Visit Pas De Grille which is south of St Petersburg Beach and you will not only find another great beach but there is the Hurricane Bar.

Live music, Cocktails and some good beer.

The Bar Restaurant is located right opposite the beach bar and is a great place to socialise and see that sun setting over the Gulf of Mexico.

Food is reasonable and on the second floor you can eat in their fish restuarant. Superb food.

On this occasion we just went to the top floor to the Hurricane Bar. A loveley atmosphere and not only can you bask in the sun on the rooftop there are places to get the shade as well.

A superb view over the beach as you people watch and not only that you get those great holiday snaps to take home and show your friends and relatives what they are missing.

We sat there in the warm breeze waiting for the sun to set over that sea. If your lucky and it is clear you will see that orange sun change colours as it reaches that horizon.

So give it a go and visit the Hurricane Bar at Pas De Grille. Great place.

Cocoa Beach – the local billboards say it all – this is Orlando’s Closest Beach. It is just 45 minutes drive away from Orlando International Airport.  Take the aptly named Beach line Expressway (528) straight east, keep driving and arrive.  Buy a souvenir at Ron Jon’s Surf Shop, and then head to the beach – fantastic and not crowded at all.

Kennedy Space Center - is just north of Cocoa Beach.  It has an amazing museum of space exploration (known as the KSC Visitors Complex) and is well worth a full day visit. If you plan to catch a shuttle launch, be prepared to sit in traffic for several hours driving back to Orlando, but the spectacle of an actual launch will be well worth it.  Our whole family loved the day.

Daytona Beach - if all you are looking for is sun, sand and surf, then a quick trip Cocoa Beach will get you there a bit quicker and give you all you want.  However, Daytona Beach is less than two hours away, and it has a special appeal to Spring Breakers, bikers, and NASCAR fans. If you stay until sunset, the brightly colored Ocean Walk Shoppes and Movies offers a fantastic ocean view.  The beach is really hard and many cars and pick ups drive along it (slowly of course)

Tampa area – is less than two hours drive away from Florida on the West coast.  Check out Florida’s Gulf Coast in the historically rich city of Tampa. Nearby at St. Petersburg there are upscale shopping areas and museums while Clearwater Beach offers warm waters and powdery white sand.

Silver Springs – is another “Old Florida” icon.  It is famous for its glass bottomed boat rides, animal exhibits, and jeep safaris through the Florida forest. Silver Springs was opened in 1878, and is Florida’s oldest commercial tourist attraction.  It is where Johnny Weismuller filmed some of the earliest Tarzan movies.  A little drive away from Orlando but well worth visiting for the crystal clear springs.

Ocala National Forest – is not far from Silver Springs. It is the world’s largest sand pine forest and covers around 366,000 acres. Hiking, fishing, and canoeing are popular activities in this natural attraction.

Mount Dora - with its Victorian architecture, boutique shopping, and lovely lakefront, Mount Dora is one of the most genuine small towns in Central Florida. You can even see some of the few remaining citrus groves on the outskirts of this well preserved village.  My wife just loved Mount Dora with its fantastic quaint shops.  You can also go on a boat ride on the lake.  Well worth a visit.

Sebring – is a sleepy town less than two hours due south of Orlando, Sebring has a charming downtown district, and is home to the Sebring International Raceway, which is the oldest permanent road racing track in North America. Nearby Highlands Hammock State Park offers campsites and hiking trails.

Blue Spring State Park - with the water temperature at a constant 68º F, Blue Spring State Park in nearby Volusia County (where Daytona Beach is located) is a winter refuge for manatees between November and March. In the warmer months, human visitors enjoy snorkeling and canoeing.

Do not let your holiday go by without a visit to Fort De Soto Park just south of St Petersburg off the I275.

We were told about this gem of a place by some residents in Florida. It takes about 90 mins to get there from the Disney Area down the I4 and then onto the I275. There are a couple of tolls that you have to pay (50 cents and 35 cents).

When you arrive via Tierra Verde then is the opportunity to visit Fort De Soto itself. There is some history to be had here. Then onto the beach. We headed for North Beach where there is ample parking.

The advantage is that there is shade under the trees as well as the opportunity to top up that tan. When we visited in late July the sea was a mild 88 degrees. The beach is great for kids as the sea is shallow and depending on the breeze not very choppy. For those who want to watch the world go by you can sit in the shade and look out onto the Gulf of Mexico and if there long enough catch the sunset.

Don’t tell everyone and don’t forget to take a picnic. You will not be disappointed with your visit.

Do Not Miss the opportunity to visit the unspoiled beaches around Fort De Soto - near to St. Petersburg. BUT DO NOT TELL EVERYONE.

On our travels we decided to head south from Clearwater beach to get away from all the weekend crowds. We followed the coast road going through Teasure Island and stopping for a brief while at Pass De Grille. A great place right on the beach to listen to concerts at the weekends and have a bite to eat whilst you watch the sunset go down.

We decided to head further South although we had to travel North to get on the I275 that led us down to Fort De Soto. What a fantastic place. They said it was named the Top Beach in 2009 and they were not wrong.