Vero Beach Holidays

The Treasure Coast is made up of three separate counties, starting in the north with Indian River County, where Vero Beach is the main city. Like in many parts of Florida, though, the ‘city’ designation is somewhat grandiose, as this is a community of barely 17,000 souls covering just 13 square miles. It is 135 miles north of Miami and 105 south-east of Orlando, and it offers a lesser-known beach hideaway that the masses have yet to discover.

While the municipal centre is on the mainland, the real attraction is the 22 miles of barrier island beach split between Vero and northern neighbour Sebastian that lure discerning visitors for a wide range of outdoor activities and wildlife opportunities, from the heart of Florida’s surfing community to Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, which was the first of its kind in America.

With 12 main public beaches, the focus is very much on the coastal aspect hereabouts, and, for all the high energy watersports on hand, this is equally seen as high-class chillout territory, with long walks among the dunes, picnic spots, bird-watching and memorable snorkelling (the latter a feature of Wabasso Beach Park) all on offer.

Several art galleries, museums and parks add to the delightful picture here, notably the Vero Beach Art Museum, McLarty Treasure Museum and stunning McKee Botanical Garden, with its 10,000 native and tropical plants in a jungle setting, while dining is another highlight, notably with great sea views at places like Citrus, Ocean Grill, Waldo’s (at the rustic Driftwood Resort) and Cobalt (at the Kimpton Vero Beach Hotel & Spa).

For a taste of all the above, nothing beats the fabulous Costa d’Este Beach Resort & Spa, where Gloria and Emilio Estefan have created a veritable haven of seaside sensations. With several miles of pristine seafront, gorgeous sea-view rooms, fabulous dining, a full range of watersports, health and wellness programmes, and a world-class Spa, this is one of the state’s hotel jewels that provides an intense immersion in what Florida does best in creating unforgettable holiday memories.