The 14 Most Beautiful Places In Florida, According To A Native Floridian

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It’s not hard to find beauty in the Sunshine State. Yes, there are the beaches, of course. With two coasts, there’s a picturesque stretch of sand for everyone. But Florida also has botanical gardens, historic hotels, nature preserves, incredible architecture, and so much more. Every time I visit my home state I find something new to marvel at and appreciate.

This list covers a handful of these places, but each one is uniquely beautiful and worth a visit. If you’re looking for wild and untouched landscapes, head to Everglades National Park or Caladesi Island. For nature that is more landscaped, visit Leu Gardens, a tropical paradise in Orlando. The Morikami Museum and the Ponce de Leon Hotel will delight art and history buffs. And if you just want to sink your toes in the sand and soak up some sunshine, I’ve got a suggestion for that too.

Park Avenue, Winter Park

Courtesy Visit Orlando and Steven Maddow Aerial

With its blend of historic buildings, charming boutiques, sidewalk cafes, and gorgeous landscaping, Winter Park is the kind of place that’s instantly charming. The city’s main (cobblestone) street, Park Avenue, is one of the most pleasant places to spend an afternoon. The main business district is home to more than 140 businesses like long-time breakfast spot The Briarpatch, independent shops like Writers Block Bookstore, and big-name retailers like Lilly Pulitzer. Not to mention the fountains, rose bushes, and colorful planters in Central Park, just across the street.

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John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Key Largo

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America’s first underwater state park opened in 1963 in Key Largo and is still a haven for snorkelers and scuba divers. The area is home to miles of protected coral reefs, mangrove swamps, seagrass beds, and a multitude of sea life. While much of the park’s beauty is found under the water’s surface, you can take a glass bottomed boat tour to see the reef’s colorful inhabitants.

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The Don CeSar, St. Petersburg

Courtesy of Loews Don CeSar Hotel

In 2023, our readers voted the Don CeSar the best historic hotel in Florida, and it’s easy to see why. The ornate, flamingo-hued building is as stunning inside as it is viewed from the sandy shores of St. Petersburg beach, where it has resided since 1928. The Don Cesar was redesigned in 2021, but its opulent look nods to the hotel’s history, from the Art Deco-inspired geometric tile floor to the rich green hues and gold accents in the Lobby Bar.

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Everglades National Park, Everglades City

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Experience Florida’s wild, untamed beauty at the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. Once you’re inside, you’ll find something to marvel at no matter where you look—massive cypress trees, colorful waterbirds, breathtaking views of the wetlands, and maybe even a panther or two. You could visit the 1.5 million acre park hundreds of times and never have the exact same Everglades experience twice, but you’re guaranteed to see something that will take your breath away.

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Morikami Museum And Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach

Morikami Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens.

Since 1977, Floridians have visited this tranquil museum to be instantly transported to Japan. The Morikami is a center for Japanese culture and art where visitors can stroll through gardens, partake in a tea ceremony, and explore exhibits ranging from sculptures made with washi (Japanese paper) to woodblock prints. The grounds, 16 acres surrounding the two museum buildings and a 200-acre park, are the most beautiful part of this place. You’ll find shady nature trails, koi-filled lakes, forests, and six distinct landscapes inspired by significant gardens in Japan.

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The Gasparilla Inn & Club, Boca Grande

Courtesy The Gasparilla Inn & Club

This famous Florida inn has been welcoming guests for more than 100 years. And while the property has been updated many times since then, it still retains its colorful, old Florida charm. Whimsical details like hand painted walls and chandeliers that look like jellyfish are combined with a palette of pale pastel colors; bright, natural light; and ocean views. It’s a little slice of paradise.

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Worth Avenue Alleyways, Palm Beach

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Known as Florida’s Rodeo Drive, Worth Avenue is home to the most high-end designer stores, fancy cars, and even fancier people. While this over-the-top luxury can be dazzling, the most beautiful spots in Palm Beach are the side streets and alleyways off of Worth Avenue. Venture away from the main street and you’ll be rewarded with bouganvillea-filled courtyards, hidden stores, fountains, stunning tile and mosaic work, and secluded benches where you can sit and almost convince yourself you’re in a European village.

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Leu Gardens, Orlando

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In the heart of Orlando, far from the theme parks and the city traffic, is a lush, tropical wonderland. No matter the time of year, you’ll be amazed by the variety and beauty of Leu Gardens. The property is packed with foliage thanks to its original owners, Harry and Mary Jane Leu, who collected plants and seeds from their travels. In addition to tropical varieties of all kinds (bromeliads, hibiscus, bananas, bird-of-paradise), Leu is home to one of the state’s largest formal rose gardens, a tropical steam garden (similar to a rainforest), a collection of fruit trees, a camellia collection, and so much more. Whether you’re a plant expert or a total novice, you’ll be captivated by this place.

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Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin

Photo Courtesy of the Florida International University Media Relations Office Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin, Florida

This island off of the Gulf coast near Clearwater is only accessible by boat, but it’s worth the trip to experience its untouched splendor. You can kayak through mangrove forests, look for shells along the white sand shoreline, walk along a wooded nature trail, or float the day away in turquoise waters you’d easily mistake for the Caribbean.

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Ann Norton Sculpture Garden, West Palm Beach

Ann Norton Sculpture Garden

Located across the street from the Lake Worth Lagoon, this small sculpture garden feels like a private, leafy oasis. The two-acre property, which also includes a home and studio, is the former residence of sculptor Ann Weaver Norton. Now it is place where people can encounter her work (more than 100 pieces) as well as work by other artists. The jungle-like garden, Norton’s collection of 250 rare plants, including palms, orchids, and other native plants, is beautiful itself, and Norton’s massive sculptures (in stone, wood, and bronze) look right at home among the vegetation.

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Flagler College, St. Augustine

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Florida’s Ancient City is filled with photogenic places, but this small private college is one of the best. Unlike most universities, Flagler College is housed in a hotel. But not just any hotel—the Ponce de Leon, Henry Flagler’s opulent Spanish Revival-style hotel. The building dates back to 1888 and has been impeccably preserved so that its gilded glamor is just as breathtaking today. Tours of the hotel are available, and allow visitors to marvel at the 80-plus Tiffany-designed stained glass windows, murals by George Maynard, and the massive dining hall with its domed ceiling, and more architectural wonders.

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Anna Maria Island

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Picking the best beach in Florida is like finding the perfect seashell—there are just too many to choose from. But Anna Maria Island consistently ranks at the top, according to our readers and editors. The island is made up of three charming towns: Anna Maria in the north, Holmes Beach in the middle, and Bradenton Beach in the south. Each area has its own beach, and they are equally lovely, with soft, white sand and blue-green water and less crowds than more well-known beaches on the west coast.

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The Colony Hotel, Palm Beach

Carmel Brantley; Styling by Page Mullins The Colony’s official mascot, a monkey named Johnnie Brown, is shown in this wallpaper. He was a former pet of the late Addison Mizner, an architect who greatly influenced the look of Palm Beach.

Perhaps no hotel embodies its locale more than this Palm Beach gem. The pink-and-white building (nicknamed the “pink paradise”) with its lush, tropical grounds and preppy-meets-Old Florida decor is sophisticated but never stuffy. And The Colony’s sunny poolside cafe, Swifty’s, is one of the prettiest (and most popular) spots in town to have lunch. One look at the ruffled patio umbrellas, rattan furniture, and abundant greenery and you’ll see why.

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Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami

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Formerly a vacation home built in 1916, the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is one of the most scenic places in South Florida, and perhaps the state. The historic Mediterranean-style house is filled with art and antiques (including ancient Roman sculptures, one of the largest collections of Italian furniture in the U.S., and tapestries from the Renaissance). Outside, you can spend hours exploring European-style gardens in distinct styles (like a maze garden and a fountain garden). Tropical plants and sculptures are interspersed throughout the property, which runs along Biscayne Bay. It’s a truly transporting place.

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Read the original article on Southern Living.