When to go & weather

Weather

Unfortunately (or not), Florida has no single perfect season. The best time to go depends entirely on your agenda.

Always consider the weather first. Similar to the tropics, Florida has essentially two seasons: wet and dry. Winter, Florida's dry season, is from roughly November through April. Temperatures are lower, there's less humidity and rain, and it's the ideal time to hike, canoe and explore nature, particularly in South Florida. Snowbirds (northerners who winter in Florida) love winter because sunny 70°F days mean no snow, ever.

Summer is the 'wet season': from May to October, it's hot, sticky and rainstorms deluge many an afternoon. This is also roughly hurricane season, which peaks in September.

All this would seem to make winter the best time to come, and it often is; particularly in Miami and South Florida, winter is high season, bringing with it higher prices and more crowds. But in northern Florida, the ocean is a little too cold for swimming in winter, so the Panhandle, St Augustine and others boom in summer.

Orlando's high season is year-round. Here, theme-park lines respond more to school vacations and holidays than to weather. Also, those who brave summer's heat and mosquitoes often find that its dreaded rains can blow through quickly; duck inside for an hour, and it's over before you know it.

Finally, wildlife keeps its own schedule: migrating birds, manatees, sea turtles, whales – all come at different times, so if you're set on seeing a particular animal, find out when it's visiting.