Snorkeling in Florida doesn’t require a boat. Here are some great places where you can snorkel and see fish and other sea creatures right from the beach.
Best Florida Beaches
Tarpon Springs is best known for its Greek sponge docks. But a boat trip to Anclote Key, one of Florida’s most remote state parks, is even better. Anclote Key is a perfect island beach, perhaps more tantalizing because it’s not easy to visit.
Florida has miles of beaches, but nothing like the beach at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park. Here, wind and surf have turned coquina rock into sculpture.
Casey Key, a skinny 8-mile-long barrier island south of Sarasota, is a great destination for someone who wants to pedal a great bike trail in the morning, beachcomb amid natural beauty in the afternoon and then enjoy an authentic waterfront fish house for dinner.
Jetty Park, with a terrific beach, fishing jetty and a view of passing ships, has a campground and small cabins. It’s an appealing getaway, with a few catches.
Topsail Hill State Park preserves 3 miles of pristine beach, magnificent white sand dunes and sparkling coastal lakes. With lots of camping and cabin sites, it’s a gem in the Panhandle.
Hutchinson Island has an abundance of pristine beaches with easy public access, the way Atlantic beaches used to be. You remember the days — when you could just pull off State Road A1A almost anywhere, park on the sand and stroll through the dunes to the ocean.
One of our favorite stops on the drive down the Florida Keys is Anne’s Beach in Islamorada. Located at mile marker 73.5, Anne’s Beach is a rare thing in the Florida Keys – a natural sandy beach. And it’s free.
People and birds alike enjoy the beautiful beaches and sandbars plus the pristine mangrove creeks at Bunche Beach. There are several routes for kayakers or it’s a great place for just combing the beach and enjoying the wildlife.
There are 35 pawrific dog beaches in Florida. Find one near you.
The beach town of Marco Island is all manicured and modern, but here are four adventures into the wild and authentic Florida that are within a quick drive. You can wade across a lagoon to a wild beach or have lunch in a funky fishing town or stroll on a boardwalk into a beautiful old growth cypress swamp.
This wild island on the Gulf coast is never crowded — it’s too hard to get there. For those who drive to Pineland on Pine Island and then take the hour-long ferry to the state park, the rewards are many: Nine miles of perfect beaches, shaded jungle-like trails and wildlife that includes osprey nests, dolphins, stringrays and all sorts of bird and sea life.
Anastasia State Park is a stone’s throw from historic St. Augustine and offers 139 cozy campsites on a four-mile-long pristine beach that shimmers in the Florida sun.
Once the site of a luxury resort for the rich and famous, Long Key State Park is a terrific place to spend a few hours hiking, beachcombing, swimming, snorkeling and kayaking in the Florida Keys. While most of its highly prized beachfront campsites are closed, a few tent sites are open.
This state park holds a special place in my heart. In urban South Florida, it preserves a sliver of the natural splendor once all around. There’s a lot to do here: beach, biking, shaded picnics, Intracoastal views. When visiting, a perfect day includes a stop to nearby Bonnet House.
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. In 2019, it celebrates its 100th birthday.
The outstanding beach known as John U. Lloyd State Park is being renamed to honor Fort Lauderdale civil rights leaders Von D. Mizell and Eula Johnson.
Driving your car on the beaches is a Florida tradition going back to horse-and-buggy days. Today, only a few beaches still allow the practice. We show you where and how on the Atlantic Coast.
The Fort Walton Beach area is famous for its spectacular white sand beaches, but there is more to discover inland, from sand dunes to clear sandy-bottomed streams to miles of hiking trails.
Avalon State Park is a quiet little beach once alive with Navy “frogmen” who trained here for the D-Day invasion.
Surf fishing is a great way to get away from it all — alone or with the entire family. Be prepared with our popular checklist and how-to guide.
I love beach camping. The sound of waves gently rolling onto the beach. A relaxing getaway to sooth the soul. But be prepared.
This public park is spread over 900 acres on five interconnected islands with seven miles of waterfront, including three miles of award-winning beaches .Nearly half of the 233 campsites in the campground are waterfront, allowing you to launch your kayak or canoe from your site.