9 Unforgettable Road Trips To Take In Florida

When thinking of visiting Florida, many have a specific destination in mind to get to and start enjoying the sunny vibes. Florida's temperate and varying nature—from the Overseas Highway to the spectacular Everglades—makes it the best road trip state out there! But did you know there are also common theme parks you can hunt for to make it even more enjoyable along the way? Don't worry; you will still get all the relaxing beaches, but there is so much more along the way to stretch your legs at spectacular lookout points, epic hikes, and even Orlando's theme parks! Check out the oldest settlement in the US and visit Naples, a must-see city that takes your sightseeing road trip into a whole other continent worth of sights! The state is immense, so hit the road running while most crowd the beaches.

The Haunted Road Trip

This 15-hour roundtrip requires at least a long weekend. Starting in St. Augustine, the country's oldest, a beautifully haunted city, is home to the Castillo de San Marcos. From a Seminole man sighted leaping out of the window to a lovesick woman wandering the premises in a wedding dress, the only remaining 17th-century fortress in the US is scary! Driving down the coast, you can stop at Daytona Beach to stretch your legs along the waterside and along Orange Avenue—one of Florida's spookiest streets. Some report sighting a ghostly womanly figure—the spirit of a girl killed in a car accident on her way to homecoming dance, hitchhiking across an Instagrammable bridge. After detouring to the Air Force Space Center, the state's largest Lake Okeechobee, just inland from West Palm Beach, conceives folklore of ghosts in its deep waters and the nearby massive Port Mayaca Cemetery. From fishermen who came across a land of skeletons in the early 1900s to the thousands killed by a huge hurricane in 1928, their ghosts may be wandering around the waters.

Fort Lauderdale's New River Inn is a 40-room former hotel, now the History Museum of the Fort Lauderdale History Center, operated by the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society, with ghost sightings. If you see a lonely girl looking out of the window, you will need a drink in Everglades City at the Rod and Gun Club from 1864, a historic restaurant with famous paintings and a paranormal investigation site. The Loews Don CeSar Hotel in Tampa is a gorgeous Victorian house turned museum with roaming spirits of past residents among its displays, exhibits, antiques, and artifacts from the late 19th century. Haunted by can take an adults-only haunted tour at night, and if you see the couple, Thomas Rowe and his wife, strolling along the property hand-in-hand—well, it is quite a lovely sight for the last, most notorious stop on your road trip!

Highway 98 (Pensacola To Apalachicola)

This scenic road trip is great for any group, but couples find it especially appealing for the romantic views, overlooks, and engaging pit stops to bond, with hotspots like the Okaloosa Fishing Pier and the Okaloosa Boardwalk. Topsail Hill State Park and Grayton State Park are great to stretch your legs, while families enjoy Gulfarium Adventure Park and Big Kahuna Water Park. The Constitution Convention Museum and Stone Memorial State Park are a hoot for history fans! From start to finish, the 176-mile road trip takes approximately 4 hours to power straight through, but you don't have to do that!

Highway 98 takes you eastward out of Pensacola through a number of lovely coastal towns along the Gulf. You can pause to recharge and take coffee breaks with sights in Gulf Breeze, Destin, and Rosemary Beach, with its tempting sweet sea breeze, for a stroll before moving on. A long weekend is a perfect fit to stretch the sights and bonding pleasures while absorbing the most coastal vibes, lounging in the sand, and taking dips at some beautiful beaches with turquoise waters. Rosemary Beach and Panama City Beach offer great restaurants, amazing sunset views, and secluded nature trails to cool off!

Augustine To Coral Castle (Florida Castles Road Trip)

Three of the castles are right in St. Augustine, the oldest European settlement in the US, like a tour around Villa Zorayda from 1883, a lookalike of a 12th-century Moorish palace by a Bostonian millionaire with a museum. The Moorish Castle Warden from 1887 features a hotel where Robert S. Ripley stayed and housed his collection of curiosities at the Believe It or Not museum. Castle Ottis boasts an impressive architectural profile of a millennia-old Irish castle, which two single men crafted for free in the landscape with a structure of Jesus Christ. Setting off along the coast, you can spend a beach day in Daytona or enjoy culture on a stroll to stretch your legs through Melbourne. From the waterfront Port St. Lucie to West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale has great dining restaurants before grasping the furthest point on your road trip, near Florida's southern tip.

Lovelorn Latvian Edward Leedskalnin completed The Coral Castles, a 1,000-ton stone-made marvel from the 1920s, in just two decades, unearthed, transported, and carved with furnishings, a throne, and a bathtub for his unrequited love. Employing "secrets of the pyramids," he created his own Stonehenge and lived in the castle as a tour guide until his death in 1951. Heading back along A1A, one of the best Florida roads, the next castle is midway in swampy Central Florida—the three-story-high Solomon's Castle. This diamond in the rough roadside attraction wrapped in aluminum printing plates features electronic works by the architect Howard Solomon, and now you can hop off to Orlando before returning!

Fort Myers To Palatka

This fantastic road trip, about 6.5 hours of driving, takes you along low-traffic inland through the scenic nature of lakes, state parks, and diverse attractions. The idyllic cross-country expense appeases families for a relaxing ride with notable attractions along the way like Times Square, Orlando Theme Parks, and Silver Springs State Park. You can choose from an array of quaint, friendly towns for a budget stay. Setting off after a morning stroll at Fort Myers Beach's seven-mile expanse from Bowditch Point Park to Lovers Key State Park, don't forget an ice cream cone from a parlor to stroll down the lively pier, or visit the pedestrian Times Square to charge with food stalls and picnic tables. Navigating northeast, there is Lake Okeechobee, with over 100 miles of hiking trails to stretch your legs or enjoy some fishing.

Further north, Highland Hammock State Park and, through Osceola, Walt Disney World will take a day, not speaking of Orlando's other theme parks. For low crowds, Silver Springs State Park, just upstate, features a sprawling estate, a lake, nature trails, a museum, picnic areas, and glass-bottom boats. Just an hour north, through cute towns or beautiful preserves leaning in the east along Lake Kerr, the small town of Palatka, with a rural feel and around 10,000 residents, offers many bed and breakfast stays. With nearby Atlantic beaches and plenty of wildlife in Ravine Gardens State Park, you can also check out the Riverfront Park and Lightner Museum and visit a local pub for craft beer before turning in. St. Augustine is a quick daytrip from here!

Kennedy Space Center To Sanibel And Captiva Islands

This road trip offers the best of the Sunshine State, like beaches and family-fun activities, with about five hours of total driving time. An ideal family weekend escape with many nautical sights, you will also hit Walt Disney World, Siesta Key, and Bowman's Beach, but first Kennedy Space Center. This intriguing place where you may catch a rocket launch excites kids and adults alike on a tour of the Space Center and seeing workers going about their everyday space-related tasks. Shooting off through Central Florida, Orlando's Mickey's Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, and Harry Potter World in Universal Studios—allot time for each.

A half-hour leg takes you southwest to Tampa with its stunning wrought-iron architecture and historic landmarks, like the strollable Ybor City with cute outdoor cafes. Sarasota invites you in for some of Florida's best beaches, sunset strolls, and staying put for the night. You can set sail after sunrise on a ferry to Captiva Island's silky shores to beachcomb for seashells and lazy lounging. After crossing the causeway to Sanibel Island just in time for a refreshing dip, you can now sit back and relax with a drink before driving the 288 miles back.

Natural Wonders Road Trip

Beginning in Northwest Florida, you can start the morning on a refreshing stroll through the Falling Waters State Park to the largest natural waterfall in the state. Cascading from over 70 feet down into a massive sinkhole, it is most impressive after rainfall! Nearby, the only air-filled caves in Florida are open to the public to explore underwater after special training, so plan your time accordingly. Torreya State Park feels like another barren world underneath 150-foot-high bluffs with challenging hiking trails, occasional Torreya trees, and spectacular Apalachicola River lookouts! It is a perfect place to spend the night under the stars in your RV and set off fresh for North Central Florida to Devil's Den. This mysterious karst window—a collapsed cave over an underground spring—will take away your breath in every sense while you snorkel or go scuba diving in the cave. The treasured wilderness in Ocala National Forest features unique Central Florida wildlife to relax around on a stroll, a sightseeing hike, camping, and waterside recreation.

South along the rocky coastline with lovely beaches under limestone outcroppings, Jupiter Island greets you with Blowing Rocks Preserve, the most impressive on the east coast. Great for clambering around, you can also enjoy mind-blowing scenery and a photoshoot of the ocean spray hitting the rocks and refracting 50 feet in the air after stormy weather! Your final stop at the largest tropical wilderness in the US, the Everglades, is over one million acres, with abundant biological diversity and natural beauty. The pristine landscape full of natural history is actually a moving wetland, with marshes both teeming with activity and holding a meditative stillness. The last stop is the first underwater park in the country in the Keys for the pro that you are by now at snorkeling and scuba diving, or just enjoying a swim to see Florida's coral reef. Don't want to get wet this time? A glass-bottom boat ride with stunning views of the local marine life will be a great finale to your trip!

Tracing The Atlantic Coast Or Chasing Lighthouses

This thematic road trip particularly appeals to sailors and their little nautical fans to photograph and let the worries go at the endless water views. Starting on the glorious Amelia, the barrier island, with a coffee, you can fully appreciate the deep south charm-meet-tropical vibes on a stroll under the moss-draped lanes lined by architecture. Driving down the Sunshine State's coastline, stop to sample one of the finest of Florida's lights in St. Augustine, the oldest permanent European settlement in the United States.

Hitting up Orange Ave. in Daytona Beach and the undeveloped beaches along the Space Coast, there are family-friendly attractions, Cape Canaveral Light, and Kennedy Space Center. If you time it right, there is a chance to see a rocket shoot into space! Stopping by Cocoa Beach for a refreshing mid-afternoon dip until sunset, the next light is in Jupiter Inlet. Miami has got more of what you are craving, namely its pronounced Latin flavor and evening entertainment, as well as some luxury stays! This north-to-south coastal road trip covers 475 scenic miles in just under six hours of straight driving but stretches out while bonding over sights, attractions, and experiences.

Miami To Naples (via The Tamiami Trail)

After java in Brickell, a trendy Miami neighborhood, check out Little Havana, its Cuban district, for lunch before hitting the ground running. This fantastic northbound road trip is epic throughout, from Everglades National Park to Naple, a must-visit small city in the state via the Tamiami Trail! The extensive, first-of-its-kind road through swampland was opened in 1928, connecting South Florida east to west.

Featuring 41,200 football fields worth of space, you can get out for an anytime hike to stretch your legs with an abundance of wildlife, or perhaps take an airboat tour of the Everglades. Shark Valley is an adventurous trek with alligator sights along various trails for walking, cycling, or a shuttle bus. Miccosukee Indian Village offers a great pit stop along the trail to shop for unique finds, or the historic Smallwood Store in Chokoloskee, Florida. The Big Cypress National Preserve is another worthy detour, with its beautiful wildness of draping trees and more alligators, just 45 minutes before hitting Naples!

West Palm Beach To Key West: The Hunt For The Best Key Lime Pie

A quick road trip to discover the best of Florida? It sounds pretty epic, with hotspots fitting into four hours of driving and delicious key lime pie to share your impressions! Starting from downtown West Palm Beach, you will envelop the whole east coast of Florida, from Hot Boca Raton to Miami, and onto the Overseas Highway to Key Largo, replete with experiences. The sights follow you throughout—up to Miami for a vitamin D-rich siesta stop at Miami Beach or staying to party overnight. Pause for experiences and pies along the Overseas Highway to Key West (the Conch Republic) at each of the main keys, like Key Largo.

The serene Islamorada and small town of Marathon are full of charms before hitting Key West through Big Pine Key! Instead, you can head through the inner cities, with pit stops on the Overseas Highway leading directly into Key West. Whether you are after cultural city attractions, you can also just shoot straight down the highway with nothing but the daring ocean views alongside you. When you are finally ready to reach your ultimate destination, cross the Seven Mile Bridge with spectacular views surrounding the highway and just an hour until you can gorge on that pie with more views in one of the state's most remote and friendliest towns!

With so much more to The Sunshine State than meets the eye, there's nothing better than the road-tripping way to fit in all your desirable experiences, have fun, and bond along the way. From haunted places to lighthouses, spacey sights, and nature abounding in the waterfalls, there is a road trip for every taste in the state! Just think of the number of impressions that await you and only 4 to 6 hours of driving to trace a coast and make a return trip that is never boring with the best stops on the way back! With these, the most unforgettable road trips in the Sunshine State, you will discover a new way to explore the state by chasing after sights and being yourself, planning another one halfway through!