This waterfront city on Florida's Fun Coast is probably best known for its international speedway circuit, where NASCAR'S most famous race, the Daytona 500, takes place every year.
But for beach fans, it's the 23 mile stretch of soft white sands that keeps them coming back. At low tide, the shoreline expands to a width of nearly 500ft, so there's plenty of space to spread out and catch some rays in… read more »
Stretching for several miles along the state's Gulf of Mexico coastline, Pensacola Beach forms the main proportion of Santa Rosa Island. A barrier island approximately 40 miles in length but just a couple of hundred yards wide, it can be subdivided into a number of different beaches and conservation areas. It is connected by road bridges to mainland Florida at various points.
The most popular entry point is probably the bridge… read more »
Cape Florida beach is set within the greenery of Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park and has perfect white sand which stretches along the Atlantic coast. The waters here are warm, and this beach has often been listed as one of the top 10 beaches in America. You will have just over a mile of beach that is open for swimming, but there is no lifeguard.
Playalinda Beach is one of Florida's top spots for naturists. Part of the Cape Canaveral National Seashore near the Kennedy Space Centre, the beach is managed by the National Parks Service and there is a $20 admission fee per vehicle which is valid for one week.
The four mile-long beach has 13 parking areas, each with a restroom and the last one heading north (#13) is favoured by naturists… read more »
Lying close to the southernmost point of Bahia Honda Key, one of the Florida Keys, Calusa Beach comes complete with palm trees and white sand gently-sloping into warm azure blue waters.
One of just a handful of great beaches in the keys, and one of very few that are entirely natural, Calusa Beach is part of Bahia Honda State Park. Encroached by grasses, it has a relatively narrow extent, and… read more »
A cosy backyard playground for Islanders, this is one of the best kept beach secrets in the Florida Keys and is located on Marathon Key. Visitors to this beach get to enjoy the soft sand and turquoise waters. It's not a large beach but your little piece of "sand estate" can be claimed regardless if it is crowded. There's plenty of places to park nearby too.
Coco Plum Beach is one of the more naturalistic of beach settings within the chain of islands which make up the Florida Keys and is generally less crowded than others in the area. Enjoying the warm shallows of the Atlantic Ocean around the town on Marathon, it backs onto wetlands that provide a vital habitat for the region's bird and plant life.
Coco Plum Beach is also a known turtle nesting… read more »
Dry Tortugas National Park sits in the Gulf of Mexico close to Florida's Key West and consists of seven islands surrounded by coral reefs. The main beaches are considered to be those on Garden Key, which is also home to Fort Jefferson, a nineteenth-century defensive position.
Loggerhead Key is best known for its visits by the turtles of the same name, while Loggerhead Reef is one of the region's best dive… read more »
Okaloosa Beach sits on a tiny island, just across the water from Fort Walton and a stone's throw along the coast from Destin.
The beach here's a portrait of paradise - the pristine sand is as icy-white as you're likely to find in the sunshine state, and there's a handful of watersports on offer in the crystal clear waters.
Unlike many of Florida's east coast beaches, surfing isn't a huge draw on… read more »
Johnson Beach sits at the center of Perdido Key, a barrier island which spans the Florida / Alabama border.
The beach has a lifeguard service, plenty of facilities and a parking lot, all of which makes it ideal for families. Along with a host of water based activities there are also a number of hiking trails here best of which is the Discovery Nature Trail. This raised wooden boardwalk winds… read more »
Situated on Jupiter Island on Florida's Atlantic facing "Treasure coast", Hobe Sound oozes natural beauty. Something of a rarity on this stretch of coast, Hobe Sound is one of the few public beaches in Martin County. To either side are the enclaves of the very wealthy - this is one of Florida's most exclusive neighborhoods.
Being on the Atlantic coast, Hobe Sound picks up a fair bit of swell and surfing… read more »
Set between Smathers Beach and Fort Zachary Taylor Beach is the somewhat lower key and smaller Higgs Beach. A very pleasant stretch of perfect white sand backed by tall palm trees Higgs is everything you would expect from a tropical beach.
However, not everything is as it seems - in fact the sand is actually imported from the Caribbean, something that is true of most of Key West's beaches.… read more »
Located on Florida's eastern Atlantic coastline in New Smyrna, Apollo Beach is on the Canaveral National Seashore (National Park). Great for beach lovers, it has an endless strip of pristine golden sand and, being more secluded, it is one of the top nudist beaches in Florida. (This should not to be confused with the other Apollo Beach on Florida's Gulf Coast near Tampa!)
