The best Florida spring break family vacations include beach time, surfing lessons, family golfing, ziplining, eco adventures and off-the-beaten path family fun on Longboat Key, in Naples, Daytona Beach, St. Augustine and along the Space Coast.
Here's the scoop. Vacation choices within the state of Florida span the gamut from mainstream family fun to off-the-beaten path adventures. Build a sandcastle on Longboat Key; golf in Naples; take an eco tour in Daytona Beach; bike the beach near St. Augustine; grab a few surf lessons on the Space Coast. The spring break family vacation menu is rich with fun. We have selected a few vacation ideas as appetizers.
Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club Family Fun Vacation Package. Looking for a vacation spot that has something to please virtually everyone in the family? Then you should consider heading to The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club in Southwest Florida. In addition to featuring an incredible Gulf-front setting overlooking pristine white-sand beaches, the resort offers an on-site championship golf course, a world-class spa, an award-winning tennis center, a complete fitness center, the professionally-supervised Beach Klub 4 Kids child activity program, four restaurants and three bars. Add to this its ideal location just blocks from Naples' renowned shopping districts of 5th Avenue South and 3rd Street South, and it is easy to see why it was named "Naples' Best Family Resort" by the Travel Channel.
The Family Fun vacation package includes: deluxe or superior accommodations for two nights in a newly-remodeled guest room; full breakfast buffet daily for two adults and up to two children (ages 12 and under); beach chairs daily for two; sand pail kit for each child; complimentary morning activities in Beach Klub 4 Kids daily (ages 5-12); one extra hour of boat rental with one hour purchase; one extra hour of tennis play with one hour purchase; afternoon tea and cookies at 4 p.m. daily; complimentary weekly golf clinic; a tour of the resort's Orchid House (on Tuesday mornings at 10 a.m.); and nightly turndown service.
Bonus Points: The resort is a certified participant in Florida’s Green Lodging Program – a program that includes water conservation, energy efficiency, waste reduction, and clean air processes. (The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club 851 Gulf Shore Boulevard North, Naples, Florida 34102. Toll-free 1-800-455-1546, (239) 261-2222 or
www.naplesbeachhotel.com)
Longboat Key Club Resort - Family Play and Stay. Set like a jewel on a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico, just off the coast of Sarasota, Longboat Key Club and Resort is a AAA Four-Diamond beachfront retreat with a private white-sand beach, 45 holes of championship golf, a full-service spa, 291-slip Marina, world-class tennis center and supervised kids’ club. With 218 newly renovated rooms and suites – each featuring views of the white-sand beach, lagoon or golf course, the resort is ideal for a Florida family vacation.
Bonus Points: Every three months, the resort gives away a 3-day / 2-night getaway for two adults and two children. Sign up to receive e-alerts and you'll be entered to win. (Longboat Key Club and Resort 301 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, FL 34228. Toll-free 1-888-350-7730, (941) 383-8821
www.longboatkeyclub.com)
Fountain Beach Resort Offers Beach Time, Mini Golf, and a Family Adventure Eco Tour. Located directly on "the World's Most Famous Beach", the Fountain Beach has a flexible collection of room options including 129 studios, and suites ideal for families. All of the suites have a private bedroom, in-suite Whirlpool spa tub, full size living room with sofa sleeper additional guest bathroom, and a resort kitchen. Enjoy free Wi-Fi internet service in the lobby. Swim in an ocean front pool; soak in the hot tub; bask in the sun on the sundeck. Challenge your kids to a friendly game of golf on the 9-hole miniature golf putting green located next to the pool deck and the Oasis Bar.
Bonus Points: The resort is located just two blocks from the Boardwalk and Main Street Pier where you can find shops, restaurants and the 'Ocean Walk 10' Movie Theatres and just three blocks from the Ocean Center. (Fountain Beach Resort 313 S. Atlantic Ave. Daytona Beach, FL 32118. (386) 255-7491 or
www.daytonafountainbeach.com and for the full menu contact the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau at (386) 255-0415, toll-free 1-800-854¬1234 or
www.daytonabeach.com)
Cocoa Beach Family Surfing, Kayaking, and Sailing. 
Space Coast accommodations fit all family compositions. Stay in a condo and paddle; sleep in a suite and surf; camp near the sea and sail. Enjoy time at NASA and Cape Canaveral; kayak the Intercoastal; surf with the kids. The waves are amazing, the weather vacation-perfect and it is easy to create your own family surfing vacation. Just select a hotel and set up your lessons. Let the staff of professional instructors at the Ron Jon Surfing School teach you the basics of surfing. All beginners are taught on the safe, soft surfboards to assure safety while learning to surf. They supply the surfboards and almost all ages are welcome (Minimum age for surfing school is 5 years old).
Bonus Points: Each April the Ron Jon Easter Surfing Festival, the largest and longest-running beach event in Florida, takes place in Cocoa Beach. About 250 surfers will demonstrate their skills riding the waves and slipping through tubular tunnels. (
www.ronjonsurfschool.com or Space Coast Office of Tourism. Toll-free 1-800-93-OCEAN, (321) 452-5352, or
www.visitspacecoast.com)
Crescent Beach: Stay with the Hartleys- Bike, Kayak, and Enjoy the Beach. Crescent Beach, south of historic St. Augustine, offers families the best possible beach vacation location and in fact for the FTF staff it remains number one. Rent a beach house, cottage, condo or sleep in a townhouse (near the beach), and enjoy island life on Anastasia Island. Near enough to town to schedule day adventures yet away from traffic and congestion. Actually once on the island you do not really have to leave – there is everything you need for fun and adventure. Bike the beach; climb the lighthouse; learn to parasail; go turtle watching; checkout the St. Augustine Alligator Farm; attend the Farmers’ Market; enjoy awesome sunsets; eat great seafood; meet friendly people.
Family vacation rental includes: The Hartleys have a several excellent options for families. Each property is turnkey and ready for a family on vacation. Their assortment fits the area and they do not have one bad location, your best fit depends on the ages of your children and the needs of your family.
Bonus Points: Dolphins swim off the dock at “Sunset Harbor” and the house on “Atlantic View” is only a short walk to the beach. The Colony Reef Condominiums have boardwalk leading from the expansive poolside courtyard to the beach. At the Colony Reef there is a small kiddie pool not far from the main swimming pool. (Call Gary at (904) 461-1668 or
www.hartleyandsons.com)
Content researched and posted by Nancy Nelson-Duac, Curator of the Good Stuff for the Family Travel Files with images provided by respective destinations or properties. Copyright 2015.
