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Gulf Coast beaches, Florida

Holidays in Gulf Coast

Miles of golden sand and clear, blue waters

Indeed, some of the world’s finest beaches can be found here, including those at Clearwater and St Petersburg – or St Pete’s as the latter is now officially known. A natural playground for outdoor enthusiasts, there are water sports in abundance, beachcombing on quiet offshore islands, volleyball, horse riding, cycling and golfing.

Prices from £943pp

Where to stay in Gulf Coast Beaches

Captiva Island, Florida

Holidays in Captiva Island

Captiva Island, the sister island of Sanibel, is where escapists come for sun, sailing and spectacular sunsets. Admire the dusky pink skies from the lookout point at Mucky Duck Pub. And from May until October, thousands of hatching turtles scramble along these shores.

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Fort Myers, Florida

Holidays in Fort Myers

With dazzling beaches, top-notch seafood and a laid-back vibe, this northern tip of Estero Island is likened to the tropical Caribbean. Paddle out to meet the ‘locals’ – the dolphins, manatees and pelicans – and by cocktail hour, Times Square bustles with entertainment.

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Naples, Florida

Holidays in Naples and Marco Island

A beautiful beach community, Naples and the neighbouring Marco Island have become known as the ‘finest town in Florida’. Find an eclectic mix of restaurants and shops, pristine beaches and the lush, adventure-filled Everglades right on its doorstep.

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Sarasota, Florida

Holidays in Sarasota

Those who like to go off-grid will adore this piece of ‘hidden Florida’. Peaceful beaches, kayaking and fishing excursions make it a coastal paradise. Culture and cuisine is high on the agenda too - find waterfront restaurants, galleries, opera and more.

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St. Pete/Clearwater

Holidays in St. Pete/Clearwater

There’s a distinct relaxed vibe in St. Pete/Clearwater, thanks to five islands of beaches, a Caribbean-like climate and those sensational Pier 60 sunsets. Clearwater Beach which was voted as America’s Best Beach on TripAdvisor’s annual list of the 25 Best Beaches for 2019, with St. Pete Beach ranked at number 4. Add in some wonderful sealife safari cruises and you have the recipe for an unforgettable family escape. 

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Hotels in Gulf Coast Beaches

Retrieving our hand picked hotels...

Essential Information for Gulf Coast Beaches

Local time
+ 19hrs
Currently
Language
American English
Currency
US Dollar $
Official currency of the United States
Flight information
Orlando (MCO)
8-9h
Direct flights
Flight schedule
Daily flights from across the UK
are our main airline partner

Do I need a Visa?

Yes. You'll need to obtain approval no less than 72 hours prior to travel to the US via the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) scheme.

Find out more about Travel Visas here »

Driving Times

Our hotels on Florida's Gulf Coast are approx a 2-hour drive from Orlando and only a short drive to Busch Gardens.

Highlights of the Gulf Coast Beaches

Florida’s Gulf Coast offers a Caribbean-like climate and unbeatable wildlife. Here are its best attractions.

  • Visit the unspoilt beaches on Siesta Key and Longboat Key off Sarasota.
  • Hop on a boat from Bonita Springs to the ultra-secluded Big Hickory Island Beach.
  • Tigertail beach on Marco Island is great for those with kids.
  • Kayak off the beautiful Clam Pass Beach in Naples or go shelling on Vanderbilt beach.
  • Find sugary sands and excellent water sports on Fort Myers Beach, Estero Island.
  • Head north of Clearwater to Tarpon Springs. Explore the Greek culture and antique shops.
  • Explore the art galleries, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota. For a bit of Old Florida, check out the Historic Spanish Point in Osprey.
  • Take the kids to see the animals at Naples Zoo or the enchanting Naples Botanic Gardens.
  • Spot crocs, manatees and flamingo in the Everglades National Park.
  • Tee off at the Dunes Golf Club on Sanibel Island or the famous courses of Sarasota.
  • Stay in a private villa in Fort Myers, home to glorious swimming pools with lakeside views.
  • Kick back with private cabanas and butler service at South Seas Island Resort, Captiva.
  • Sip on a sundowner and enjoy top-notch seafood at Pier 60 in Clearwater.
  • Try honey infused pastries and coffee in the Greek restaurants of Tarpon Springs.
  • Visit the Farmer’s Market in Sarasota for local produce and Floridian mangoes.
  • March: The Gulf Coast celebrates its abundance of lobster in the Crawfish Festival, St Pete.
  • October: Fort Myers hosts the annual Beach Pirate Festival.

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Your holiday may be affected by travel restrictions or cancellations

We are continually reviewing our flying schedules, taking into account the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advice against all non-essential travel. Depending on when you are due to travel, your holiday may be affected and we’ll email you to let you know.

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Latest Foreign & Commonwealth Office repatriation travel advice

Over the past few weeks, we have repatriated our customers from overseas who wanted to come home.  

Please visit this page to keep up to date with the Government’s travel advice on returning to the UK, and to register for email alerts.
 

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You’ll be away before you know it

Your next holiday is only a click away - our website has thousands of hand-picked options ready to book. But if you need more help, just give us a call on 0344 472 9499.

Looking for inspiration? Explore our destinations and holiday types and save your faves to your very own Wishlist. Or dive right in to our 2021 holiday offers.

For extra piece of mind, new bookings made before 31 August 2020 for travel up 30 April 2021 also have the flexibility to amend free of charge. If you need to change don’t worry, you can move your holiday as far out as 31 December 2021 subject to availability.

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How would you like to talk to us?

With many customers needing our help, we are prioritising those customers due to travel before 06 October 2020. Log in to Manage my booking where you can message us about your options or you can give us a call. Bear in mind you may have to wait longer than expected. We continue to review this and working to open up these options to more customers. In the meantime check out our FAQs to see if this can help answer any immediate questions.

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Stay tuned for the latest updates

Rest assured; we will notify you as soon as we know if your holiday has been affected.  

We are prioritising those customers due to travel before 06 October 2020. Log in to Manage my booking where you can message us about your options or you can give us a call. Bear in mind you may have to wait longer than expected. We continue to review this and working to open up these options to more customers. In the meantime check out our FAQs to see if this can help answer any immediate questions.

Please look out for emails from us or visit our dedicated Covid-19 (Coronavirus) page for the latest updates.

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Let’s talk

If you need to speak to us to change or cancel your booking, and you are due to travel before 06 October 2020, please log in to Manage my booking to call or message us. 

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Payment flexibility

Don’t worry if you’ve missed a payment or just need a little more time to pay; we have options available to help you. If your holiday is going ahead as planned, you can continue to pay for your holiday in Manage my booking, even if travelling in less than 12 weeks. If you’re unsure, you can delay any additional payments by choosing a new time to travel by requesting a call back in Manage My booking for one of our team to look at options. If your holiday is more than 6 months away, you may wish to set up a Direct Debit to spread the cost. This can be arranged whilst rebooking or afterwards in Manage my booking.

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We're flexible with your holiday plans

We understand that you may wish to change your holiday plans and we appreciate the need for flexibility. 

We'll be in touch by email letting you know how to register to change your holiday plans. You can also log into Manage my booking to find the details there. 

Please look out for emails from us or visit our dedicated Covid-19 (Coronavirus) page for the latest updates.

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You're good to go

If we haven’t notified you of any changes, your holiday will be going ahead as planned but if you prefer to move your holiday to a later time we can help. Log in to Manage my booking to request a call back to amend your holiday. Please bear in mind we’ll work through requests in departure date order so may take longer than usual for us to get back to you

Please look out for emails from us or visit our dedicated Covid-19 (Coronavirus) page for the latest updates.

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Thank you for your patience and understanding

Payments are being prioritised based on when the request was made, working in order from March 2020 onwards. We will always try to process refunds at the earliest opportunity, for requests before August our maximum timeframe is 120 days. As we are steadily reducing the maximum processing time for each new request, for refund requests made in August, we expect the maximum processing time to be 80 days, from the date the refund is requested. For those requesting a refund in September, we expect it to be processed within a maximum of 60 days, and then reduce to 30 days for refunds requested in October, before returning to normal levels.

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We'll be in touch soon

To finalise the amendment, one of our customer advisors will phone you. We need to work through amend requests in departure date order so we can prioritise those with the most imminent travel plans, so you may have a longer wait than usual until we’re able to ring you back. We will help everyone that wants to move their holiday.

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I returned early from holiday and have further questions?

You can contact our team by emailing feedback.backhome@virginholidays.com to discuss options on unused portions of your holiday. If you need to contact our team about amending an existing holiday or requesting a refund please log in to manage my booking.

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