Beaches in Florida

Best beaches in Florida are a matter of taste; we all have favorites. But Dr. Beach makes a science of it. Here are 10 Florida beaches he has rated tops over the years.

Crandon Park Beach is the Miami you see in magazine ads, tourism brochures and movies. Palms gracing a picture-perfect beach, picnic under the canopy of oaks, visit the gardens and ride a restored 1949 carousel.

One of South Florida’s most scenic beaches, Deerfield Beach is a diamond in the rough.

An Old Florida beach town with lots of charm, without high-rise condos or pesky parking meters. Join us for dining, camping, kayaking and enjoying all the things to do in Flagler Beach.

Washington Oaks Gardens State Park near St. Augustine has two sides — historic gardens amid ancient live oak trees on one side and a beach with fantastically shaped coquina rocks on the other.

Caladesi Island State Park has been named the No. 2 beach in America by Dr. Beach. St. George Island State Park is ranked No. 4.

This laid-back beach town isn’t famous, but it charms visitors with its funky Florida history, gorgeous beaches and a cute downtown with interesting restaurants and shops.

Florida’s underwater parks preserve exceptional bodies of water, from shipwrecks to spring-fed caves. They are among the most unusual parks in the US.

With the best beach in the Florida Keys, Bahia Honda is a popular stop. As of May, 2022, the Sandspur Campground and the Sandspur Beach have re-opened, four and half years after being smashed by Hurricane Irma. For those who get there quickly, a few nights are available in the next 11 months for the hard-to-get beachfront Sandspur campsites.

This state park is more natural than it has been for decades. Enjoy the terrific beach and tropical hammock, tour the historic lighthouse, dine at restaurants with great views and walk or bike trails.

Travel and Leisure magazine calls New Smyrna Beach “Florida’s most underrated seaside city”. We think it is “Florida’s best little beach town.”

Sea-turtle walks are like seeing a nature documentary in person, and they’re back in many places for 2022. But you need reservations to join these night-time beach walks to watch giant sea turtles nesting.

Florida Panhandle’s greatest treasure might be Gulf Islands National Seashore, with an unspoiled barrier island, sand as white as snow and a rare Civil War fort whose spooky spaces you can wander.

Ponce Inlet is a calm ocean-front town at the tip of a barrier island. It has free parking, a stunning lighthouse, parks, a beach and picturesque places to eat fresh seafood.

Beach camping in Florida is living the dream. Stars in the sky, surf softly lapping ashore, shorebirds gliding. Let’s go camping!

It’s easy to find a beach in Florida. It’s harder to find a hidden beach, a beach where you experience a sense of discovery and delicious isolation. Here, however, I share my favorites, discovered over many years.

Naples is a wealthy enclave with lush, tropical neighborhoods and lots of natural beauty close and accessible. Here’s a guide to things to do outdoors in Naples and surrounding areas.

Florida A1A stretches the whole length of the state’s Atlantic coast. But the can’t-miss part is this 30 miles in Northeast Florida. Here are the best stops along that route, some you might miss without our tips.