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Top 12 Beaches in Florida: A Comprehensive Guide

Holy guacamole, Florida! The Sunshine State, the beach paradise state surrounded by water. We spent the last two summers exploring Florida’s coastline with our travel trailer in pursuit of the most beautiful beaches we could find. From the Gulf Coast and Panhandle all the way down to the Florida Keys and back up the Atlantic Coast, Florida’s got a lot of sandy and shelly coastline—over 650 miles worth. With a combination of boardwalks, fishing piers, numerous state parks, incredible bridges, insane views, loads of water sports and activities, and abundant wildlife, Florida is a beach lover’s dream.

In the last couple of years, we weren’t able to visit every single beach in Florida, but we sure hit a lot of them. So here are our favorites that we’ve been to. We’re basing our criteria on the quality and fineness of sand, water clarity, water temperature, busyness (how populated it was), surrounding views, and included costs like parking fees and state park entry fees.

Alright, let’s get into it and see why Florida gets over 120 million visitors each year, starting with number 12 on the list.

12. South Beach

South Beach is iconic as it’s the most famous section of Miami Beach. Yes, it’s busy, touristy, and can get a bit rowdy sometimes, but the beach is also huge and goes on for miles. So if you like people-watching, being close to the action, and having a good blend of the party scene and active beach time, this is a solid choice.

11. Navarre Beach

If you’re looking for those crystal-clear swimming emerald waters and a much quieter scene than its neighbor Destin, then look no further than Navarre Beach. This compact beach community is stunning—the homes are beautiful, the sand is super fine, parking is easy, you get to go over this nice bridge to get there, and there are far fewer tourists.

10. Fort Zachary Taylor State Park

Better known as just Fort Taylor, this is our first state park on the list and a beautiful one that also includes a historic fort. It’s a great place to snorkel, lounge, picnic, or rent beach chairs. We think it’s the best beach in Key West. The entry fee starts at seven dollars for two people, but it’s well worth it.

9. Captiva Beach

Clean, main, and pristine, Captiva has much better sand than its nearby neighbor, Sanibel Island Beach, which is more known for its shells. They’re both great, but parking can be a bit of a drag, so just get there early and be prepared to pay a pretty penny for a spot. The area feels resorty and attracts a higher-end crowd with its tennis facilities, shops, and luxury feel. Definitely worth checking out.

8. St. Augustine Beach

If you’re looking for an awesome beach on the Atlantic side to drive your truck on, fish on, or just hang out on, St. Augustine is a great choice. It’s located on Anastasia Island, not far from the historic city of St. Augustine. Also, check out its nearby neighbor, Vilano Beach. It’s in an even quieter coastal community and is only 20 minutes away. There’s plenty to do in the area.

7. Cape Florida Key Biscayne Beach

If you want to avoid the craziness of Miami, then drive on over to the secluded Key Biscayne Beach. The beach is as relaxed as it gets with a beautiful lighthouse to go along. It’s like a bath bomb, always breezy there too.

6. Destin

Crossing the bridge to Destin blew us away. I get why this place is so popular. It’s a wealthy area, and everything’s a bit pricier, but free beach parking was surprisingly easy to come by. The water truly is as emerald as they say in this beautiful part of the Panhandle.

5. Bowman’s Beach

If you’re an avid seasheller, then this might be the mecca for you. Sanibel Island is known for its shells, and this beach is great for an all-day spot because it offers lots of amenities. It’s a picturesque beach with calm waves, but the one downside is parking is pretty pricey at five dollars an hour.

4. Hollywood Beach

Coming in at number four, we’ve got Hollywood Beach with its old Florida feel. The palm-lined brick promenade of Hollywood Beach Broadwalk is a great place for a relaxing stroll or a good workout session. Or if you want to just chill, grab a drink on the strip and enjoy the view.

3. Bahia Honda State Park Beach

Located on an island in the Florida Keys, this beach comes with one of the most spectacular views that we’ve ever seen. It costs eight dollars to enter, and the sunsets there are worth staying for. The bridge definitely adds a unique dynamic to your typical coastal views, and it easily cracks the top three in our opinion. It’s considered one of the best beaches in the United States.

2. Siesta Key Beach

Voted the number one beach in the U.S. by TripAdvisor in 2020 and consistently in the top three, frankly, I’m not surprised. This beach stays cool even in the hot sun since its sand is 99% quartz. That being said, it also reflects more intensely to offer a more severe sunburn, so lather up. The beach goes on for miles and has the best permanent volleyball nets we’ve come across in Florida. The parking lot is huge and free but still fills up quickly on summer days.

1. Henderson Beach State Park

In Florida, there’s a lot of talk of crystal-clear water, but for some reason, the blue-green sparkling water and powdery white sand just hits different here and makes that eight-dollar entry fee quickly forgotten. It’s quiet enough even on busy days as they limit the number of people into the park, so it’s best to get there early in peak season. You can also camp here and bring your rig if you book enough days in advance.

Made it to paradise!

Honorable Mentions

Some Honorable Mentions that we also enjoyed:

Sombrero Beach

Located in Marathon, down in the Florida Keys, Sombrero Beach is a nice, relaxing beach, a great place to fish, and offers free parking.

Pensacola Beach

Right down the road from Navarre Beach, Pensacola Beach is a resort community on the Gulf Coast barrier island of Santa Rosa. It has solid white sand beaches and is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

Fort Walton Beach

If you want a quieter vibe in the Panhandle, Fort Walton’s got that tranquility and small-town feel. It has a nice pier, volleyball courts, and lots of beach.

As you can see, Florida’s got some heavy hitters, and there’s still a lot we haven’t seen but have saved in our pipeline for next year. So if there’s any beach you recommend that we didn’t mention, please let us know. And we can’t forget a big thanks to our Patreon peeps for keeping us on the road. Very much appreciated!