Vero Beach Escape

All I really knew about Vero Beach was that the hotel here is owned by Gloria Estefan and sea turtles nest here; between that, the website and Tripadvisor I knew that whatever happened I would have a good few days but I was a little nervous as to whether the neighbourhood would be like my Naples Stepford moment.

 

As I drove up the coast I also noticed many neighbourhoods seem segregated – either by colour or by age.  Stopping into an Applebees every single other patron was white and aged 70-80 which kind of freaked me out.  I teach older people but we still have classes mixed by age and ethnicity and I love that many of the centres I teach in allow older people to mix with young families sharing their wisdom and creating a real community vibe.  (Mind you most of my students act and dress more like teenagers.)

 

I needn't have worried, Vero Beach is a vibrant community, and the hotel was full of guests of all ages and ethnicities, which made me feel right at home.

 

Unfortunately the weather was not great, with swells coming in from the Atlantic which made it pointless to snorkel, and add in the sea wall and local sharks and I was happier to sit and watch the turtle nests on the beach than to get out in the water.  The flag over the shipwreck tantalised me, but ultimately these were not sea days for me.

 

The area does have a lot to do, but you may have to travel a little further up or down the coast for surfing and other activities as this is not a surf beach (or at least not near the hotel).

 

In the last few days of my trip I finally relaxed, got that massage, spent hours walking or turtle watching on the beach and really only left the hotel for an hour of gift shopping opposite the hotel, but after having to drive up the road in Key Largo for a coconut water, it was wonderful to relax and let the hotel take care of me.

 

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