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Florida is a warm-weather paradise with a sandy shoreline for every preference. From coastal communities, where the day begins and ends in the sand, to bustling cities, where a beautiful beach is just another perk, there are more than 1,100 miles of sand to bury your toes and be kissed by the Florida sun.
The Gulf of Mexico is usually calm and can range in color from deep green to baby blue. Its sand can be as fine and soft as baby powder, or grainy and tinted by colorful flecks of broken shells.
Northwest Florida is the Emerald Coast. The moniker refers to the gleaming green water hugging its white coastline. The soft sand is made from quartz washed down from the Appalachian Mountains, and it often squeaks underfoot.
Pensacola Beach is home to the Gulf Islands National Seashore—16 miles of undeveloped beaches with hiking, biking and camping opportunities.
Along Choctawhatchee Bay sits a string of sleepy beach towns known as the Beaches of South Walton. These 15 distinctive communities share a commonality: unspoiled, unbelievable beaches.
There’s a whirlwind of activity on Panama City Beach: windsurfing, snorkeling, even scuba diving shipwrecks. Take a water taxi to Shell Island for secluded shelling and dolphin encounters.
Central-west Florida is known as the Florida Suncoast. Coastal geologist Dr. Stephen Leatherman, aka “Dr. Beach,” has previously named Caladesi Island (2005) and Fort DeSoto Park (2008) the best in North America. Clearwater Beach is another popular destination. Sunsets flood its Pier 60 Park with spectators, vendors, musical performers and entertainers.
Siesta Key near Sarasota is a quintessential beach community with open-air cafés, boutiques and gift shops near the water.
For beaches with bite, go to Venice to find fossilized prehistoric shark teeth among its beautiful seashells.
Beach bums who can’t sit still love Fort Myers Beach and its many activities. Parasail, ride a Jet Ski, play volleyball, even ride bikes on sections of hard-packed sand.
Further south, the islands of Sanibel and Captiva are known as the shelling capitals of the world. Beachcombers scour the sand for exotic finds, an activity called the “Sanibel Stoop” or “Captiva Crouch.”
The southernmost gulf coast of Florida is Paradise Coast, whose beaches on Naples and Marco Island feature pearl- colored sand and deep blue water. End a busy day by claiming a spot in the sand at sunset. Look for the “green flash,” a glow that chases the sun into the gulf.
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| Marco Island Beach Photo: VISIT FLORIDA |
Florida’s oceanside beaches are markedly different than its gulfside ones, with cooler, more active water, and generally darker, grittier sand.
Wide, peaceful beaches define the northern East Coast. Famed Route A1A runs down the state through a maze of slim barrier islands, passing parks, nature preserves and sand dunes. Kayak the marshland or sift sand for shark teeth and shells on Amelia Island.
Move south on Florida’s First Coast to busy Jacksonville Beach for offshore boating, fishing, volleyball, surfing or walking the metropolis’ 983-foot pier.
The beaches are wider in the Atlantic Coast. Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach span 23 miles and are a patchwork of quiet and bustling areas. Daytona Beach has been a popular family vacation spot for at least a century.
Seven miles south of New Smyrna Beach is the northern access to the Canaveral National Seashore, a barrier island park and recreational playground with 24 miles of undeveloped beaches and lagoons.
Surfers craving waves will find them along the Space Coast, the land stretching from Titusville to Sebastian Inlet. The cool little beach town of Cocoa Beach is regarded as the surfing capital of the East Coast. Take a surf lesson or just watch others ride by the historic Cocoa Beach Pier.
For R&R without the crowds, escape to the Treasure Coast and find peace on Vero Beach’s lightly developed shores. Or revel in the glamour of the Gold Coast. Its Palm Beach and West Palm Beach are 47 miles of golden sand and ritzy residents.
The beaches get busy in southeastern Florida. Fort Lauderdale Beach is seven miles of sun-soaked sports, like kite-boarding and windsurfing. Miami’s legendary South Beach (SoBe) is action-packed, attracting movie stars, models and hot bodies with phenomenal shopping and trendy bars, clubs and restaurants.
Last, but definitely not least, are the Florida Keys. There are a few small sandy beaches in Key Largo and Key West, but what the barrier islands lack in beach shoreline, they more than make up for with carefree attitudes, island life pace and stellar water activities.
No matter what your dream oasis looks like, there’s bound to be a Florida beach to make your fantasy a reality. So slather on the sunscreen, put on a floppy hat, and slip into the Sunshine State of mind.