Caught the ‘Bleisure’ Travel Buzz? Discover 6 Florida Spots Perfect for Family-Friendly Workcations

Some trends might have run their course during the pandemic (bye-bye, incessant banana bread baking). But others, including mixing work with travel in the form of a bleisure getaway happily appear to be here to stay.

And with its near-idyllic year-round weather, more than 800 miles of beaches and appealing coastal towns, Florida is a natural choice when it comes to attempting the work-meets-vacation lifestyle.

From the Florida Keys to the Panhandle, read on for how to maximize fun with the family between pecking away at the keyboard and fielding conference calls during your next trip to the Sunshine State.

As always, check for travel guidelines and closures before planning your trip.

Theme Parks and Outdoor Adventure in Orlando

Theme-park capital of the world designation aside, Orlando sets the stage for year-round family fun, whether you spend your downtime tubing or swimming at beautiful freshwater swimming holes like the ones at Kelly Park/Rock Springs and Wekiwa Springs State Park.

Or break east for the Space Coast’s beaches instead, including Cocoa Beach and Melbourne Beach, and as sun sets, try kayaking at night through bioluminescence after work hours with A Day Away Kayak Tours.

For urban fun, set your sights on exploring pedestrian-friendly Orlando neighborhoods like Thornton Park, with its pretty downtown parks, and the café-lined enclave of Winter Park, just north of the city.

Big-City Sights and Small-Town Joys Around Tampa Bay

A bleisure stay in Tampa Bay brings the best of both worlds — big-city attractions in the form of art museums and riverfront food halls like Armature Works and pro sports games (hello, Tampa Bay Lightning, Buccaneers and Rays) are served up alongside some of the country’s best beaches in nearby St. Petersburg and Clearwater.

Base yourself in downtown Tampa and stroll to Sparkman Wharf for dinner, spot sharks and alligators at the Florida Aquarium, or explore historic Ybor City by hopping a free trolley.

You can easily take a day trip from Tampa to other cool Florida towns, too, including Tarpon Springs, known for its Greek culture, and Anna Maria Island — a postcard-perfect beach town brimming with independent shops and waterfront eateries like the Sandbar.

Buzzy Beaches and Swank Swimming Pools in Miami

For the family that longs for equal parts pretty beaches and city culture, Miami is Florida’s best juggling act. Rise early to crush some deadlines, and then spend the rest of the morning with the family at the excellent Miami Children’s Museum. Or send the kids off to Coral Gables for swimming lessons at the storied Venetian Pool.

Spend the rest of the day checking out some of Florida’s top state parks, perhaps climbing to the top of a historic lighthouse before beaching it on undeveloped sands just minutes from downtown Miami at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on Key Biscayne.

European Vibes and Beachy Bliss in Fort Lauderdale

More mellow than Miami but with tons to do, too, Fort Lauderdale dishes out another heady work-life balance cocktail of city and beach diversions.

Cafés along Las Olas Boulevard, the main drag through downtown, will have you feeling like you’re in Europe. Ann’s Florist & Coffee Bar, in particular, transports you to a little piece of Paris.

Your family can ditch the car and rent bikes or hop the city’s Water Taxi along the New River to cruise out to the beachy side of town. Toss a towel on the sand if you’re happy to lounge or book an offshore fishing charter with Marlin My Darlin, an all-inclusive sport-fishing operator that specializes in family trips, to see if you can hook dinner on the line.

Island Escapes in the Florida Keys

It’s impossible to pretend there won’t be some distractions while trying to get work done in the beautiful Florida Keys — where there’s always a catamaran waiting to take you snorkeling, a deep-sea fishing boat heading out to hook a mahi-mahi, or an eco-tour for paddling through the mangroves (and where it’s always five-o’clock-somewhere).

But if you can manage to get some work done by day, finding a base anywhere from Key Largo to Key West is perfect for families who want to be out on the water and enjoying it as much as possible, before gathering to toast the sunset, a nightly ritual that plays out all over the Keys — from Mallory Square in Key West to Old Seven Mile Bridge on Marathon.

Coastal Communities and a Scenic Road Trip Route in the Panhandle

Known for its spectacular sugar-sand beaches, coastal dune lakes and one of Florida’s most stunning road trip routes along Scenic Highway 30A, the Panhandle only makes one thing difficult — and that’s deciding which of its great coastal communities should be your bleisure base, among them, Pensacola, Destin, Fort Walton and Panama City.

Day trip to see Florida’s largest waterfall, the 73-foot cascade at Falling Waters State Park, and be sure to detour inland, too, to check out the freshwater springs at Ponce de Leon Springs State Park, with turquoise waters that look even more Caribbean in hue than the Gulf of Mexico’s.