PERFECT HOMES MAGAZINE - Issue 13 Issue 13 | Page 158

FLORIDA FLORIDA, USA In the United States, house-boating has become an increasingly popular tourist activity, where people will rent a houseboat for weekends, long weekends or weeklong vacations. For those who have taken the plunge to live all-year round it is considered that Florida with its warm climate and open waterways is the ideal locations. Fort Lauderdale: Popularly called the “Venice of America,” Fort Lauderdale has the Venetian feel of a floating city. Its 165 miles of canals and waterways weave all around and through the city. And combined with Florida’s year-round boating weather that means boaters of all types can easily spend entire days without setting foot on land. Tampa Bay: The amount of sun on Tampa Bay alone would make it a contender for the best places to live and boat. St. Petersburg straddles the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay and averages 361 days of sunshine per year. Then there’s the bay, which has more than 100 tributaries refreshing it. With that much waterfront land to work with, it’s no wonder there’s been such an explosion of home sites during the past two years; MiraBay and Little Harbor alone will total nearly 3,000 homes with water access when completed. 158 THE ESSENTIAL COSTA DEL SOL WEBSITE - www.simplymedia-group.com