tampa (visittampabay.com), a major portthat began life as a frontier fort during the 19th-century Seminole wars and which nowflourishes as a university community, hi-tech medical centre and military HQ (MacDillAir Force Base), with a thriving downtown, major attractions (Busch Gardens theme

8/12/2019 Traveler Guide South Florida

2/5

park, Lowry Park Zoo and Florida Aquarium), plus a historic old quarter called Ybor City(see panel).

Travelling further south entails a return to the more tranquil side of the Gulf Coast, andthe Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice municipality (sarasotafl.org). The principal city,

Bradenton, was founded in 1903 and has been home to Snooty, the world's oldestmanatee, since 1949, as well as Florida's largest artist community: the Village of the Arts(villageofthearts.com). It's the gateway to the beaches of Anna Maria Island andLongboat Key (annamariaisland-longboatkey.com), plus St Armand's and Lido Key.These barrier islands feature charming low-rise resorts and B&Bs, plus the stylishshopping of St Armand's Circle. This was founded in 1917 by John Ringling. (His circuselephants helped to build the causeway bridge.)

Each September, Sarasota, Bradenton and the Gulf Islands join together to offer 30 Daysof Discovery (30daysofdiscovery.com), giving visitors 2-for-1 admissions to their leadingattractions. A family of four could save $119 (79) on five main attractions, including the

South Florida Museum and Ringling Estate, at this time of year.

Venice Beach revels in its reputation as the "shark tooth capital of the world". A seasidestroll might reveal teeth up to three inches long, as well as other marine fossils. If nothingelse, you should find enough seashells to start a sizeable collection, including examplesof conch, a common sea snail in these parts.

Continue past industrial Port Charlotte and the next region is Fort Myers (fortmyers-sanibel.com) and its barrier islands of Sanibel and Captiva. Here, Thomas Edison andHenry Ford helped to create a popular retreat, with a more laid-back approach than bling-conscious Miami and Palm Beach. The J N "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge isone of Florida's foremost nature preserves (001 239 472 1100; fws.gov/dingdarling;admission $5/3.30 per vehicle).

The beaches also have an array of fine-dining opportunities the equal of anything in themore high-profile cities, notably the new American cuisine of the beachfront Mad Hatter(madhatterrestaurant. com) and the superb seafood of Traders Caf on Sanibel(traderssanibel.com) and Sunshine Seafood Caf on Captiva(captivaislandinn.com/dining.cfm).

Finally, a southerly drive along Highway 75 brings visitors to the "Paradise Coast"(paradisecoast.com) of Naples and Marco Island. This is the winter retreat for northern"snowbirds" (wealthy and retired people from Canada, New York and equally chillydestinations) and the summer target for honeymooners and other couples looking for aperfect Florida chill-out zone. Luxury shopping, resorts, spas and restaurants are found intheir highest proliferation here, along with manicured beaches. The natural splendour ofNaples Botanical Garden (001 239 643 7275; naplesgarden.org; admission $12.95/8.60)is found on Bayshore Drive, now fresh from a huge renovation.

8/12/2019 Traveler Guide South Florida

3/5

If you need any further convincing to visit, bear in mind that the average temperature onthis stretch of coast is 29C and the region revels in 360 days of sunshine each year. Formore information, see visitflorida.com/uk.

Ringling-a-bling

Florida has a secret back-story: the circus, thanks to John and Mable Ringling. Theoriginal circus impresario had been a regular Florida visitor since 1909 and moved hisbusiness, which also incorporated the better-known but smaller Barnum & Bailey Circus,to Sarasota in 1927.

Here, the Ringling brothers and their entertainment extravaganza became householdnames, and John and his wife created an empire of wealth and culture the like of whichthe state has not seen since. In 1929, John Ringling was estimated to be one of the richestmen in the world, although he lost much of his investments in the Great Depression anddied in 1936 with only $311 in the bank.

Today, the Ringling Estate, pictured (001 941 359 5700; ringling.org; $25/16.60), onBay Shore Road is a 66-acre spread of gardens, plus an 18th-century theatre (broughtover lock, stock and barrel from Asolo, Italy), two circus museums and a museum of art,stuffed full of priceless Old Masters housed in a replica of Florence's Uffizi Palace. Toset the seal on a collection of 1920s and 30s extravagance, John and Mable's palatial Ca'd'Zan mansion is also on show, filled with period furniture.

A visit conjures up a world of the seriously opulent: a rare combination of unrivalledshowmanship and ravenous art collecting.

Cigar central

Ybor City, pictured, in Tampa was founded in the 1880s by refugee cigar manufacturersfrom Cuba and quickly became a major centre of immigration, with thousands arriving inthe next few decades from Cuba, Spain, Italy and Germany. For the first half of the 20thcentury this was cigar central, one of the biggest producers of cigars in the world, visitedby the likes of Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders (en route to the Spanish-AmericanWar in Cuba).

In 1929, at its peak, it produced 500 million cigars and each nationality had its own"club" or community centre to provide social services and education. Organised crimebecame a major problem, though, with the mafia taking a significant interest in the manyillegal lotteries and bootlegging until the 1950s.

Today, it has become an area of restaurants, bars, shops and nightlife with just a handfulof the cigar shops that were its raison d'tre. However, it still has a free Visitor Centerand the neat Ybor City Museum (001 813 241 6554; ybormuseum.org; admission$4/2.60) on Ninth Avenue, a converted bakery that tells the immigrants' stories andincludes a recreated cigar-worker's house. Make sure you visit La Tropicana Caf (001

8/12/2019 Traveler Guide South Florida

4/5

813 247 4040) on East Seventh Avenue or La Segunda Bakery on 15th Street (001 813248 1531; lasegundabakery.com) and try the local delicacy: a guava pastry accompaniedby Cuban coffee.

Like the larger and more recent development of Little Havana in Miami, Ybor City is a

living testament to Florida's Cuban connection.

Resort, villa or B&B?

There's less development on the Gulf Coast than in Miami, Palm Beach or Orlando, soaccommodation is more varied even eclectic. You'll still find many of the chains butthere are also a tempting array of B&Bs, guesthouses, villas and condos.

There are also "Superior Small Lodging" options (superiorsmalllodging.com) along thecoast: one-of-a-kind inns and resorts that often feature self-catering facilities and just ahandful of rooms, plus private mini cinema and games rooms.

There are even a few genuine all-British choices, such as Pineapple Fish (01202 486245;or 001 941 778 7200 in the US; pineapplefish.com), nine luxury self-catering villas onAnna Maria Island with a sustainable approach, sleeping from six to 10 people (weeklyrental from $1,550/1,033). Alternatively, try Bentleys Boutique Hotel (001 941 9662121; bentleyssarasota.com) in Osprey, south of Sarasota, with double rooms from $100(67), B&B. Several British holiday specialists also feature a range of villas and holidayhomes along the Gulf Coast, notably James Villa Holidays (0800 074 0122;jamesvillas.co.uk) and Vacations to America (01592 469661;vacationstoamerica.com/florida).

Other options include the Sandpearl Resort on Clearwater Beach (001 727 441 2425;sandpearl.com), with its idyllic beach location and Caretta on the Gulf restaurant.Doubles from $230 (153), room only. The Hyatt Siesta Key Beach (001 941 346 5900;siestakeybeach.hyatt.com) has superb beachfront condos with full kitchens and a choiceof five restaurants; two-bedroom condos from $440 (293), room only. Or there's theromantic hideaway of the Lemon Tree Inn in Naples, pictured (001 239 262 1414;lemontreeinn.com), which has B&B doubles from $89 (59). Finally, try the charmingLakeside Inn in Marco Island (001 239 394 1161; marcoislandlakeside.com), which assuites from $109 (72), room only.

The Everglades

For a sense of what much of Florida was like a million years ago, head to the Evergladesthe "river-of-grass" that covers much of the lower third of the state. These wetlandsonce covered an area the size of Wales, but they have been whittled away to barely halftheir original extent by 20th-century settlement, drainage and channelling. Today,however, they remain one of the world's largest conservation areas, with halfdenominated as the Everglades National Park (001 305 242 7700; nps.gov/ever).

8/12/2019 Traveler Guide South Florida

5/5

The western gateway to this amazing natural paradise is via Naples, taking Highway 41to Everglades City, 35 miles away, where the Gulf Coast Visitor Center (admission$10/6.50 per car, valid one week) offers an orientation film, maps, brochures andeducational displays for self-guided tours, which include boat and canoe rentals.

The sub-area of the Ten Thousand Islands features a maze of mangrove swamps andwaterways extending out into Florida Bay. The wildlife includes the ever-presentalligators, the less-prevalent American crocodile, white-tailed deer, otters, raccoons, morethan a dozen species of turtle and some 350 bird species. Birds range from the commonwhite ibis, roseate spoonbills and herons to the endangered wood stork, bald eagles andospreys.

Getting there

Florida has three main airport gateways for international visitors, the most convenientbeing Tampa, but the busiest are Orlando (about an hour's drive from Tampa) and Miami

(about two hours from Naples). British Airways (0844 493 0787; ba.com) serves allthree, with two flights from Heathrow to Miami daily and one each from Gatwick toOrlando and Tampa.

Virgin Atlantic (0844 209 7310; virgin-atlantic.com) has a non-stop daily flight fromHeathrow to Miami, two flights per day from Gatwick to Orlando and one fromManchester to Orlando, plus summer-only flights from Glasgow to Orlando. AmericanAirlines (0844 499 7300; americanairlines.co.uk) and Delta (0871 221 1222; delta.com)both have a non-stop daily flight from Heathrow to Miami.

For flight and accommodation packages, try Virgin Holidays (0844 557 3865;virginholidays.co.uk), which offers a range of villas on the Gulf Coast. A week in May,with flights, costs from 535 per person. Ocean Florida (020-7939 7775; ocean-florida.co.uk) has two-week fly-drive packages with flights to Miami from 509 perperson (excluding accommodation), while Jetsave (0844 415 9880; jetsave.com) has afortnight's package staying in a Gulf Coast villa in July from 1,492 per person withVirgin Atlantic flights from Manchester.