Southwest Florida Island Vacations Off The Beaten Path

Finding a unique spot to spend a holiday means that crowds will be smaller and you'll get to visit a place you'd never know existed otherwise. Some great places to visit are the islands of Anna Maria, Sanibel, Captiva and Amelia.

Enjoying An Anna Maria holiday

The island is located just 40 miles south of Tampa & the island is surrounded by Tampa Bay.
You can access your Anna Maria holiday via the Cortez or Manatee bridges or you can even take a cruise to start your visit.

An Anna Maria vacation is just right for relaxing on the beach. If you visit May through October, though, Florida beaches are filled with ocean turtles coming to the beach to lay their eggs.

If you are lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a nesting ocean turtle, leave it alone. Bright lights, including the flash from a camera can scare the turtle, endangering the lives of the baby ocean turtles. If you're staying in an Anna Maria holiday rental right off the beach, try to turn off outside lights at night because the lights can misguide the turtles, endangering the adult turtle & her eggs.

If you're an avid fisherman, you'll love fishing while on your holiday. You'll be able to catch fish off of one of three fishing piers, rent a boat or even take a chartered boat fishing cruise. Kids under 16 don't require to worry about a Florida fishing license so it's a great family activity.

If you do require a license, it can be purchased at tackle shops, hardware stores or Florida's tax collector's office.

Taking Sanibel Island holidays

A holiday on Sanibel Island is just 40 minutes from the city of Fort Myers, Florida & the Southwest Florida International airport.
The surf off of the beaches is gentle, making Sanibel Island a great place for families with young children.

The island also boasts 25 miles of bike paths, so parking the car & biking around the island is a necessity. If your children are too young to ride themselves, a lot of local companies offer tandem bikes and trailers.

Further must see attraction is the hidden bird aviary in Periwinkle Park. Here you'll discover lovebirds, toucans and flamingos. The park has a lot of machines that dispense food for the birds so don't forget to bring a pocketful of modify.

Making The Most Of An Amelia Island Vacation

Amelia Island is located just 22 miles from Jacksonville, Florida and has 13 miles of beautiful beaches.

While the beaches are a great draw, you'll also discover companies that offer aerial tours of the island and flying lessons for anyone dreaming of becoming a pilot.

If you'd rather keep a superior view of the ground, consider riding horses along the beach at sunset or window shop in the a lot of specialty shops and boutiques along Centre Street.

Whether you're planning an Sanibel , Amelia, Anna Maria holiday, you'll find plenty to do without the large beach crowds that come with a better known Florida holiday spot. Once you've spent a quiet holiday off the beaten path, you may never want to fight the crowds again.