14 of the best beaches in Florida
Florida's best beach? Where to even start with so many incredible options. Don't worry, we've got 14 top choices for your next vacation.
Palm fronds rustle gently in the breeze as sparkling blue waves kiss the shoreline, scattering sandpipers across the white sand beach. As you relax in the dazzling sunshine, gulls and pelicans dive into the water nearby 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. The Gulf Coast offers calm waters and white sand beaches, while the Atlantic Coast's crashing waves are a surfer's paradise. Find the best stretch of water for little swimmers, beach comb 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. These are 14 of the best beaches in the Sunshine State.
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: Choose your season carefully as adverse weather can affect transport to Dry Tortugas National Park. Avoid hurricane season (June to November) if you'd rather not risk last-minute changes.
2. Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge
Best peaceful beach
Another quiet retreat, the unsigned Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge is located at the north end of Jupiter Island, just past Hobe Sound Beach (often packed with rowdy teenagers). Escape the racket and treat your feet to a gorgeous two-mile beach stroll along its deserted sandy shores.
Planning tip: The refuge charges $4.50 per vehicle for access and all funds go toward maintaining this beautiful place. You can purchase a pass from the Refuge Beach parking lot booth or online.
3. Melbourne Beach
Best beach for watching sea turtles
Take a romantic stroll along Melbourne Beach during nesting season (March 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 a comfortable distance 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 the 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 riches 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 fortune.
5. Sanibel Island
Best shelling beach
Known as "the shelling capital of the world," the 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 Florida Master 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 without worrying about unsightly tan lines? While most naturist beaches are intentionally secluded, Haulover Beach, between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, has no such reservations. 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. The only amenities here are portable toilets in the parking lots. Canaveral National Seashore passes cost $25 per vehicle for one week or $45 for an annual pass.
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. 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 at its spectacular pier to building fortresses in the sand or hitting the waves with a boogie board, there's endless family fun on offer.
Planning tip: Mark your calendar for the annual Street Painting Festival in February, which attracts more than 600 artists.
9. Frederick Douglass Park
Best beach for horseback riding
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 takes 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 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 the 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, this is 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 2.5 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: Try to avoid the hottest time of the day as prolonged exposure to the hot sand can burn the paws of your four-legged friend.
12. Cape San Blas
Best beach for stargazing
Rest and relax on quiet, beautiful sands during the day, then enjoy incredible stargazing opportunities at Cape San Blas. Minimal light pollution makes for spectacular clear skies above this secluded beach. Several local restaurants are just a short walk from the beach when you're able to tear your gaze from the celestial beauty.
Detour: Known for wildlife viewing, hiking, fishing and scalloping, nearby St George Island and TH Stone Memorial St Joseph Peninsula State Park offer plenty of daytime adventures.
13. 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. Just a short drive over the Dunedin Causeway will transport you to this barrier island with sugar-white dunes, hiking opportunities along Osprey Trail and abundant wildlife. Take the ferry to nearby Caladesi Island State Park, an unspoiled natural paradise where you can kayak through a mangrove forest before relaxing on pristine beaches.
14. Caspersen Beach
Best beach for unique souvenirs
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 souvenirs such as shark teeth, sand dollars, conch shells and fossils. Time your visit during low tide when these special items appear among the rocks and tide pools.
