Florida has two coasts and over 1,200 miles of beaches, making it a top vacation spot. With beaches as varied as the white sand Gulf Coast beaches to the Atlantic Coast, Florida offers an incomparable selection of beach destinations. While most everyone has heard of Miami Beach, Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale there are countless other beaches less familiar but worthy of vacation time.
Two Florida beaches made the Dr. Beach website's Top 10 list in 2010. No. 2 was Siesta Beach near Sarasota. Its sand is 99 percent quartz, which feels cool on your feet despite the temperature outside. Lifeguards are on duty year-round and the water is clear and shallow, making the beach a popular choice for families with young children. Grayton Beach State Park boasts the other Top 10 beach. It is well-suited to swimming, surf fishing and boating.
Top picks for family beach vacations include Destin, which is located along the Gulf Coast in the Florida Panhandle. Kayaking, nature trails and bicycling are popular here. Sanibel Island in southwest Florida is famous for its shelling. There is also a lighthouse, wildlife refuge and nature center. Cocoa Beach in east-central Florida entices experienced and novice surfers alike. The Kennedy Space Center and other major family attractions are nearby.
Caladesi Island State Park was rated America's Best Beach in 2008, according to the Florida Division of Recreation and Parks. A kayak trail winds through a bay and mangroves. Nearby Honeymoon Island State Park has a beach rich in natural bounty, including shelling, mangrove swamps, tidal flats and a variety of waterfowl. Visitors could easily combine trips to Caledesi and Honeymoon into one trip. Quiet beaches, salt marshes and abundant wildlife make up Amelia Island State Park, near Jacksonville. An unusual draw is horseback riding on the beach.
Pompano Beach is known for sport fishing with more than 400 species of fish ready to be caught from the shore, pier or from a boat. Marco Island offers a variety of boating opportunities, from canoeing and kayaking to riding wave runners through the Everglades. Hutchinson Island gives divers and snorkelers shipwrecks to explore, and a coral reef in a shallow lagoon.
