The 10 Best Beach Towns in Florida (Because You Need a Vacation), Naples. From serene beaches to top-notch restaurants and some of the most beautiful sunsets we've ever seen, Naples feels like another world. Our mission is to serve travelers over 50. We want to inspire you to explore new destinations, discover new experiences and savor the trip.
Soft white sand beaches, blue waters, stellar seafood and sunny skies make Florida a year-round tourist destination. Sunshine State's 1,350 miles of coastline offers swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, beach walks and shelling. It's also home to numerous charming coastal towns. Whether you're looking to plan a vacation, or just want to forget about winter for a while, here are 16 Florida beach towns that our readers loved this year.
Located just north of Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach is located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida. Miami, Boca Raton, and West Palm Beach are all within an hour's drive, making this quiet and unassuming beachside a great stop on a picturesque Florida road trip. Just north of Pompano Beach, on Florida's east coast, Deerfield Beach is a more affordable alternative to some of its nearby neighbors, such as Miami, Boca and West Palm. However, this low-key coastal town has all the amenities of those larger beach towns, including downtown restaurants, bars, and ice cream parlors.
Take a stroll along the Deerfield Beach International Fishing Pier and visit the waterfront. Known as the oldest city in the U.S. UU. Augustine is located approximately one hour south of Jacksonville.
Anytime is a great time to visit this historic city, but it's especially magical during the holidays, when downtown is dressed in millions of twinkling lights for the annual Nights of Lights festival. Speaking of Florida's East Coast, the opulent, elegant and luxurious Singer Island is home to beautiful beaches, luxury resorts and spas, and excellent dining options. Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Florida Intracoastal Canal to the west, this South Florida island offers a multitude of water activities, including kayaking, boating, world-class deep-sea fishing, crystal clear water snorkeling and diving. About 25 miles south of Fort Myers is the picturesque coastal town of Sanibel Island and its little sister, Captiva Island.
Spacious and peaceful, Sanibel beaches are known for their soft white sands and ample bombing opportunities. Our writers agree that this weekend getaway has some of the best beaches in Florida. Beautiful pristine beaches, a developing food scene, progressive eco-tourism efforts, and a walkable community are just a few of the reasons our readers love Surfside. At just half a square mile, this picturesque Florida coastal city is small compared to neighboring Miami and Bal Harbour.
But its eight city blocks are packed with a variety of amenities, interesting things to do, places to eat, and more. Located on Florida's southeast coast, Delray Beach is a treasure trove of art galleries and pub art installations, along with its pristine white sand beaches. Just south of West Palm Beach, between Boyton Beach and Boca Raton, this exclusive beach resort is ideal for a day trip or weekend getaway, without the high price tag or the crowds. Downtown Delray Beach, where you'll find most of the action is walkable and there's plenty of parking.
An incredible vacation destination located on Florida's “Treasure Coast”, Vero Beach is halfway between Melbourne and Palm Beach. This peaceful Florida coastal town offers abundant outdoor attractions, an abundance of citrus fruits, beautiful beaches, a thriving local art scene, a wide variety of local restaurants, luxury accommodations and more. The ancient city of Boca Grande, Florida, is located within a 7-mile long strip of land known as Gasparilla Island. Known for its hospitality and charm, it is full of natural beauty.
Visitors come here to enjoy first-class sport fishing, the historic center and the dazzling white sand beaches. Cedar Key, a small and picturesque island town, has a population of less than 800, mostly retirees and fishermen. A short drive from Gainesville and a few hours from Tampa Bay and Orlando, it may be Florida's top weekend getaway destination. Part of Florida's “Natural Coast”, this island offers many outdoor activities, including fishing.
From the shallow swamps at the back of the island to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, there are plenty of good fishing spots. You'll know you've been through the quiet and historic Pass-a-Grille district when you head south of the Don CeSar Hotel. There are no skyscrapers here, which makes the area feel especially picturesque and walkable. Pass-a-Grille has the best beach in the area because it is wider than the northern beaches.
From the International Speedway and the Daytona Beach Boardwalk to the Daytona Lagoon water park, there's plenty to do in Daytona. At the very least, don't miss your chance to climb Florida's tallest lighthouse, the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse. Amelia Island is the northernmost barrier island off the east coast of Florida. Due to its location, it is one of Florida's most unique coastal areas.
Do you have a child who loves to ride a skateboard? A unique way to explore the island of Amelia is on a skateboard tour for children. They even take pictures of your family on the whiteboards so you can have a great memory of this fun experience. Can you imagine anything more idyllic than a horse ride along the seashore at sunset? Book a ride with Amelia Island Horseback Riding. If you prefer to enjoy horses from afar, take a cruise with Amelia River Cruises to see the wild horses of Cumberland Island, along with dolphins and manatees in the river.
The island maintains more than 30 miles of bike trails. With designated “casual” and “advanced” trails, your family can get on those casual trails and not feel like you're in the way of serious cyclists. Seaside is the ultimate experience in a small beach town. It is a planned community along the stretch of Florida between Destin and Panama City Beach, known simply as “30A”.
The city's mission since the early 1980s has been to promote walkability and nurture an instantly recognizable architectural identity. That mission is still virtually intact today. Victorian-style homes with a western key, white fences, pedestrian alleys, and adorable gazebos make neighborhood walks truly appealing. For the most part, vacationing families park their car during the week and walking to the beach and downtown.
Parents lounge on the front porches of their pastel beach house for hours. Children roam the green of the city in search of friends to play with when they please. Seaside has a strong sense of community, even if that “community” is only visiting families who live their best lives for a week. A rental home is the only way to go if you want to stay in Seaside proper.
If you find those prices prohibitive, homes in Seagrove are more reasonably priced and camping in Grayton Beach State Park is phenomenal. Both are just a bike ride away. In fact, if you want a little more privacy, you might prefer the state park. Delray Beach is a small town known for its great fun north of Boca Raton, on Florida's east coast.
It's one of Coastal Living's “Happiest Coastal Cities”. The mile of Atlantic Avenue that extends inland from the ocean is pedestrian-friendly and is filled with local cafes and boutiques. Delray Beach is also known for its eclectic art scene. Tour the Pineapple arts district, just off the Atlantic, during a first Friday art walk to meet local talent.
Naples, on the southern tip of Florida's Gulf Coast, has long been adored by our country's snowbirds. However, it's more of a well-kept secret that Naples has a lot to offer families as well. The icing on the cake is that it's far enough south that families can find a bit of summer even in January. Naples is perfect for families who need warmth and need it all year round.
There are two different reasons why Cocoa Beach may be the ideal beach town for your family in Florida. One, it's only an hour from Orlando. So if you wanted to relax on the beach after a few high-octane days at Disney World, this is the easiest place to do it. And if you're planning to spend time in Orlando or Disney World, we have comprehensive guides for both of you.
And if you want to explore the waters around Cocoa Beach, you definitely don't want to miss the mangrove, manatee and dolphin tunnel kayak tour. Do you want to explore a large part of Florida all at once? Check out our Key Largo to Central Florida road trip itinerary, which will take you from the Keys through Miami, along Florida's East Coast to Cocoa Beach. Are you coming to Florida from Texas? Our Texas to Florida road trip shows you the best stops along the way and takes you right near our favorite coastal town on the Florida coast,. Navigating the I-95 corridor? This Drive to Orlando itinerary is the definitive summary of I-95 stops en route to Florida, taking you through two of our top picks for Florida's best beach towns: Amelia Island and Daytona Beach.
Top 10 Fun Things to Do in Denver with Kids. Miami Beach may be one of the busiest areas, but for those looking for a full beach scene in the city, this is the ideal spot. Miami Beach covers more than seven miles of coastline and, on hot days, the sand is full of sunbathers and spectators slowly drive by in their cars to see what is happening. Florida is brimming with picturesque beaches on its Gulf and Atlantic coasts.
Whether you're looking for a bit of history in Fernandina Beach or Fort Myers, a picturesque beachside charm in Seaside, or the perfect spot to enjoy an idyllic sunset on Sanibel Island, here's our guide to the places worth visiting in the Sunshine State once you venture beyond Miami. The small town of Fernandina Beach, on the island of Amelia, is famous for its quiet charm, but this modest spot has a surprising background in pirate culture. The historic city has a rich past, once serving as a hideout for pirate treasures; it's also home to Florida's oldest, and supposedly haunted, salon. In addition to ghost tales, the coastal town also hosts the annual Eight Flag Island Shrimp Festival in May, but if that's not your thing, there are plenty of boutique shopping options here, too.
Perched on the west coast of the peninsula, Fort Myers offers plenty of decent fishing and attractions for the whole family, including a tour of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford Winter Estates. The houses converted into museums are located on 20 acres (8 ha) of botanical gardens and feature a collection of artifacts and inventions made by Edison and Ford. Here you'll find plenty to do, including boutique shops and fine dining restaurants, some of the best in Southwest Florida. Located in the heart of the Florida Keys, Bahía Honda State Park is a great place to go if you want to immerse yourself in nature, and the scenery is simply amazing.
Located right on the south end of Key Biscayne, Bill Baggs is surrounded by the beautiful and wild Cape Florida State Park. Located in the Florida Panhandle, Panama City Beach is a popular destination during the warmer months. At one end of Bill Baggs, you won't miss the imposing Cape Florida lighthouse, which really stands out among its surroundings. You can find all kinds of beach settings in Florida, from activity-filled, palm-fringed boardwalks to secluded state parks with a diversity of plants and animals.
Beach towns can come in all shapes and sizes, and there's an excellent sample of them all over Florida. Cocoa Beach is located on Florida's Atlantic coast, south of Cape Canaveral, nicknamed the Space Coast. To see more picturesque spots in the Sunshine State, check out Florida's most beautiful towns with Culture Trip. Destin is one of Florida's beach cities that is known for its southern hospitality and white sand beaches.
Just steps from Siesta Village, it's the perfect place to capture that iconic image of the Florida sunset and send it to your friends in the icy north. . .
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