Beaches along the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico are found throughout the southern United States. Beaches are located along the Atlantic coastline in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Georgia. Florida also offers sandy beaches on the east coast along the Gulf of Mexico, which is where visitors will also find beaches along the southern coasts of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
From bustling to quiet, visitors can chose from a number of beaches along Florida's 1,200 miles of coastline. Golden sand beaches along the turquoise-blue Atlantic Ocean include trendy and affluent West Palm Beach and Palm Beach, and the exciting nightlife of Miami's beaches. Along the emerald green Gulf Coast, white-sand beaches can be found in the Florida Panhandle. The region offers stunning sunsets and is a popular spot for collecting seashells. To avoid popular beaches like Daytona Beach and Pensacola, visitors can travel to Caladesi Island State Park or Lovers Key State Park.
North Carolina's shoreline features white-sand beaches, small fishing villages and quiet coastal towns. Visitors to the Crystal Coast, which includes Atlantic Beach, Beaufort, Emerald Isle and Morehead, can scuba dive and explore shipwrecks, as well as surf near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in the Outer Banks. Wide beaches along South Carolina's 200-mile coastline include family-friendly beaches and surfing spots at Edisto, Hilton Head, Fripp Island and Hunting Island State Park. Visitors can also explore 19th century lighthouses at beaches near Charleston and play golf at a number of courses at Myrtle Beach.
Although the region continues to recover from damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, beaches are found in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. In Alabama, 32 miles of sugar-white sand beaches stretch along the emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico at Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Buccaneer State Park in Mississippi offers campsites and a beachfront. Visitors can also find beaches along the shores of Bay Saint Louis, Biloxi and Gulf Port. In Louisiana, Holly Beach is one of the state's few road-accessible beaches.
Georgia's barrier islands offer remote, quiet beaches. A 20-minute drive from historic Savannah is Tybee Island with five miles of beaches among sea oat-covered sand dunes and salt marshes. The 10,000-acre Little St. Simons Island offers seven miles of deserted beaches next to dense forests, with only 39 overnight guests at a time permitted on the pristine island. Cumberland Island, the state's largest barrier island, is home to beaches, wild horses and 82 structures listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Hampton, Norfolk, Virginia Beach and the Chesapeake Bay are home to some of Virginia's best-known beaches. Popular with windsurfers, Hampton is home to Buckroe Beach and 12 deep water marinas. Virginia Beach has well-maintained beaches and seaside attractions, including a three-mile oceanfront boardwalk, the Virginia Beach Oceanfront Waterpark and the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center. Beaches can be found along the Eastern Shore, including Kiptopeke State Park and Cape Charles Beach.
