Florida Girls Getaways: Find Your Perfect Escape

By Lauren Tjaden

“We should take a girls trip.”

Friends can say it for years without anyone actually booking a hotel. Florida offers plenty of reasons to finally do it—and far more possibilities than the standard beach-chairs-and-cocktails getaway.

Here, you can ride horses along an Atlantic beach; explore Scenic Highway 30A via bicycle; indulge in a massage at a decadent spa; or go glam for a spectacular dinner. Or you and your besties can just claim a stretch of sand, order something cold and decide that doing very little is the plan.

Whether you’re celebrating something big or just overdue for time together, these Florida destinations offer very different ways to get away—and plenty of reasons to stay awhile.

1. Amelia Island: Barefoot, Boutique or Bling

The vibe: Historic downtown meets wide Atlantic beaches, with enough polish to make the trip feel special but never stuffy.

Amelia Island works particularly well for friends who don't necessarily want to vacation the same way. One wants a beach. Another wants shopping and a spa robe. Somebody wants to ride a horse. Everyone wins here.

Stay: For an intimate, old-fashioned beach escape, check into Elizabeth Pointe Lodge, a Nantucket-style oceanfront inn where rocking chairs line the wraparound porch and breakfast comes with the room. If the aim is to go big, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island brings the resort pool, beach, spa and serious dining.

Do: Book a horseback ride on the beach, or paddle through pristine salt marshes, then spend a few hours wandering the shops and galleries along Centre Street in historic Fernandina Beach. If your group's definition of exertion is carrying shopping bags, book treatments at The Ritz-Carlton Spa instead.

Eat and drink: Make Salt at The Ritz-Carlton the splurge dinner; it's a MICHELIN-recommended fine-dining restaurant and an occasion in itself. For a very different Amelia experience, raise a glass at the Palace Saloon on Centre Street, which dates to 1903 and claims the title of Florida's oldest bar.

Worth knowing: Amelia Island charms visitors with its brick-lined streets, Victorian buildings and centuries of history, but it can also go ultra-luxe on the island’s south end.

2. St. Augustine: Old Streets, Good Cocktails and Restless Spirits

The vibe: History without the homework.

The nation's oldest city happens to be a remarkably good place for a modern girls getaway. The Historic District is walkable, St. George Street is lined with shops and places to eat and drink, and after dark you can decide whether those centuries of history have left a few residents behind. Don’t forget the miles of glorious beaches, inviting you to surf, swim, or simply work on perfecting your tan.

Stay: Casa Monica Resort & Spa puts you smack-dab in the Historic District in a landmark hotel brimming with Moorish-inspired architecture. It also boasts a full-service spa downstairs, which is convenient if the group's enthusiasm for sightseeing fades.

Do: Explore Castillo de San Marcos, browse St. George Street and stop at the St. Augustine Distillery, housed in a restored historic ice plant.  At night, take one of the city's ghost tours and see who suddenly becomes a believer.

Eat and drink: Columbia Restaurant is the classic — Spanish and Cuban food in a lavish dining room on St. George Street, with the restaurant family's famous “1905” Salad prepared tableside. For cocktails, head to Ice Plant Bar, upstairs in the historic ice plant complex, where the drinks are taken considerably more seriously than your average rum-and-Coke.

Worth knowing: Stay downtown and leave the car parked. Most of what you'll want is within walking distance. The Beach Bus Shuttle can ferry you to the sand.

3. South Walton and 30A: Bikes and Beach Towns

The vibe: For people who like their beach towns pretty.

Scenic Highway 30A strings together communities that each have their own personality, from Grayton Beach's funky, old-Florida streak to the manicured streets of Rosemary Beach. Add sugar-white sand, rare coastal dune lakes and a paved trail that makes bicycles genuinely useful transportation.

Stay: The Pearl Hotel in Rosemary Beach is the dress-up choice: a boutique hotel in the center of town with the beach, shops and restaurants close at hand. Guests also have complimentary bicycles, which is exactly what you want here. Or choose a cottage in pastel-hued Seaside, so charming that it starred as the perfect town in the movie “The Truman Show.”

Do: Pedal a stretch of the Timpoochee Trail and stop whenever something looks interesting. That could mean exploring peaceful Grayton Beach State Park; checking out Seaside—the first New Urbanist town; shopping in Rosemary Beach; or simply abandoning the day's plans when you find a particularly tempting stretch of glistening white sand.

Eat and drink: The Red Bar in Grayton Beach—justifiably billed as a local legend—is the colorful, noisy, live-music institution everyone should experience at least once. For a completely different night, book Café Thirty-A in Seagrove Beach for contemporary fine dining, wine and a martini or two.

Worth knowing: Don't try to “do 30A” from one end to the other in a day. Traffic can turn those deceptively short distances into an unwanted group-bonding exercise.

4. Ocala: Horses, Springs and Unexpected Luxury

The vibe: The Florida getaway nobody in the group has already done three times.

Ocala's rolling horse farms are worlds away from the Sunshine State's resort-lined coasts. Pair them with one of Florida's most famous springs, an over-the-top equestrian resort and adventures like ziplining, and you have an escape that doesn't feel like the standard Florida girls trip.

Stay: The Equestrian Hotel at World Equestrian Center — Ocala is the obvious choice. The sumptuous hotel overlooks the Grand Arena of the equestrian complex and puts restaurants, shops, a pool and spa within steps of your room.

Do: Take a glass-bottom boat ride at Silver Springs State Park, where the gin-clear water reveals fish, turtles, and bubbling vents beneath the boat. Head to World Equestrian Center to watch a multitude of equestrian events, usually without an admission charge. Not every Ocala adventure requires a horse; you can also spend an afternoon flying through the treetops on a zipline at The Canyons.

Eat and drink: Stirrups, located inside The Equestrian Hotel, serves up luxe steaks, seafood and elevated Southern fare along with premium views of the Grand Arena. If you want to leave the resort bubble, head downtown for dinner and a look around Ocala's historic square.

Worth knowing: Check the World Equestrian Center competition calendar before booking. A major horse show gives you built-in entertainment and turns the people-watching up several notches.

5. Crystal River: Meet the Locals — the 1,000-Pound Ones

The vibe: Nature trip with a surprisingly civilized dinner at the end.

Crystal River is for friends who would rather come home with a story than another shopping bag. Kings Bay and the surrounding springs are famous for West Indian manatees, and this is one of the rare places where visitors can legally snorkel with them when following the required rules.

Stay: Plantation Resort on Crystal River is the practical choice because its Adventure Center puts manatee tours, paddling and other water activities right at your fingertips. The waterfront resort also has a pool, marina and golf course.

Do: Book a guided manatee experience, especially during the cooler months when large numbers of manatees gather around the warm springs. Kayaking and paddleboarding are good options, too, and Three Sisters Springs is one of the area's signature stops. In the summer, the delectable bay scallop is the star of the show, and you can dive for your dinner.

Eat and drink: Enjoy a casual waterfront meal and sunset drinks at Waterfront Social, or change out of the day’s adventure clothes for Vintage on 5th, a boutique eatery in historic downtown Crystal River with an extensive wine list and a more polished feel.

Worth knowing: Winter is prime manatee season. If seeing large numbers of these gentle giants is the main reason for the trip, plan around the animals rather than the hotel rate.

6. St. Petersburg: Art, Rooftops and a Beach

The vibe: Urban Florida with a side of flip-flops.

Happening downtown St. Pete neatly fits museums, murals, restaurants, rooftop bars and a gorgeous waterfront into a relatively compact area… and the Gulf’s famed sugar-sand beaches are just a splash away.

Stay: The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club is the grand dame: the big pink landmark on the downtown waterfront with two pools, seven restaurants and a spa. Smaller and in the middle of Beach Drive action, The Birchwood has just 18 rooms plus its own restaurant and rooftop bar.

Do: Start with The Dalí Museum, walk the St. Pete Pier and waterfront, then explore the murals, boutiques and galleries along Central Avenue. If your posse needs a recovery period, schedule a spa afternoon before dinner.

Eat and drink: Wild Child in the Grand Central District is a fun choice for if your gang likes sharing plates and creative cocktails. Later, head to The Canopy atop The Birchwood for drinks and views over downtown and Tampa Bay.

Worth knowing: Downtown is the place to stay if your group wants to walk to dinner, museums and drinks. Save the car for the day you head to the Gulf.

7. Sarasota: Culture on the Coast

The vibe: Art, gardens and a Gulf beach all in the same trip.

In Sarasota, you can spend the morning looking at Rubens and circus memorabilia, have lunch near the bay, shop St. Armands Circle and still be standing barefoot on Lido Beach for sunset.

Stay: Art Ovation Hotel in downtown Sarasota doubles down on the city's arts identity with rotating exhibitions, artist programming and a rooftop pool and bar. If the group wants the resort version of Sarasota instead, The Resort at Longboat Key Club offers beach, spa, golf, tennis, pickleball and a marina.

Do: Give The Ringling at least half a day for the Museum of Art, Circus Museum, gardens and Ca' d'Zan mansion. Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is another excellent stop. Then cross the Ringling Causeway for shopping at St. Armands Circle and beach time on Lido Key.

Eat and drink: Indigenous, tucked into a historic cottage in Towles Court, is one of the city's most distinctive dinner choices, with a chef-driven menu and indoor or outdoor dining. Back at Art Ovation, Perspective Rooftop Pool Bar –complete with an outdoor heated pool-- is an easy place to finish the night above downtown.

Worth knowing: Sarasota rewards a mixed itinerary. Go see the Museum of Art’s towering bronze cast of Michelangelo's David, wander among the orchids, then ditch your sandals and let your toes dig into the powdery white sand.

8. Naples: Permission to Be Fancy

The vibe: The trip where everyone actually wears the dress she packed.

Naples excels at polished pleasures: galleries, boutiques, beautiful hotels, white-tablecloth restaurants and long stretches of Gulf beach. It's particularly good for a milestone birthday or reunion when the group has collectively decided that thrift is not the primary objective.

Stay: Inn on Fifth puts you directly on Fifth Avenue South, with restaurants, galleries and shopping outside the door and a rooftop pool and spa back at the hotel. If everyone votes for sand over sidewalks, LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort is a beachfront alternative with pools, spa and Gulf views.

Do: Wander Naples Botanical Garden in the morning, shop Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South in the afternoon and leave enough unstructured time for the beach. For more adventure, use another day to explore the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge or the legendary Everglades National Park.

Eat and drink: Sails on Fifth Avenue South is the pull-out-the-good-shoes dinner, with seafood, oysters and a high-end dining-room experience. Campiello on Third Street South is a livelier option for Italian food in a historic setting, especially if you can snag an outdoor table.

Worth knowing: Staying around Fifth Avenue South makes the evenings wonderfully easy. Dinner, drinks, galleries and your hotel can all be within a few blocks.

9. Delray Beach: Made-to-Order Fun

The vibe: Walkable, artsy, and lively, Delray Beach has all the amenities of a big city wrapped up in an eclectic beach town.

Atlantic Avenue essentially does the planning for you. It stretches from downtown toward the ocean with restaurants, bars, boutiques and galleries along the way, making Delray particularly good when nobody wants to spend weeks constructing an itinerary.

Stay: The Seagate Hotel gives guests access to its private beach club while keeping you on Atlantic Avenue near downtown. Opal Grand Resort & Spa is another strong choice, sitting across from the beach at Atlantic Avenue and Ocean Boulevard.

Do: Spend the morning on Delray Municipal Beach, where you can rent gear and book lessons for snorkeling, paddleboarding, and sailing—or just figure out the best place to plant your beach umbrella. Browse Atlantic Avenue and Pineapple Grove, and make time for the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, which feels like stepping into an entirely different world.

Eat and drink: Dada occupies an old house just off Atlantic Avenue and has the kind of eccentric atmosphere that suits a girls night out. For the dressier dinner, Akira Back Delray Beach brings sleek surroundings, Japanese cuisine with Korean influences and plenty of shareable dishes.

Worth knowing: Atlantic Avenue is the place to stay for walkability. Plus, there’s a free, on demand trolley—the Delray Freebee--to take you around town or to the beach.

10. Miami Beach: Go Big

The vibe: Not the place to exclusively pack sensible shoes.

Miami gives you almost too many choices, so don't try to conquer it. Build your escape around a few neighborhoods and let the rest wait for another trip.

Stay: The Betsy South Beach is a sophisticated boutique choice on Ocean Drive with art, live music and the beach just across the street. At the opposite end of the volume knob, Faena Hotel Miami Beach is unapologetically glamorous, with dramatic design, an oceanfront pool and beach, Tierra Santa Healing House spa, restaurants and its own theater.

Do: Try to spot a celebrity on South Beach, take an Art Deco walking tour, then cross to Little Havana’s Calle Ocho to delve into Cuban culture, complete with Café Cubano, family-owned cigar shops and glorious art galleries. Allow Wynwood its own block of time, so you can soak up the magic of its murals and galleries rather than racing through it on the way to somewhere else.

Eat and drink: Joe's Stone Crab remains one of those Miami institutions worth doing, particularly during stone crab season. For a completely different mood, Casa Tua serves Italian food in a lush Mediterranean-style villa and garden that feels miles removed from the noise of South Beach.

Worth knowing: Miami's map is deceptive. Pick one or two areas per day instead of losing the celebratory vibe to traffic.

11. Key West: the Wild Card

The vibe: Tropical, eccentric and unconcerned with real life.

Key West is the friend who convinces everyone to stay out for one more drink. Old Town is packed with historic houses, tropical gardens, restaurants, bars and enough peculiarities to remind you that you're closer to Cuba than Miami.

Stay: The Gardens Hotel is a lush boutique hideaway just a block from Duval Street, with tropical gardens, pools and its own wine gallery. If you want waterfront and maximum proximity to the action, Ocean Key Resort & Spa sits at Zero Duval beside Mallory Square.

Do: Rent bikes and explore Old Town (or take the trolley); tour the Hemingway Home and admire the six-toed cats; or get out on the water for snorkeling: you can still make it back for the Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square. Or watch the sun disappear from the deck of a boat instead.

Eat and drink: Blue Heaven is quintessential Key West — open-air, quirky and complete with roaming chickens. For the splurge, reserve dinner at Latitudes on Sunset Key. Getting there requires a short boat ride, and the reward is an upscale meal beside the water on a tiny island.

Worth knowing: Once you're settled in Old Town, ditch the car. Walking and biking are easier, and nobody has to sacrifice herself to the parking gods.

12. Gainesville: Wild Horses, Old Florida and a Little Weirdness

Gainesville may be best known as Gator country, but you don't need a football ticket to make a getaway out of it. Beyond the university, this part of North Central Florida has wild horses and bison, moss-draped little towns, sinkholes, antiques, excellent restaurants and some wonderfully eccentric stops. Better yet, much of it feels nothing like the Florida you've encountered elsewhere on this list.

Stay: Make Sweetwater Branch Inn your home base. The historic downtown inn occupies a collection of Victorian-era buildings and cottages surrounded by gardens, giving you something far more atmospheric than a standard hotel.

Do: Head south to Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, a vast savannah of nearly 23,000-acres where wild horses and bison roam. Trails lead into the preserve—including the 16-mile paved Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail--and a 50-foot observation tower promises sweeping views.

Exploration is on the menu in Micanopy, about 10 miles south of Gainesville. Beneath a canopy of live oaks, Cholokka Boulevard is lined with historic buildings, antique shops, restaurants, galleries and places to poke around: all with no particular agenda.

For something completely different, descend into Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park, where a staircase leads into a 120-foot-deep limestone sinkhole filled with lush vegetation and small streams.

Eat: Save one meal for a road trip to Cross Creek and The Yearling Restaurant, near the former home of The Yearling author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. This is unapologetically Old Florida: gator, frog legs, catfish, venison and sour orange pie in a rustic restaurant that's been here since 1952. Inside, room after room delivers another dose of eccentricity, with mounted wildlife and assorted taxidermy seemingly everywhere — including a very large alligator.

Back in Gainesville, go in an entirely different direction at Satchel's Pizza, where the wildly decorated setting is almost as much of an attraction as the pizza, or head downtown for dinner and drinks at longtime local favorite The TOP.

Worth knowing: Don't come expecting Gainesville to behave like a tidy resort town. But that's part of the fun.

So, Who's Actually Booking It?

The hardest part of a girls getaway may not be choosing Amelia Island over Key West or deciding between manatees and martinis. It's finding a time slot when everyone can go.

So start there. Pick the dates. Then choose your Florida.