Florida may be celebrating its 500^thanniversary in 2013, but the fun and excitement in the Sunshine State never gets old.

Since Juan Ponce de León’s landing on the state’s east coast in 1513, coastal and inland communities and their amenities just keep getting better.

The international city of Miami is hipper, hotter, cooler and friendlier than ever.  Indeed, opulence is all yours at the Trump International Beach Resort on nearby Sunny Isles Beach, while Palm Beach exudes the same refined elegance it comprised a century ago with its world-class shopping. Like to shop chic and save money while enjoying Florida’s fantastic weather? Vero Beach Outlets is the Treasure Coast area’s only true outlet centre in an alfresco venue.

On the Gulf coast, Manatee County is where quaint fishing villages and endless beaches mix seamlessly with some of the prettiest towns in America. In the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area, St. Pete Beach was voted Trip Advisor’s No. 1 beach in the U.S. and No. 5 in the entire world. And you won’t find sand any whiter or waters any more emerald green than on Pensacola Beach in north Florida.

Central Florida’s Polk County beckons you to tour an orange grove and pick fresh citrus, or cheer on real cowboys at a live rodeo. And on Central Florida’s east coast, you can watch sunrise and sunset on the same day without ever leaving picturesque Martin County.

A visit to Florida may not be complete, however, without a trip to the Florida Keys and Key West. The island chain continues to be synonymous with fun in the sun, perhaps more than any other place in the U.S.