Florida Vacation Rentals

Florida Vacation Rentals is a Vacation Rental Directory of Florida Accommodations and Lodging from Condos, Homes, Cottages, Houses, Estates, to Villas by owner. Long before you first visit the state, you are entertained with tales of its warm sun, fascinating creatures and golden beaches.

Florida teems with places to go, and things to do. Whether you're looking to escape from a harsh and cold winter or you want to treat the family to a vacation, Florida has enough attractions to ensure an enjoyable holiday. Florida's 800 miles of sunny coastline are certain to attract, but there's also Disney World, Busch Gardens and other theme parks. Search for your Florida lodging by area, view, bedrooms, rate or availability. In the middle of the state, Orlando stands as the undisputed capital of the theme park. Along the Atlantic coast, Miami simmers with Caribbean and Latin American flair, and sights such as alligators in the Everglades and the space shuttle at the Kennedy Space Center allow you to enjoyably combine education with vacation. On the Gulf coast, a stop in Tampa/St. Petersburg will provide all the comfort and entertainment that a booming modern metro area can provide. View property description, owner contact information and photos of your Florida Vacation Rental. A few hours down the highway, on Sanibel Island, you can tour a piece of wild Florida that has not changed in centuries.

When surfers talk about Floridaís place among the worldsí best breaks, two words come to mind: ìThe Inlet.î Located south of Cocoa Beach, the East Coastís own ìSurf City,î Sebastian Inlet has the stateís most consistent surf, and as a result, the largest crowds. On your next visit to Floriday stay in a vacation rental home or condo. Florida vacation rentals offer a way to fully experience Florida. There is a definitive pecking order on the north side of the jetty at a place called ìFirst Peak.î Thatís where you will find the best and most competitive surfers and a descending hierarchy on the two breaks just to the north, ìSecond Peakî and ìThird Peak.î Florida, like most other surf spots around the world, names its surf breaks after nearby landmarks or some unique or oceanographic feature. Heading north, youíll find another great local break, ìSpanish House.î But as the case with Sebastian Inlet or ìChernoblesî (a spot in between the two), be aware that youíll have plenty of company even on days when the surf is just fair. Heading north from The Inlet, youíll pass through Satellite Beach, home of the pro surfers C.J. and Damien Hobgood. Youíll find the hot locals at ìR.C.ís,î in front of the Ramada Inn. Next are the world-class breaks of (heading north) ìSecond Light,î ìFirst Lightî and ìPicnic Tables.î Cocoa Beach, home to six-time World Champion Kelley Slater and Ron Jons, the worldís most famous surf shop, has its own allure. The crowds are smaller and the waves a little mellower, which makes it a good choice for longboarders. Choose from one of the many Florida vacation rentals and live like the locals. Turn down and off ìThe Streets,î 13th, 14th, 16th etc., and youíll find rideable waves. The Cocoa Beach or Canaveral Pier is the site of many local contests, including the Easter Surf Festival. Jetty Park to the north is good spot when the winter wind blows. North of Canaveral, youíll find New Smyrna Inlet, the south side of the famous Ponce de Leon or ìPonceî Inlet. Known locally as ìthe wave magnet,î Smyrnaís waves are well suited for trick riding or ìhot dogging.î Ponce Inlet to the north rivals Sebastian as Floridaís premier surf spots. As with any place where the surfing is stellar, you will have company. In nearby Daytona Beach, surfing is more strictly regulated due to the high number of visitors. The areaís best break, the Main Street Pier, is a good winter destination, but check with the local surf Surfer at New Smyrna Beach In Flagler Beach, youíll find another pier, which is the place to go after a cold front rolls through and the wind clocks around from the south, kicking up near-perfect waves that rival those of Sebastian or Ponce. Keeping heading north up A1A ands youíll hit another classic Florida break at the south end of Crescent Beach, Matanzas. On the north side of the inlet, youíll find lots of longboarders. The south side also breaks. High tide is best. St. Augustine and Anastasia State Park have several good surf spots. The ìBlowholeî usually generates bigger waves. Another spot, ìThe Middlesî tends to attract crowds, and for a reason. Florida has dozens of good vacation rentals from surf shacks to estates right on some of the best surf breaks. Floridaís Gulf coast doesnít offer the surf of the stateís Atlantic coast, but all winter, youíll find surfers lined up at the best breaks from St. Petersburg to Venice Inlet and all across The Panhandle. Southwest breaks of note are Treasure Islandís Sunset Beach and St. Peteís Upham Beach. Bradenton has Beach Street and the Twin Piers. Sarasota County Lido Beach and Siesta Key are worthy of note, but the mack daddy of them all is Venice Beach. On Floridaís Northwest Gulf coast, youíll find surfers riding ìthe Bungalowsî of Perdido Key, ìThe Wallî and ìPierî in Pensacola and ìThe Breakersî in Fort Walton Beach. You canít talk about Panhandle surfing without mentioning ìConcrete Pierî and ìSt. Andrews Jettyî near Panama City Beach.

This year, when the teacher asks your kids what they did on vacation, they wonít have to hang their heads, mumble and turn red. Instead, they can brag about their totally awesome vaction in Florida and the adventures they had.

Go ahead, everybody say it: ìI swam with prehistoric giants.î Now try and see if they can say it without giggling when you all remember how gentle and balloon-ish the giants they call ìmanateesî actually looked. But considering that manatees grow as long as 12 feet, weigh up to 3,500 Manatees in Homosassa Springs pounds, and have been around even longer than Grandma and Grandpa, the prehistoric giant thing makes a story they can stick to. Manatees graze their way up many Florida waterways, but they are partial to the warm waters of Crystal River and Homosassa in the months from November to March. Here, your family can snorkel with the nationís largest wintering herd on special tours made just for families. Your kids will learn how to respect these gentle, endangered creatures (no touching allowed!) and perhaps get some inspiration to eat their vegetables from these voracious herbivores.

Water parks and resort swimming pools try to emulate it, but thereís nothing quite like the real thing, baby: Lazing down a refreshing river in the rubbery embrace of an inner tube, powered by nature. North Central Florida bubbles over with the kind of cool, scenic springs that provide the oomph behind a successful innertube ride. That is, one that requires no paddling. Clean waters, controlled crowds and a passing view that feels like youíre watching a loop of the best nature film footage ever shot. Choose your float time (from one to three hours), pick up your tubes at a vendor stand just outside the park, and hop on the tram to your destination up-river. (Some tubing restrictions apply; check with the park for details.) Pack a lunch for a family picnic afterwards in the piney surroundings of the parkís deep forests.

Bike Shatk Valley. Donít worry, there are no sharks in Shark Valley. Beware the jaws of a different creature, however. Population-wise, Everglades National Park is like the New York of alligators. A 15-mile paved cycling loop takes you past their habitat to an observation tower and back. But if everyone in the family isnít up to the pedaling power required for a lengthy trip (it takes two to three hours), just ride a piece and turn around. Then jump on the tram that will take you there. Along the way itís practically guaranteed youíll see alligators big and small. Keep your distance and stay on your bike and they wonít bother you. (Never offer them a bite to eat or that bite just may end up being you.) Bring your own bikes or rent them at the park, and donít forget the bug juice and sunscreen.

Ride one of Floridaís roller coasters. If itís one-upmanship they seek in the game of who dared the hairiest, scariest roller coaster on vacation, head to Universal Orlando Resort. Then strap in and hold tight. If you have the nerve to ride along, that is. Take the Incredible Hulk, for instance. It blasts you out of a pitch-black tunnel at speeds that go from 0 to 40 mph in two seconds, then drops you into thin air, only to be pelted with water two stories below. Or how about Dueling Dragons, the worldís first inverted double, near-miss racing coaster? Theyíre both at Islands of Adventure. But for the latest in thrill rides, go next door to Universal Studios Florida and its new Revenge of the Mummy ride, sure to scare you silly.

What has 100 blue eyes, can swim sideways, and tastes yummy? Answer: A Florida bay scallop. Itís almost as fun catching them as eating them, besides, and this is one of the few places in the U.S. where you can do that. All that scallop-collecting requires is a snorkel, fins or water shoes, and a mesh bag for all those plump little crustaceans. Floridaís North Central coast, known as The Big Bend, boasts the best scalloping around in the summer months. At Hagenís Cove near Keaton Beach, you can wade from shore into shallow waters to pluck the shellfish from grass flats. In Steinhatchee, catch a scalloping charter ñ best for first timers because captains and crew show you the ìsweet spotsî and how to properly clean the scallops. For a small fee, theyíll even do the dirty work for you.

Swim with some of Floridaís most loveable underwater playmates. Theater of the Sea in the Florida Keys lets you into a 15-feet-deep salt-water lagoon with rays, sea lions, or dolphins for a hands-on encounter of a lifetime. Theater of the Sea provides the snorkel gear and sea life. The kids provide the desire to touch and interact with the gentle creatures. With the dolphins and sea lions, they learn trainersí secrets to requesting behaviors such as jumps, hugs, fin tows, and foot pushes. Orientation and swim time lasts about an hour. For a more intense experience, ask about the Trainer for a Day program.