Sea-turtle walks are like seeing a nature documentary in person, and they’re back in many places for 2023. But you need reservations to join these night-time beach walks to watch giant sea turtles nesting.
Best Florida Beaches
Travel and Leisure magazine calls New Smyrna Beach “Florida’s most underrated seaside city”. We think it is “Florida’s best little beach town.”
Florida Islands don’t come any better than Sanibel, but while that paradise recovers from Hurricane Ian, we think you’ll find lots to love in these 5 other destinations.
Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park has reopened eight months after Hurricane Ian’s 10- foot storm surge blasted it. It has superb white sand and clear water.
The best Florida beach towns are cozy and quaint, reflecting an Old Florida ambience. Here are seven of our favorites, all small enclaves worth discovering.
Bicycling the Pinellas Trail is one of the top things to do in Dunedin, but this charming Tampa Bay area town has more to offer, with eight breweries plus great restaurants and coffee shops in its walkable historic downtown. Twenty minutes away are two excellent state parks with award-winning beaches.
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 state park is so worth a drive to explore. It would take days to experience it all – a beautiful beach, a well-preserved Civil War fort, hiking, biking, wildlife, great camping.
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.
Apalachicola is a charming, walkable small town full of history, good food & shops. It’s 20 minutes from the nation’s No. 4 beach on St. George Island.
Top-shelf spring break destinations along Florida’s Southwest coast are taking it on the chin in 2023 as red tide smothers beaches. Panhandle and Atlantic beaches are red-tide free.
Beaches in the Florida Keys aren’t as common as many expect, but there are some great beaches if you know where to go. We also include two new free parks with excellent swimming holes and amenities.
The historic Gilbert’s Bar House of Refuge couldn’t be in a prettier spot. It tells the story of a wild Florida of tall ships and pioneers. It’s one-of-a-kind, the last surviving refuge for shipwrecked sailors, and it recently reopened.
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.
One of South Florida’s most scenic beaches, Deerfield Beach is a diamond in the rough.
Ponce Inlet is a calm ocean-front town at the tip of a barrier island. Its beachfront was hit hard by Hurricane Nicole’s storm surge Nov. 7. But its stunning lighthouse is open to visitors, as are many parks, its inlet beach and picturesque places to eat fresh seafood.