Destination Spotlight - Gulf Coast - Florida USA

Clearwater Beach caters well for tourists with a variety of seafront vendors selling everything from hot dogs to sun tan cream. There are pirate and fishing trips, sailing charters, dinner cruises, dolphin tours and parasailing available from the marina or landlubbers can take the "Jolley Trolley" down Mandaley Avenue from one end of the beach to the other. Children will enjoy the Marine Aquarium or the sunset festival entertainment and playground at Pier60. The third week in October welcomes the Clearwater Jazz Festival. Free to the public, this four day festival showcases some of the greatest talents of jazz against a backdrop of brilliant sunsets and one of the world's finest beaches.

To the south of Tampa Bay, back on the mainland and lying across the Manatee River, is the city of Bradenton. The Bradenton area has a number of sandy beaches and parks including Lake Manatee Park, a 548 acre recreation area. The area also offers an abundance of shopping opportunities including Main Street at Lakewood Ranch, a fashionable shopping district with speciality boutiques and a gourmet market. And, if you fancy making the most of the exchange rate, just north of Bradenton, you will find the Prime Outlet Centre with 130 factory stores including Gap, Banana Republic, Ralph Lauren and Coach.  For a spot of refreshment after all that shopping, visit the Rosa Fiorelli Winery, just south of Lake Manatee. This award winning business offers vineyard tours and wine tasting. Other attractions include the Village of the Arts and the South Florida Museum

To the west of Bradenton, Anna Maria Island is accessed by two bridges from the mainland and is divided into three municipalities, Anna Maria at the northern end, Holmes Beach in the centre and Bradenton Beach at the southern tip. Anna Maria retains a friendly small-town atmosphere and boasts a seven-mile long beach bordered by tall pines. Visitors come here to get away from it all and the attractions tend to be natural rather than man-made. The beaches here are a nesting ground for loggerhead turtles and the surrounding waters are home to bottle-nosed dolphins and manatees.

Continuing south down the mainland will bring you to the well-to-do town of Sarasota, on the shores of Sarasota Bay. This is home to the Ringling Museum Complex encompassing a Venetian Gothic mansion and a collection of European Baroque paintings. Downtown you will find a good collection of bookshops and a selection of lovely cafes. The popular white-sand beaches of Sarasota lie on the barrier islands of Lido Key and Siesta Key. Other local attractions include the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, the Sarasota Classic Car Museum, Sarasota Jungle Gardens and G-Wiz, the Hands On Science Museum.

The abundance of pre-historic fossils of sharks teeth and other marine creatures along its shores has earned Venice the title "Shark Tooth Capital of the World" and every August visitors flock for the annual "Shark Tooth and Seafood Festival". Along the 14 miles of gulf beaches, Venice municipal beach and Caspersen beach are two of the best locations for a spot of fossil hunting. Diving is also popular here due to the coral reef which lies less than half a mile offshore.

Further along the coast, Englewood and Rotonda are coastal communities with long stretches of beautiful, sandy beaches and plenty of privately owned self-catering accommodation. Water sports, fishing and boat charters are available from local marinas and there are 3 championship golf courses in the locality. The area is also served by a variety of supermarkets, stores and restaurants.

Fort Myers is perhaps most famous for being the winter home of Thomas Edison in his later years. Visitors now enjoy guided tours of his home with its exotic gardens and interesting museum. Henry Ford's winter home, next door, is also open to the public. From here, visit Fort Myers Beach across the bridge on Estero Island or cross the causeway to the islands of Sanibel and Captiva. The islands are famous for their laid back atmosphere, beautiful beaches and the wide variety of shells that can be found along the shore. Discover the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island offering nature exhibits and walking trails. Other attractions include the Sanibel Historical Village and Museum which depicts the area’s history back to the time of the Calusa Indians.

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