Make a holiday villa in Florida your home away from home

Florida holiday homes are easy to browse on HomeAway. Here you can pinpoint your search according to the rental type – it might be a contemporary apartment in Miami or a plush villa in Destin. Florida is known for its warm climate, featuring some of the world’s best beaches on both its Atlantic and Gulf coasts. There’s also Miami and its famous nightlife, or Orlando, the world’s theme park capital. Florida villas tend to be spacious, private and modern, with state-of-the-art appliances and fittings. You can also select the added comforts to round off your perfect holiday accommodation in Florida, whether it’s a private pool, barbecue or air-conditioning.

Things to do from your villa in Florida

-Beaches. The coast is one the top reasons people head for Florida. This is thanks not just to the beauty but the sheer variety that the state offers, from secluded islands in the Keys, to beautifully preserved coastal state parks like Grayton Beach in the Northwest and exciting, developed beaches like Clearwater, which are packed with things to do.

-Orlando theme parks. The city of Orlando in Orange County is rightfully known as the theme park capital of the world. Big names here include Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort, Seaworld and Discover Cove, together with water parks like Wet ‘N’ Wild. Complementing these attractions are a wealth of great amenities like golf courses and malls.

-Shopping. Florida is a major destination for shopping, thanks to the various cities and numerous malls of various descriptions throughout the state. Orlando and Miami are especially appealing to upscale shoppers, while outlet malls are abundant throughout the state’s tourism regions and offer prices that tend to be far lower than European equivalents.

-The Everglades. The Everglades National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site set at the southern tip of the state’s peninsula. It’s 1.5 million acres of subtropical wilderness, protecting delicate eco-systems that support American crocodiles, panthers, manatees, alligators and all kinds of birdlife. It’s popular in winter and spring for guided nature-walks, low-powered boat trips and camping.

-Museums and culture. Aside from theme parks, Florida offers a number of world-class visitor attractions, like the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex in Cape Canaveral. In St Petersburg there’s the Salvador Dali Museum, while Miami Zoo is the largest zoological attraction in the state.

Weather in Florida

The state of Florida straddles two climate zones. The north, central and northwestern regions have a humid subtropical climate, while the south is in a tropical climate zone. Overall, conditions are warm and humid for most of the year. The months between June and September coincide with consistent wet weather and temperatures that peak in the mid-30s in August, while November to May is usually dry, with daily temperatures getting up to the mid-20s as early as March. The coolest month of the year is January, when daily temperatures reach the mid-teens.

Travelling to your villa in Florida

You can get to Florida villas via four major international airports – Tampa (TPA), Orlando (MCO), Miami (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale Hollywood (FLL). There are also smaller international airports at Jacksonville (JAX), Palm Beach (PBI) and Fort Myers (RSW), and a wealth of smaller, regional airports across the state. The road network is extensive - there are thousands of miles of interstate, US highways and state highways. There’s public transport in major cities, like the Metrorail in Miami and LYNX buses in Orlando. By rail, Florida’s cities are connected to other states via the Amtrak network (Silver Meteor, Silver Star and Amtrak Auto Train).