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The Best Beaches
- Virginia Key (Key Biscayne): The producers of Survivor or Lost could feasibly shoot their show on this ultrasecluded, picturesque, and deserted key, where people purposely go to not be found.
- Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park (Key Biscayne): The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, Bill Baggs radiates serenity with 1 1/4 miles of sandy beach, nature trails, and even a historic lighthouse that recalls an era before such pristine places gave way to avaricious developers and pollutants.
- Lummus Park Beach (South Beach): This beach is world renowned, not necessarily for its pristine sands, but for its more common name of South Beach, on which seeing, being seen, and, at times, the obscene, go hand-in-hand with the sunscreen and beach towels. The 12th Street section is the beach of choice for gay residents and travelers. Often this beach has some of the liveliest parties South Beach has ever seen.
- Haulover Beach (Miami Beach): Nestled between the Intracoastal Waterway and the ocean, especially at the north end, is the place to be for that all-over tan: Haulover is the city's only clothing-optional (aka nude) beach.
- Bahia Honda State Park (Bahia Honda Key): This is one of the nicest and most peaceful beaches in Florida. It's located amid 635 acres of nature trails and a portion of Henry Flagler's railroad.
- John U. Lloyd Beach State Park (Dania Beach): Unfettered by high-rise condominiums, T-shirt shops, and hotels, this wonderful beach boasts an untouched shoreline surrounded by a canopy of Australian pine to ensure complete seclusion.
- Lovers Key State Park (Fort Myers Beach): You'll have to walk or take a tram through a bird-filled forest of mangroves to this gorgeous, unspoiled beach just a few miles south of busy Fort Myers Beach. Although Sanibel Island gets the accolades, the shelling here is just as good, if not better.
- Cayo Costa State Park (off Captiva Island): These days, deserted tropical islands with great beaches are scarce in Florida, but this 2,132-acre barrier strip of sand, pine forest, mangrove swamp, oak hammock, and grassland provides a genuine get-away-from-it-all experience. Access is only by boat from nearby Gasparilla, Pine, and Captiva islands.
- Naples Beach (Naples): Many Florida cities and towns have beaches, but few are as lovely as the gorgeous strip that fronts Naples' famous Millionaires' Row. You don't have to be rich to wander its length, peer at the mansions, or stroll on historic Naples Pier to catch a sunset over the Gulf.
- Barefoot Beach Park (Bonita Springs): One of the last undeveloped barrier islands on Florida's west coast, this 342-acre natural preserve has an unfettered 8,200 feet of beach and sand dunes and is more than a haven for beach bums -- it's the home of the protected gopher tortoise.
- Caladesi Island State Park (Clearwater Beach): Even though 3 1/2-mile-long Caladesi Island is in the heavily developed Tampa Bay area, it has a lovely, relatively secluded beach with soft sand edged in sea grass and palmettos. In the park itself, there's a nature trail where you might see one of the rattlesnakes, black racers, raccoons, armadillos, or rabbits that live here. The park is accessible only by ferry from Honeymoon Island State Recreation Area, off Dunedin.
- Fort DeSoto Park (St. Petersburg): Where else can you get a good tan and a history lesson? At Fort DeSoto Park, you have not only 1,136 acres of five interconnected islands and 3 miles of unfettered beaches, but also a fort that's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are also nature trails, fishing piers, a 2.25-mile canoe trail, and spectacular views of Tampa Bay and the Gulf.
- Canaveral National Seashore (Cape Canaveral): Midway between the crowded attractions at Daytona Beach and Kennedy Space Center is a protected stretch of coastline 24 miles long, backed by cabbage palms, sea grapes, and palmettos.
- Gulf Islands National Seashore (Pensacola): All of Northwest Florida's Gulf shore is one of America's great beaches -- an almost uninterrupted stretch of pure white sand that runs the entire length of the Panhandle, from Perdido Key to St. George Island. The Gulf Islands National Seashore preserves much of this natural wonder in its undeveloped state. Countless terns, snowy plovers, black skimmers, and other birds nest along the dunes topped with sea oats. East of the national seashore and equally beautiful are Grayton Beach State Park, near Destin; and St. George Island State Park, off Apalachicola.
- St. Andrews State Park (Panama City Beach): With more than 1,000 acres of dazzling white sand and dunes, this preserved wilderness demonstrates what Panama City Beach looked like before motels and condominiums lined its shore. Lacy, golden sea oats sway in Gulf breezes and the area is home to foxes and a herd of deer.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
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