Gold Coast Holidays 2024 & 2025

Come and live the glitz of this famed coastal area spanning across the south-eastern region of Florida, as the Gold Coast is brimming with all the luxuries you need for a spectacular holiday. Just north of Miami, this 75-mile beachfront offers seemingly endless sands to sunbathe on, encompassing several highly acclaimed vacation towns including Fort Lauderdale, St. Augustine, Palm Beach, and Daytona Beach. 

You’ll enjoy the fabulous aura of tropical settings, scenic vistas of the Atlantic Ocean, and the exciting experiences up for grabs from a wealth of sun-soaked towns dotted across the coast. So, get your shades on and kick back, as here, life moves at a much slower (and glamorous) pace. 

Fort Lauderdale 

Nicknamed ‘the Venice of America’ thanks to the meandering canals and a lavish strip of trendy bars and restaurants, Fort Lauderdale is ripe for sun-kissed boat trips and lazy days by the beach. You’ll have oodles of family fun when you hop on a Southern-State style Jungle Queen Riverboat, or a Bluefoot Pirate Adventures cruise where you’ll fend off rival pirates with water cannons and hunt hidden treasures. After, you can plunder the riches of the gorgeous beaches, generous heat, and a cocktail or two from the plentiful bars.  

Boca Raton 

If you’re a golf fan then you’re in heaven here, as Boca Raton is home to a myriad of golf courses where you can tee-off to the most beautiful environments in the world. Or if you want to feel at one with nature then you can take the family for a day out seeing the wildlife at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center which features a sea turtle sanctuary and butterfly garden. Or why not get studious with the Museum of Art or the Children’s Science Explorium? As well as these day-time ventures you’ll have just as much at your fingertips for the evenings, as the nightlife includes hip lounges, Irish pubs, and tapas bars. 

The Palm Beaches 

Separated from the mainland by Lake Worth Lagoon, the Palm Beaches region of the Gold Coast is oozing with class thanks to its upmarket residents. As well as the beautiful and lengthy beachfront, Worth Avenue, the area’s main high-street is brimming with luxury boutiques, fine-dining restaurants and galleries packed-full of highly acclaimed creative works. Kick back and take in the rays on this famous beachfront, and enjoy the luxe-living of the local culture.   

Cocoa Beach 

Just south of Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach is a haunt for surfers as the conditions on the coast are perfect for tearing up the waves. The Florida Surf Museum is nearby documenting the most gnarly milestones in Cocoa Beach’s history of the sport, offering a great insight into the local surf scene and achievements. Or if you want to take it easy while the little ones find their sea legs, you can enjoy a look around the shops and eateries around Cocoa Beach Pier or spot some birdlife at the nearby Lori Wilson Park. 

Science enthusiasts will enjoy visiting Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex, just a few miles from Cocoa Beach. The home of NASA, discover the fascinating world of space travel, plus, you might even get a chance to catch a live rocket launch. 

St. Augustine 

Being the oldest city in the US, St. Augustine is home to Spanish colonial architecture, the foliaged gardens of Anastasia State Park wildlife sanctuary, and of course the beautiful beaches that the Gold Coast is known for. St. Augustine’s brimming with history and culture courtesy of its colonial past, which can be seen in foreign structures like Castillo de San Marcos, the 17th century stone fortress typical of the era.  

This area is also blessed with one of the most renowned hotel resorts on the Gold Coast too, Hammock Beach Resort. Featuring championship grade golf courses designed by sporting legends Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson, as well as world-class spa facilities and the incredible view of the Atlantic Ocean, this is certainly a resort worth looking at if you’re thinking of visiting or staying in St. Augustine. 

Vero Beach 

Golf, fishing, museums and nature tours… Vero Beach is the underdog of the Gold Coast’s fabulous beach resorts, in spite of having all of the right amenities and activities for incredible trips to the seaside. If you’re looking for some retail therapy throughout your Gold Coast holiday then you’ll be in luck here, as downtown outlets and shopping malls galore makes this a prime spot for a shop. With a great selection of high-end and budget dining options on offer on the banks of the scenic network of rivers and inlets, you’ll have every reason to come and enjoy Vero Beach. 

The iconic Daytona Beach features all the necessities for a beachside getaway, including 23-miles of golden sands, a variety of culinary offerings, and even an amusement park, the Daytona Lagoon. Expect a water park, go-karts, quasar, and climbing walls as well as some attractions on Daytona Beach Boardwalk. There are also classic seaside games at the Mardi Gras Fun Centre, fitting amenities for a place known by most as ‘the World’s Most Famous Beach’.  

If this undoubtedly spectacular beachside couldn’t get better, then you’ll be amazed to hear that the Daytona International Speedway is literally minutes away from the coast. Here you can get your heart racing at a NASCAR race, the most iconic motorsport in all of America. 

Amelia Island 

If you want to check out a north-eastern barrier island during your stay on the Gold Coast, then Amelia Island should be up there in your pool of strong contenders. With an array of luxury resorts, golf courses and beaches, this intimate island is perfect for a stay or visit. If you’re a fan of pinball then you’re in luck, because on Amelia Island you’re never far from the right museum for you; the Fernandina Beach Pinball Museum is full of machines ready for you to play. Fernandina Beach itself is another gorgeous beachfront to add onto the Gold Coast’s list of noteworthy beaches. Discover a plethora of leisure activities which can be found around this area as well including shows at the Amelia Community Theatre, and water sports like kayaking and canoeing. 

Luxury and golf go hand-in-hand here at Ponte Vedra, as this seaside town just southeast of Jacksonville, is fitted with championship level golf courses and high-end hotels. During your visit here, you can take advantage of the variety of fine dining options and shopping boutiques, as well as witness Ponte Vedra’s sand dunes, an epic sight as they’re recorded as the highest in Florida. If there’s one thing you must see, it’s the area’s unparalleled beauty; 40-foot sand dunes, meandering creeks and simmering rivers scatter the region with a blinding beauty.