Palm fronds rustle gently in the breeze as sparkling blue waves kiss the shoreline, scattering sandpipers across the warm, white sand beach. Lifting your sunglasses, your eyes struggle against blinding rays to catch a glimpse of gulls and pelicans dive-bombing for afternoon snacks.
This is Florida, where no matter how you define fun-in-the-sun, one – or a couple dozen – of its almost 200 gorgeous beaches will surely be a perfect fit. Gallop through crashing waves, beachcomb for washed-up treasures, welcome your day with sunrise yoga, marvel at sea turtles nesting in the sand, or grab a board and tackle some monster swells. It's all right here.
1. Dry Tortugas National Park
Best secluded beach
Hop aboard a ferry (or seaplane) from Key West and soak up the sun, cruising 70 miles of sparkling, emerald-green waters to the secluded paradise of Dry Tortugas National Park. Once there, mosey through Fort Jefferson, teeming with military history, or head straight for its dreamy, white-powder sands. Snorkel the shallow waters exploring the coral reef, or just cozy up with a good book and embrace peaceful solitude.
Planning tip: Consider the weather when making reservations for your trip. Avoid hurricane season (October through January) if you can. The best times to visit are November through April.
2. Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge
Best peaceful beach
Another quiet retreat, the unsigned Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, hides at the north end of Jupiter Island, just past Hobe Sound Beach (often packed with loud kids and teenagers). Escape the racket and treat your feet to a gorgeous two-mile beach stroll along its deserted sandy shores.
Detour: Many celebrities call Jupiter Island home; it's always fun strolling or biking down Beach Road checking out eye-catching mansions – many un-gated and easy-to-see. Tiger Woods lives here, and previous residents include Celine Dion, Alan Jackson and Burt Reynolds.
Planning tip: Leashed dogs are allowed only on the trails around the Visitor Center but not in other areas of the park. But if you’re thinking of bringing your pet, be aware there are poisonous snakes. Be sure to bring along doggie poop bags.
3. Melbourne Beach
Best beach for watching sea turtles
Take a romantic stroll along Melbourne Beach during nesting season (May to October), as moonlit skies cast spotlights upon determined sea turtles crawling ever-so-slowly to lay eggs at the top of this wide beach. Around 50 to 60 days later, hatchlings struggle back to the sandy shoreline.
Local tip: Ditch the flashlights and maintain comfortable space to avoid disturbing the turtles.
4. Treasure Shores Park
Best beach for treasure hunting
The Treasure Coast earned its name for a reason. Valuables continue to wash ashore from countless nearby shipwrecks. Any beach along Hutchinson Island is ripe for harvesting tidal gifts, but my favorite is Treasure Shores Park near Sebastian. Just offshore is the resting place of a treasure-laden Spanish galleon that sank during a hurricane in 1715.
Detour: Visit nearby McLarty Treasure Museum to view many impressive artifacts recovered from the ocean's depths. Mel Fisher's Treasure Museum in Sebastian boasts a bounty of treasures collected by this family of professional shipwreck salvagers. Rent metal detectors from its gift shop (which also sells actual treasures!) and sift for your own riches.
5. Sanibel Island
Best shelling beach
Known as "the shelling capital of the world," beaches of Sanibel Island (including Bowman's Beach and Blind Pass Beach) offer a treasure trove of almost 400 species of shells. Do the "Sanibel Stoop," prospecting for lightning whelks, prickly cockles, and jingle shells.
Local tip: New to shelling? Book a guided tour with Captain Brian Holaway, a certified naturalist, who'll have you knowing your conchs from your whelks in no time.
6. Haulover Beach
Best mainstream clothing-optional beach
Ready to let warm ocean breezes caress your skin – and shed those unsightly tan lines? While most naturist beaches are intentionally secluded, Haulover Beach, between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, has no shame. It's like a mainstream beach… just without clothes. No matter your age or shape, you are free to strut your stuff at this judgment-free, family-friendly beach (its patrolling ambassadors ensure that fun remains "clean").
Planning tip: Parking at Haulover Beach costs $7 on weekdays, $10 on weekends and holidays.
7. Playalinda Beach
Best discreet nudist beach
If you prefer a bit more discretion, the remote white sand beaches of Playalinda Beach, inside Canaveral National Seashore are more reserved. Although nudity is forbidden in Brevard County, the secluded stretch north of parking lot #13 is a de facto nude beach, sanctioned by official signs.
Local tip: Pack whatever you'll need, including lots of water and sunblock, as the amenities here consist of just portable toilets in the parking lots. Passes to Canaveral National Seashore cost $25/week, $45 seasonally.
8. Lake Worth Beach
Best family beach
Once a popular gathering spot for free-spirited hippies, Lake Worth Beach continues to bop to a Bohemian beat. But these days, its gorgeous white sand beach is light on partying and heavy on family vibes, man. Surrounded by shops, restaurants and ice cream huts, kids won't go hungry here – and there are plenty of washrooms and showers, too. From fishing from its spectacular pier to building fortresses in the sand or hitting the waves with a boogie board, it's endless family fun.
Planning tip: Mark your calendar for the annual Street Painting Festival held each February, attracting more than 600 artists
9. Frederick Douglass Park
Best beach for horseback rides
Whether you're a diehard romantic or want to role-play thundering scenes from Game of Thrones, almost everyone has envisioned themselves riding horseback through crashing waves, the sea breeze blowing wildly through your hair. Well, saddle up and head to Frederick Douglass Park in Fort Pierce, the only beach in south Florida where hooves can hit the sand. A guided 1.5-mile-long trail rides take riders (including beginners) along stunning, secluded shores, where an abundance of sea life graces the sands.
10. Hollywood Beach
Best party beach
Since South Beach gets all the attention, I'll nominate Hollywood Beach as Florida's beach party central. Stroll or bike its beachfront Broadwalk, and it won't take long to feel the burning party vibe. Lined with tiki bars, al fresco restaurants, t-shirt shops and ice-cream parlors, skateboarders whiz between pedestrians, as buskers juggle, sing and dance. Quiet in the morning, surfers invade by afternoon, and energy peaks after dusk when evening concerts rock the Bandshell, an outdoor music venue. This is quintessential Florida beach life.
Local tip: If you've always wanted to learn to surf, here's your chance, dude! Margaritaville Beach Resort has FlowRider, a safe, wave-controlled simulator.
11. Jupiter Dog Beach
Best dog beach
Dog lovers are in great company at Jupiter Dog Beach, where owners are as friendly as their pets. Dogs run leash-free along two-and-a-half miles of shell-covered sand, aqua-blue waters lapping their paws. The area's super clean, with free parking, free poop bags, plenty of trash bins and washing stations.
Planning tip: Dogs can get sunburned as well. 30 minutes before hitting the beach, apply sunblock to their nose and ears. Also be aware that hot asphalt and sand can burn their paws.
12. Butler Beach
Best historic beach
Just 8 miles south of St. Augustine on Anastasia Island, Butler Beach offers a spacious coastline for swimming and sunbathing, stunning views, picnic areas, and a historic legacy. Named after local African-American businessman, Frank B. Bufutler, this beautiful beach illuminates the complex past of Florida’s Historic Coast. At the time he began establishing his real estate empire, Florida’s beaches were white-only. Some local residents, appalled by the concept and success of Butler Beach, fought to ban Blacks from enjoying other beaches and in 1953 a Black nursemaid for walking on to the Saint Augustine Beach to check on the children she was taking care of for a well-to-do white family. Martin Luther King visited Butler’s beach during the height of the Civil Rights movement taking place in Augustive and eventually the Civil Rights Act of 1964 changed the onerous law allowing beach access to all.
Planning tip: Visit the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center to learn about African-American history in Florida and the area’s significant role in the Civil Rights Movement. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for college students and children under 18.
13. Cape San Blas
Best beach for stargazing
Enjoy sparkling sands during the day, then take in the glowing night sky at Cape San Blas. Minimal light interference makes for spectacular stargazing on this secluded beach. With its tall sand dunes and emerald waters, this laid-back destination is a serene paradise on Florida’s northwest coast.
Detour: Known for wildlife viewing, hiking, fishing and scalloping, nearby St. George Island and T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park offer plenty of daytime adventures.
14. Honeymoon Island
Best beach for a romantic getaway
For a secluded escape from the bustle of nearby Tampa and Clearwater, Honeymoon Island is an ideal retreat. Access the barrier island from the Dunedin Causeway to spend a day picnicking on sugar-white shores, hiking along Osprey Trail and spotting local wildlife. Ferry to nearby Caladesi Island State Park, an untouched paradise where you can paddle through mangrove forest, swim in pristine waters and marvel at the natural delights of this enchanting getaway.
Detour: Take a stroll through Dunedin. The area around Main Street is packed with charming shops, cafés, breweries and restaurants. On weekends from June through November, browse the Dunedin Downtown Market for local produce, jams and honey, handmade crafts and one-of-a-kind artwork.
15. Caspersen Beach
Best beach for shark teeth
Nicknamed the “Shark Tooth Capital of the World,” the rugged coast of Caspersen Beach is a unique contrast to the typical sugar-white shores of the Gulf. Just south of Venice, this coastal gem is the perfect place for beachcombers to hunt for nautical treasures from shark teeth and sand dollars to conch shells and fossils. The lengthy beach is clean with striking turquoise water, a well-maintained boardwalk, free parking lot and access to public restrooms.
Local tip: The best time for collecting shark teeth and intact shells is during low tide. Search among the rocks and tide pools for beachy treasures. Add a pair of water shoes to your beach gear to protect your feet from the rocks and hot sand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the prettiest beach in Florida?
With nearly 200 public beaches in Florida, there are a lot of contenders for the state’s prettiest. From Destin to Miami Beach to Siesta Key, each beach brings its own beauty and charm whether with natural allure or appealing architecture. For Instagram-worthy views, consider Alys Beach, a Panhandle gem with sparkling blue waters against pristine white sand. The brilliant white architecture lining the shore gives this small beach a Mediterranean feel with stunning vistas all around.
Which Florida beaches have the clearest water?
Sparkling white quartz sand, steady Gulf currents and underwater topography combine to create picturesque clear waters along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Panhandle beaches from Pensacola and Destin to Panama City as well as down the coast from Clearwater to Cape Coral benefit from this idyllic blend of natural features. The quartz crystals reflect the sun while underwater sandbars and continuous currents filter sediment and other impurities from the coastal waters. For ultra-clear water, plan to visit when the weather is calm and sunny.
What is the best white sand beach in Florida?
Florida beaches delight visitors with a kaleidoscope of colors from gold, black and even orange to those prized powdery white shores. The brilliant white sands found along Florida’s Gulf Coast mostly consist of quartz-rich sediment eroded into fine grains. When reflected in the sun, the quartz gives a dazzling contrast to the emerald waters.
While a drive down Florida’s 30A highlights miles of gorgeous white coastline, the beaches around Destin remain favorites for glittering sand, pristine water and plentiful activities and amenities. Further down the coast, Clearwater Beach and beaches in St. Petersburg are renowned for soft, sparkling sands, family-friendly attractions and classic beachy charm.
Which side of Florida is better for beaches?
That depends on what you’re looking for! East coast beaches tend to be better for active beachgoers. The wind-driven waves are great for water sports like surfing and hard-packed sands provide stability for jogging or beach volleyball. The water on the Atlantic coast stays warm all year round, making eastern beaches popular destinations for any season.
Vacationers in search of white sands and a more laid-back retreat might prefer beaches on the west side of the state. Beaches along the Gulf are generally calm and shallow, making them great destinations for families. The Gulf Coast is known for its white sands, crystal clear water, excellent shelling and building epic sandcastles.
Are there any dog friendly beaches in Florida?
Yes! Jupiter Dog Beach is the best option for off-leash adventures, but many of the best beaches in Florida welcome furry friends in designated areas. Top pick for the Gulf Coast is Dog Beach near Pier Park in Panama City Beach. Though small, the beach is beautiful and clean with plenty of dog-friendly shops and restaurants nearby. Many of Florida’s state parks are also pet-friendly. Just visit Florida State Parks to find out where you can bring Fido.
Which beaches in Florida have the best sunsets?
For the best sunset views in Florida, head to the west coast of the state. The beaches between Clearwater and St. Petersburg such as Indian Shores and Treasure Island offer spectacular sunset vistas. Florida Keys beaches invite visitors to take in the setting sun in unique locales. Bask in the tranquil beauty of a sunset in Bahia Honda State Park or join the festive Sunset Celebration in Key West’s Mallory Square. There’s really not a bad place to catch sunsets in the Keys. Hop aboard a sunset cruise for an immersive viewing experience.
Ready to go to Florida? Here's all the info you need to plan your trip:
Here are 11 things you should know before you go
There are many great things to do as a family
Time your visit right with this seasonal guide to the Sunshine State
