Florida Hidden Gems: Best Underrated Attractions

Well, we will admit it, we live in Florida. Robin and Cos moved down here in 2000. Cos’s move was part-time. At the time he still lived in New York, worked in Washington, DC and visited here occasionally. He moved down permanently in 2010 and met Robin in 2017. Robin has been here fulltime, although her career as a financial executive had her travelling all over the Southeast. Nevertheless, we both are very happy to be out of the snow and the cold northern winters. 

Florida Hidden Gems

Here are some of our Favorite Hidden Gems we love to visit around our home state.

Florida Hidden Gems – Sarasota

For many years we both thought of Sarasota as only the place you moved to in order to retire. Today, Sarasota is anything but a retirement home, and is one of the most active, young cities in Florida, much like many of the other cities sitting on the Florida Gulf Coast, along the Tamiami Trail. Not only Sarasota, but the entire Florida Gulf Coast from Tampa to the Keys, has become a booming and fun place to live and to visit.

One of our favorite perfect places in Sarasota is the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. It is the official State Art Museum of Florida.

The Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is a fascinating visit where it features not only fish but also their research studies. Cos and Robin were there for the shark feeding, only to find they were going to feed the sharks…. quite an experience!

Orlando: Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Disney’s Hidden Gem

Orlando is the center of Florida and perhaps, due to Disney World, the most well-known attraction in the State (sorry Miami, we are giving you a backseat), and even the United States.  Disney World is clearly not a Hidden Gem. However, there is a part of Disney World, Animal Kingdom, that we think ranks in that category. It and two other areas of Orlando Metro Area can be classified as Hidden Gems.

While the Magic Kingdom and Epcot tend to dominate the Disney World adventure, we highly recommend taking some time out and visiting the Animal Kingdom. As you travel through the simulated safari, you get pretty close to some of the wildest animals in the world. While this will be a great fun time for the kids, Robin and I will admit we enjoyed it a lot as well. You might also want to add a Disney Cruise to your list of things to do while in Orlando. If interested check out Our Favorite Cruise Lines post.

Winter Park – One of Central Florida’s True Hidden Gems

Winter Park is a small city of 30,000 people just North of Orlando. It has some excellent restaurants and is a wealthy community with a charming Main Street and village green. Winter Park is home to Rollins College. Pictured above is the school’s chapel. One of the more fun things to do in Winter Park is to take a boat ride around the connected lakes in the area.

Many don’t know about one of the infamous events in Winter Park which occurred in 1972 when a huge sinkhole opened up to a width of over 300 feet (Florida is famous for these sinkholes) and it swallowed up five Porsches from a local repair shop. It became quite the attraction at the time!

Bok Tower Gardens, A Real Florida Hidden Gem

One of the best Hidden Gems we have ever run across is Bok Tower Gardens. The Tower, pictured here, is a Carillion. A Carillion is an instrument that is played on a keyboard by a professional carillonneur. Additional details about Bok Tower Gardens is included in our Gardens Post. Please check here for more details: Our Favorite Gardens.

Florida Hidden Gems: Kennedy Space Center

When visiting Florida, you will be making a grave mistake if you don’t visit the Kennedy Space Center, the heart of the United State’s space exploration adventures. A short one-hour drive from Orlando, a visit to the Space Center is both educational and fun. Robin and Cos visited the Space Center in early 2022. As senior citizens, they found it to be fascinating as they recalled many of the earliest days of space flight. For any baby-boomer, the visit will be a great way to recall the space events, good and bad.

Northeast Florida Hidden Gems:

The first area you reach in Florida, along the Atlantic Coast, Northeast Florida, where we live, is one of the best places in the State, as it offers a more relaxed and less tropic atmosphere than other, more southern, parts of the State. Here are two of our favorite places to visit, each an historic site.

• St. Augustine – St. Augustine is located in North Florida and what is becoming known as Florida’s First Coast. The city is the oldest city in America and is an historical place. It is located thirty minutes south of Jacksonville, Florida or about an hour drive on I-95 once you cross the Florida-Georgia line. It is a great place to learn about old Florida, the impact of the Spanish in Florida, their historic architecture and rich culture, and how they treated the Indigenous People of the region. For more information about St. Augustine, please see our post about Haunted Houses in St. Augustine.
• Amelia Island – Amelia Island is known for pristine beaches and natural beauty. It boasts 13 miles of uncrowded, quartz-sand beaches surrounded by rolling dunes and maritime forests. The beaches are perfect for relaxation, swimming, shelling, and even horseback riding—one of the few places in Florida where this is allowed. The island’s natural side features tranquil waterways, salt marshes, and lush forests dripping with Spanish moss, ideal for hiking, biking, kayaking, and wildlife viewing. The island maintains a laid-back pace, with no high-rises or spring break crowds. It’s ideal for family vacations, romantic getaways, or solo adventures. There are plenty of beachfront parks, playgrounds, and picnic spots.

Southwest Florida Hidden Gems – Bonita Springs

Located between Naples and Fort Myers on the Southwest Coast of Florida, Bonita Springs is one of the fastest growing cities in Florida. Many people who have recently retired have found Bonita Springs to be their new home. We held a college reunion there in January 2025 and have provided information about the best way to get to and enjoy Bonita Springs in a separate new post.

Wynwood Walls – Not A Hidden Gem in Miami-Dade County

On our recent trip (Janauary,2024) to the Florida Keys we decided to stay overnight on the way home in Miami and visit the famous Wynwood Walls and surrounding community. It is an art world like no other.

Wynwood Walls is a popular tourist destination located in the Wynwood Art District of Miami, Florida. It is a public art installation that features a collection of murals and graffiti artwork by some of the world’s most renowned street artists. The walls are transformed into giant canvases, creating arguably the greatest collection of street art ever seen in one place. 

The late Tony Goldman, a real estate developer, initiated the project in 2009 by using the walls of the warehouses as canvases for artists to create art. Since then, in addition to the Wynwood Walls, the surrounding area is home to a variety of art galleries, restaurants, shops, and street art everywhere you go.

Overall, Wynwood Walls and the surrounding area is a must-visit destination for art lovers and anyone looking for a unique experience. It is not a hidden gem, but rather a well-known and popular attraction that has been featured in films, music videos, and magazines.

During our visit in January of 2024, we were unable to get into the actual walls as they didn’t open up until after we had to leave for home. Nevertheless we drove around the entire community and got pictures of some of the best street art we have ever seen. the pictures above are a very small sample. To see some of the amazing work, please visit our We Love Graffiti Art Post.

Favorite Nature Hidden Gems

• Everglades National Park – A natural habitat with iconic wetlands and natural beauty
• Dry Tortugas National Park – 70 miles west of Key West
• Ocala National Forest – Over 600 lakes and nature trails
• State Parks:
  • Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park – Excellent bird watching, including endangered species
  • Topsail Hill Preserve State Park – Northwest Florida Panhandle, White sandy beaches
  • Ichetucknee Springs State Park – Crystal-Clear waters, natural springs known for tubing
• John Pennekeamp Coral Reef – Key Largo, the first undersea park in the United States
• Bok Tower Gardens – see above
• Anastasia State Park Ancient Dunes Trail – Great Nature Trails
• Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge – Wildlife Viewing

Additional Posts on Places to Visit Florida

Here are additional posts that we have developed about Florida:

• If you want to visit the places that everyone talks about in Miami then visit our post on things to do in Miami for couples. 😊
• If you want to learn about Florida’s history and haunted houses, then we suggest you visit our post, Best Haunted Houses in St Augustine, Florida.
• If you want to visit places in Southwest Florida, click here.
• If you want to learn more about the Florida Keys, then visit our post on Key West.