2 Florida Resorts Nominated For Best All-Inclusive Resort In The USA

The Sunshine State is once again making a name for itself. Surrounded by white sand beaches and crystal clear waters, Florida dominates the USA Today’s list of nominees. Two Florida resorts were nominated for USA Today’s 10 Best All-Inclusive resort in the USA. 

There’s no doubt about it. Every time there’s a list of the best vacation spots in the country, Florida is going to be on it. With world-class beaches on every coast, Florida is the only place in the country to truly find a tropical paradise.

So, how does USA Today’s panel decide on the best all-inclusive resort in the USA? First, USA Today asks a panel of experts to nominate their top choices for the best all-inclusive resort in the USA. Then, the choice goes down to the readers.

You can vote for your favorite resort until Monday, August 5th at noon EST. Let’s see which 2 Florida spots were nominated.

We’ll kick things off with the Bungalows Key Largo. The Bungalows Key Largo is an adults-only all-inclusive resort. They have tons of options for dining from their Fish Tales restaurant surrounded by the ocean and overlooking the infinity pool, to their Sunset Tiki bar.

The Bungalows Key Largo serves up every meal at their various restaurants and also has multiple bars both poolside and along the beachfront. But food and drink isn’t the only amenity. 

The Bungalows also feature group yoga classes, kayaks, and snorkel gear all part of the price of the stay. Bell staff, valet parking, and concierge services are available as well.

But, what about the other Florida resort nominated for USA Today’s best all-inclusive resort in the USA? The Sandpiper Bay Resort in Port St. Lucie. The Sandpiper Bay Resort is an all-inclusive resort featuring unlimited dining and drinks. 

For recreational activities, you can take out kayaks or paddleboards to explore the local mangroves or open waters. If you’re looking to take things onshore, there is mini golf, pickleball courts, a main and an adults-only infinity pool.

To learn more about all of the nominees from USA Today's 10 Best All-Inlusive Resort In The USA, click here.

Florida is known for its beautiful beaches and resorts. After all, Florida is the Sunshine State. But, if you're looking for some more underrated, and less busy, Florida beaches, then you also have some options. The major beaches are often filled with tourists, so finding some of the more underrated Florida beaches may be just what you need for a quiet getaway.

Before we get to the most underrated Florida beaches to visit, let's talk about the amazing water areas that Florida has to offer. Florida is one of the boating and fishing capitals of the world. As VisitFlorida.com points out, the state has more than 7,700 lakes, 11,000 miles of rivers, 2,276 miles of tidal shoreline and has been home to more than 900 world fishing records. That tops any other state or even country. How wild is to to think that Florida has created more fishing records than even any other country? It shows just how rich the state is when it comes to our water.

Florida also has more than 700 freshwater springs, and 27 are classified as first-magnitude springs, which is more than any other state. A few other special things about Florida is that John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park on Key Largo was America's very first underwater state park. Also, the fishing village of Cedar Key is known for having the best clam chowder in America. So, if you have a craving for clam chowder, that's the place to go.

A separate article from VisitFlorida.com notes that Florida beaches are known for being very clear, but "it varies from week to week, and even from day to day depending on the amount of sunlight, the temperature, the amount of rainfall, the wind speed and direction, water currents and surf." They add that Florida has some very clear and beautiful beaches on the Gulf of Mexico and on the Atlantic Ocean. For clear water ost days, try "northwest Florida beaches in and around Panama City Beach, Destin, Fort Walton Beach, and Pensacola; southwest Florida beaches on Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key and Siesta Key."

I love that fact that you can enjoy Florida beaches any time of the year. I mean, contrary to what people outside of the state think, it can get cold here in the winter. But, it's rarely too cold to sit on the beach with a sweatshirt on and watch the sunset. Read on for underrated Florida beaches to get on your radar.

Fort Myers Beach still has a good amount of damage from the hurricane, but Margaritaville is open, so you'll find plenty to do there. Situated on Estero Island, Fort Myers Beach is one of the state's most underrated beaches. At Fort Myers Beach, you'll find beautiful, white-sand beaches and gorgeous sunsets.

Make sure to visit Siesta Key here, as well as Sarasota Gay Beach and Crescent Beach. Just south of Tampa Bay, Sarasota is a lovely beach town that is especially popular during the holidays. You'll find lots of local shopping opportunities here.

St. George Island State Park is located on a barrier island fronting the legendary Apalachicola Bay. It's a great place to gaze at the stars. Note that starting March 1, 2025, the campground at Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park will be closed for an expansion project.

If you head to Santa Rosa Beach and want to find some really special, and secret, beaches, try Blue Mountain Beach and Grayton Beach State Park. This beach town is less crowded than most, which makes it a low-key getaway.

Pensacola Beach is located on a 40-mile barrier island, Pensacola Beach, and has beautiful, translucent waters. It's a really small town, so it's much less crowded than other beaches. It's a hidden gem.

If you don't want to go too far, do some digging and visit one of the closest beaches to you, that you haven't visited yet. This is one of my favorite things to do. Maybe you'll find a new favorite beach super close to home.