If you are looking for an affordable and memorable family beach vacation then look no further than the Florida Gulf Coast! The West Coast of Florida offers more for your time and money than typical family beach vacations! It is a unique place where the entire family can have the best of both worlds.

You do this by planning a "family beach vacation" that combines the traditional activities in Central Florida like the Disney theme parks with some of Florida's amazing natural attractions along the Gulf Coast.

So much can be accomplished in such a short period of time because the best vacation destinations on the West Coast are within reasonable driving distances of one another (1-3 hours).

These places include a number of Florida beaches that year after year are voted as being some of the best beaches in the country, such as Caldesi Island pictured below which was just voted best beach in the country for 2008, as well as the many Florida State Parks that have family friendly activities.

Caldesi Island: beautiful and remote and about a 30 minute drive from Tampa's Airport. Photo credit: State Archives of Florida: Florida Division of Tourism

Or, you could pass on Central Florida altogether and spend the entire trip on the Gulf Coast and start off with one of the big Tampa area attractions like Busch Gardens or the Lowry Park Zoo. Then, spend the rest of the week on the Florida Gulf Coast where the whole family can go kayaking, fishing, take in a nature tour, drop in on a Florida State Park, do some terrific shopping and still enjoy time at the beach playing. And, the beaches here are almost always clear, calm, and warm, making them a great natural family playground.

Howard Park Beach in Tarpon Springs. Great beach for sunbathing and just about any water sport.

In addition to the short driving distances, these choices also exist because Florida has many wild areas left in the State and many species that either live or pass through Florida on their seasonal migrations. This makes for a whole lot of biodiversity and a whole bunch of vacation choices like hiking, biking, birding and canoeing and kayaking which are all fantastic family activites. Even the most modest of State Parks has a lot to offer.

Beautiful oaks in Howard Park in Tarpon Springs.

So, please come visit me here often where I'll be updating all of the time and working hard to upload the gobs of video I have been accumulating. I'll try and give you a first hand account of what my favorite choices will actually look and feel like once you arrive and I'll also be putting together a "must do" list for each of the places that I love. I hope you too will discover that the Florida Gulf Coast really is "Florida's Best Kept Secret."

Another stunning Florida sunset.

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