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There is something on our list of our favorite Florida Gulf Coast family resorts to express every type of vacation vibe. If parents are craving the feeling of slipping their toes into warm sand while listening to their kids laughing and building sandcastles nearby, we have that. Or if families love to plan tons of excursions to keep everyone busy, we have options for them. If mom and dad want to enjoy alone time, there are plenty of Florida Gulf Coast resorts that have epic kid’s clubs! We did all the research, so all a family needs to do is dive into our top picks.
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South Seas Island Resort – Captiva
My family visited South Seas Island Resort several years ago. My boys’ favorite part was the seashells! They collected sand dollars, lightning whelk, junonia, and conch shells on the private beach. Visit an hour before or after low tide to find the most shells – there are hundreds of them on the sugar-white sand!
South Seas Island Resort is located in a 330-acre nature preserve. Guests can stay in hotel rooms, condos, or private cottages. Enjoy winding watersides, three pools with views of the bay, and colorful cocktails at the poolside bar. Eat at several restaurants including burgers, tacos, an Italian steakhouse, seafood grill, or shop at the food market for quick bites. Guests can also visit with resident manatees in the marina, go fishing off the pier, book a fishing excursion, or enjoy a beach day using complimentary beach chairs, umbrellas, and chairs. South Seas did experience a bit of damage after the hurricane, but they are planning to add a waterpark in 2025 and are continuing to improve the property.
Hunt for treasures at one of the best places for sea shelling on the Gulf Coast!
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Things to Do in Captiva
Spot dolphins or watch the sunset with Captiva Cruises, visit the Jungle Drums Gallery, or rent a bike to tour the island. There are also more than a dozen manmade reefs nearby for snorkeling or scuba diving adventures!
Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa – Bonita Springs, FL
Hyatt Regency Coconut Point is the best family resort for families who love the water. Enjoy four pools, five water slides, and a palm-tree-lined lazy river in the 3-acre waterpark. There’s also an adults-only hot tub with a waterfall! Rent watersports equipment or take a complimentary boat ride across Estero Bay for the private beach experience on Big Hickory Island. Try to spot manatees and dolphins on the way!
Guests can enjoy views of the Southwest Florida coastline and Estero Bay through floor-to-ceiling windows. Dining options at Hyatt Regency Coconut Point include Tanglewood Southern Grill and Corkscrew Poolside Bar & Grill, both with kid menus, plus a seafood restaurant, bar and grill, and a market to buy sandwiches, snacks, and other goodies. The bar and grill has live music on the weekends! Other amenities include a kids club and kids activities, a spa with a meditation pool, a fitness center, an arcade, a rock wall, and lawn games like Connect Four, cornhole, and miniature golf.
Things to Do in Bonita Springs
Hyatt Regency Coconut Point is surrounded by beautiful places to explore. Go on daytime, sunset, or nighttime kayak tours. Visit the 3.5-acre Bonita Wonder Gardens and/or Lover’s Key State Park. This wildlife haven is made up of four barrier islands with nature trails, mangroves, and gorgeous beaches, home to spoonbills, bald eagles, marsh rabbits, bottlenose dolphins, and manatees!
Omni Amelia Island Resort – Amelia Island, FL
Omni Amelia Island Resort sits on Fernandina Beach, located on a barrier island off Florida’s Gulf Coast. This destination is great for families who love nature with miles of beaches and nearby oak marshes teeming with wildlife.
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Stay in hotel rooms or suites, all of them with ocean views! There is always something to do at the resort with daily scheduled activities including Segway tours, beach games, lessons at the tennis courts, fishing and crabbing at the pier, adventure tours, and nature tours. Visitors not feeling the beach can appreciate the family pool, nautical-themed splash pad, or adults-only infinity pool. Finish the day by dining at one of ten onsite restaurants.
Omni Amelia Island Resort also has two championship golf courses and a Little Sandy Golf Course, designed for the whole family and all skill levels. It’s located in an oak marsh habitat and great for beginners, unlike the championship course at Longboat Key Club. There’s also an 18-hole mini golf course and a gamer’s lounge with foosball and video games, including XBOX One and Nintendo Switch. Parents, reward yourself for all those activities at the nature-themed full-service spa.
See who can spot the most alligators while exploring the marsh habitats on the island!
Photo by Nellie Adamyan on Unsplash
Things to Do on Amelia Island
For those who love nature, visit the Amelia Island Nature Center, book nature tours, see turtles nesting on the beach from March to October, or visit animal rescues. Other notable attractions on the island include the historic Civil War fort at Fort Clinch State Park, shopping in the quaint storefronts in the Historic District, or horseback riding on the beach!
Kimpton Vero Beach Hotel & Spa – Vero Beach, FL
Kimpton Vero Beach Hotel & Spa is our pick for an affordable family vacation to the Gulf of Mexico. Lodging includes studios and guest suites with up to three bedrooms, some of them offering ocean views, lanais, or full kitchens! Even being our budget option, Kimpton Vero doesn’t skimp on amenities.
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Relax in a heated outdoor pool with views of the ocean or hit the beach. Families have access to a complimentary beach package with an umbrella, beach chairs, and towels. Guests can also enjoy complimentary tea or coffee in the morning and wine in the evenings. The kids will appreciate complimentary Micro Kickboard scooters (and helmets) that they can use while adventuring on the property and the game room, complete with video game consoles and Lego boards. Guests can also pay extra for pop-up events with the Environmental Learning Center, watersports equipment rentals, or excursions like a starlight cruise with an astronomer!
Things to Do in Vero Beach
Visit the beautiful McKee Botanical Garden, Vero Beach Museum of Art, or Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge during the day, then take in a show at the Riverside Theater. Families who like to surf will also appreciate Sebastian Inlet State Park – there are even a few professional surfers who love this beach because of its perfect surfing conditions!
Tradewind Beach Resort Island Grand – St. Pete Beach, FL
Families that love adventure will enjoy staying at Tradewind Beach Resort Island Grand. At the resort, enjoy a surf simulator and three-story inflatable waterslide in the water park, touch tank, mini golf, and nightly s’mores. Guest rooms are simple and only come with a microwave and mini fridge, but each room does have an assigned beach cabana!
The resort also offers excursions like jet ski tours and fishing charters, making it a fantastic choice for family-friendly activities and kids of all ages!
Imagine kayaking with stunning sunset views like these.
Photo by Alfonso Betancourt on Unsplash
Things to Do in St. Pete Beach
There are tons of tours in St. Pete Beach, like glass bottom kayak tours, seashell hunting tours, and speedboat rides with dolphins swimming underneath. Families can also visit Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Salvador Dali Museum, Great Exploration Children’s Museum, or Sunken Gardens.
Hawk’s Cay – Duck Key Island in the Florida Keys
Hawk’s Cay has a variety of kids programming, starting with Coral Cay Activities & Adventures Clubs for kids 5-12 and a separate club for teens. Your child will socialize with kids their age and play in the game room with an arcade, movies, and Giant Jenga. For an extra cost, kids can participate in Camp Hawk or Kids Night Out.
Camp Hawk offers daily kids’ activities like meeting dolphins, learning about the reef, and searching for pirate treasure. Kids Night Out includes pizza, drinks, and supervised fun while mom and dad have free time to enjoy a meal together or have adults-only fun.
[ctt template=”8″ link=”BM2Pf” via=”no” ]Swim-up bars, kids clubs, kayaking excursions, water fun – we have something for everyone at these Florida Gulf Coast family resorts! [/ctt]
In addition to the game room, families will enjoy the basketball and volleyball court, putting course, and pirate-themed outdoor pool. Great excursions include a fishing expedition, meeting dolphins, or exploring plants and wildlife on the island. Try to spot tropical birds, marine sharks, and dolphins. After a long day, there are plenty of onsite restaurants, including a steakhouse, grills, and several kid-friendly options.
Things to Do on Duck Key Island
Florida’s Great Coral Reef is just five minutes from the resort for snorkeling adventures or visit Coco Plum Beach for turtle spotting. Guests will also enjoy swimming with dolphins at Dolphin Research Center, exploring mangrove forests at Everglades National Park, visiting the Turtle Hospital, or traveling Seven Mile Bridge – one of the longest bridges in the United States!
Cheeca Lodge & Spa – Islamadora, FL
At Cheeca Lodge & Spa, guests can stay in rooms at the main lodge or book an oceanfront bungalow, suite, or casitas. We love the Casitas for family, a private lodging option with 1-2 bedrooms, a porch, full kitchens, a washer and dryer, and a butler service. There are plenty of onsite dining options including Mia Cucina Italian Restaurant, which serves pizza the entire family will love! Guests can also rent equipment or book tours at the watersports facility.
Camp Cheeca has activities and programs for kids and there are 2 large outdoor pools, one for families and the other for adults. Kids can enjoy the club while adults sip cocktails at open-air tiki bars near the pool. Or, mom can book an appointment at the spa while dad goes on a fishing expedition. It is the “Sportfishing Capital of the World!”
Mom and dad will love sipping cocktails from the swim-up bar at the adults-only pool!
Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash
Things to Do in Islamadora
Islamadora is known for its reefs and mangrove swamps. Explore them on snorkeling tours or rent kayaks or paddleboards from Robbie’s Marina. Families will also love walking the colorful art galleries at Rain Barrel Village, getting the private island experience at Indian Key Historic State Park, visiting Theater of the Sea marine mammal park, or swimming at Founder’s Park, which has an Olympic-sized pool, shallow swimming beach perfect for younger kids, and a splash pad.
Traveling to Gulf Coast Family Resorts from Los Angeles
When flying into Florida from Los Angeles, several major airports are close to these Gulf Coast resorts: Orlando International Airport, Daytona Beach International Airport, Tampa International Airport, Southwest Florida International Airport, and Miami International Airport. Nonstop flights take about 5 hours. Visitors have their pick of airlines, including Sprint, Delta, American Airlines, JetBlue, United, and Frontier Airlines.
An excellent discount site for flights (and cars) is Expedia! This is where we start our research for the best deals!
To get discounts on tours in the area, we recommend Get Your Guide or Viator (which offers 51% off last-minute tours!).
To save time (and because we travel so much), we got an annual travel insurance policy for the whole family from this site. They have affordable policies for individual trips too and tools to make picking one easy.
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