Florida beach vacations: where should I go?

Choosing a Florida vacation spot depends on your taste in accommodations, your budget and the time of year you visit. The state is ringed with beaches: East Coast, West Coast and Panhandle. A primary factor is the time of year: the whole state is hot in the summer, but only the Southern Peninsula is reliably warm in the winter.

Southern Peninsula

High season from Tampa beach and the Space Coast south is winter. Resorts and hotels will be full and prices peak in February.
Summer is the perfect time for cheap family vacations and luxury vacation deals. How much action do you want
Miami is a cosmopolitan city with lots going on.
South Beach is the centre of action, with clothing optional beaches and raucous nightlife.
Tampa and St. Pete hotels are in a metro area near beaches, but more laid back. Any place in southern Florida is perfect for a Florida golf vacation. Florida resort, hotel, beachfront condos and cottages?
Exclusive resorts are located near Naples and Palm Beach, but you can find a 4 star hotel almost anywhere.
For a more relaxed atmosphere, condos and Florida beach houses are rented by private owners.
The best places to look are Vrbo.com, Homeaway.com and Myholidayhomerental.com. East or West Coast?
Beaches are sandy and clean wherever you go.
In the dead of winter, the East Coast from Palm Beach south is a little warmer, both air and water.
Deep sea fishing is better on the East Coast because it is close to the Gulf Stream, but the water is often rough.

Northern Peninsula and Panhandle

In the summer, these beaches have their high season and prices are the highest. Winter finds bargain rates, but the weather is not so cooperative. East Coast? Or West Coast and Panhandle?
East Coast beaches from Jacksonville to Daytona Beach are crowded in the summer.
Jakcsonvile is a big city, in fact it's bigger than Miami, and St. Augustine has appeal for history buffs. On the West Coast, the beaches are sparsely populated until you get near Tallahassee, and west of that, Destin beach is the center of activity.
Destin hotels offer all amenities in an unspoiled setting. Vacation rental: beachfront rentals and car rentals in Florida
There are fine hotels in Clearwater, Daytona Beach and elsewhere.
Great family vacations are available in vacation rental homes.
Car rentals are reasonable except during holiday weeks. Other activities
There's probably a golf course within 3-iron distance wherever you stay.
Fishing is great on both coasts, with oil rigs off the Panhandle holding large concentrations of game fish.
Final word
Serious night-life is confined to the cities of Tallahassee and Jacksonville.