Southwest Florida City Makes Travel & Leisure’s Best Affordable Beach Vacations List

Living in paradise, sometimes we forget that we live where other people vacation and one Southwest Florida city makes Travel & Leisure's best affordable beach vacations list.

Growing up in the Midwest, I always knew that I wanted, one day, to live in Florida. It took me 34 years to make it down here, but I've never looked back. So many things I love about living in Southwest Florida are probably the reason so many people choose this area for the beach vacations. We have so many great beaches to pick from, a variety of lodging options from beach houses to resorts and of course, beautiful weather that makes for an endless summer.

I absolutely love it here and often forget just how many people come to vacation where we live year-round. And speaking of vacations, one Southwest Florida has made Travel & Leisure's list of the best affordable beach vacations.

Terry Ward, a writer for Travel & Leisure, lived in Florida for 27 years and put together a list of the best affordable beach vacations in the Sunshine State. Coming in at #10 is Bonita Springs. Ward mentions so many things that I, too, find appealing about this Southwest Florida city. Lovers Key State Park, the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and Mel's Diner for when that hunger hits. And for a place to stay, the Hyatt Vacation Club at Coconut Cove which features a lazy river, 4 swimming pools, a tiki bar, steam room and sauna, and a resort-owned private island.

The top 5 on the list include:

I saw a meme the other day that said "I'm from Florida where we take mini vacations in other parts of Florida". And how lucky are we that we have so many great places to pick from! And if you're looking to travel on a budget, for the full list, click here

Florida is known for its beautiful beaches and resorts. After all, Florida is the Sunshine State. But, if you're looking for some more underrated, and less busy, Florida beaches, then you also have some options. The major beaches are often filled with tourists, so finding some of the more underrated Florida beaches may be just what you need for a quiet getaway.

Before we get to the most underrated Florida beaches to visit, let's talk about the amazing water areas that Florida has to offer. Florida is one of the boating and fishing capitals of the world. As VisitFlorida.com points out, the state has more than 7,700 lakes, 11,000 miles of rivers, 2,276 miles of tidal shoreline and has been home to more than 900 world fishing records. That tops any other state or even country. How wild is to to think that Florida has created more fishing records than even any other country? It shows just how rich the state is when it comes to our water.

Florida also has more than 700 freshwater springs, and 27 are classified as first-magnitude springs, which is more than any other state. A few other special things about Florida is that John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park on Key Largo was America's very first underwater state park. Also, the fishing village of Cedar Key is known for having the best clam chowder in America. So, if you have a craving for clam chowder, that's the place to go.

A separate article from VisitFlorida.com notes that Florida beaches are known for being very clear, but "it varies from week to week, and even from day to day depending on the amount of sunlight, the temperature, the amount of rainfall, the wind speed and direction, water currents and surf." They add that Florida has some very clear and beautiful beaches on the Gulf of Mexico and on the Atlantic Ocean. For clear water ost days, try "northwest Florida beaches in and around Panama City Beach, Destin, Fort Walton Beach, and Pensacola; southwest Florida beaches on Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key and Siesta Key."

I love that fact that you can enjoy Florida beaches any time of the year. I mean, contrary to what people outside of the state think, it can get cold here in the winter. But, it's rarely too cold to sit on the beach with a sweatshirt on and watch the sunset. Read on for underrated Florida beaches to get on your radar.

Fort Myers Beach still has a good amount of damage from the hurricane, but Margaritaville is open, so you'll find plenty to do there. Situated on Estero Island, Fort Myers Beach is one of the state's most underrated beaches. At Fort Myers Beach, you'll find beautiful, white-sand beaches and gorgeous sunsets.

Make sure to visit Siesta Key here, as well as Sarasota Gay Beach and Crescent Beach. Just south of Tampa Bay, Sarasota is a lovely beach town that is especially popular during the holidays. You'll find lots of local shopping opportunities here.

St. George Island State Park is located on a barrier island fronting the legendary Apalachicola Bay. It's a great place to gaze at the stars. Note that starting March 1, 2025, the campground at Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park will be closed for an expansion project.

If you head to Santa Rosa Beach and want to find some really special, and secret, beaches, try Blue Mountain Beach and Grayton Beach State Park. This beach town is less crowded than most, which makes it a low-key getaway.

Pensacola Beach is located on a 40-mile barrier island, Pensacola Beach, and has beautiful, translucent waters. It's a really small town, so it's much less crowded than other beaches. It's a hidden gem.

If you don't want to go too far, do some digging and visit one of the closest beaches to you, that you haven't visited yet. This is one of my favorite things to do. Maybe you'll find a new favorite beach super close to home.