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.
Tag: beaches
Best lil’ beach towns
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.
Jupiter: Discover unspoiled nature near urban centers
With expansive state parks and a national wildlife refuge plus several attractive county and city facilities, Jupiter offers many excellent places to kayak, hike, bike and learn about native wildlife. Within a two hour drive of 6 million people in South Florida, it’s a good getaway for lovers of the outdoors .
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park: Towering dunes, perfect beach, rare lakes
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. The park is one targeted for development by the state with the addition of a 350-room hotel.
Explore the Talbot Islands for camping, kayaking, hiking, beaches
The Talbot Islands harbor an awesome collection of state parks and wildlife preserves south of Amelia Island with striking beaches, historic forts and plantations, backcountry kayaking, off-road trails and camping.
Blowing Rocks Preserve: Dramatic beach in Jupiter is unique
Craggy limestone rocks form a dramatic beach-scape, far different from the usual sandy beach. At the right time, waves crash into the rocks, spurting water 50 feet into the air.
Anne’s Beach in Islamorada: Worth a stop on drive through Keys
One of my favorite stops on the drive down the Florida Keys is Anne’s Beach, a shallow, free beach in Islamorada. I bet you don’t know the story of Anne, after whom it is named.
The beaches of Hutchinson Island (& engaging things to do nearby)
Hutchinson Island boasts some of the nicest beaches in Florida with easy public access on sandy paths through the dunes, the way Atlantic beaches used to be.
Dramatic Washington Oaks beach is lined with sculpted rocks
Florida has miles of beaches, but nothing like the Washington Oaks State Park beach, lined with coquina rocks that wind and surf have turned into sculpture. It’s located in Flagler Beach, where the sand looks like it has been sprinkled with cinnamon.