Just when you think you’ve found your favorite Florida beach, someone who knows the state’s secret spots goes and puts another one you’ve never even heard of on your radar. That’s the bounty and beauty of the Sunshine State’s hundreds of miles of coastline stretching all the way from its northwest corner along the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean and down into the necklace-like island chain of the Florida Keys.
From glorious shores only steps from vibrant downtowns brimming with cafés and boutiques in places like Delray Beach and Palm Beach to pristine undeveloped islands like Shell Island, Florida has a beach for every kind of traveler. With more than 230 days a year of sunshine, your chances of landing the perfect beach day here are a good bet—whether you visit during the sultry days of summer or winter’s milder months.
Get ready to play at our picks for Florida’s best beaches, where the sun, surf, and sand are sublime and there’s plenty to do when you dry off for the day, too.
Sanibel and Captiva islands
Construction crews are still at work rebuilding part of Fort Myers Beach after Hurricane Ian’s brutal blow in 2022, but you can head to nearby Sanibel and Captiva islands, where most of the hotels and long-term vacation rentals are back and abuzz. While still lacking some of their lush pre-storm vegetation, the beaches on both islands are shell filled, talcum white, and just as gorgeous. Plus, supporting local businesses here aids in the region’s recovery. Go on a private eco-tour with Brian Holaway, a certified Florida Master Naturalist, to look for manatees uninhabited Cayo Costa island just north of Captiva (scout for manatees and dolphins along the way) or nature tours in Pine Island Sound. Back on Sanibel, plan a meal of fresh Florida grouper or a shrimp boil at MudBugs Cajun Kitchen and treat the kids to a banana split at the Magic Bus.
Stay the night
- Book now: Cabbage Key Inn & Restaurant
For a waterside stay on a 100-acre island that’s only accessible by boat, Captain Brian brings guests to Cabbage Key Inn & Restaurant in Pine Island Sound. In addition to a handful of rooms in the historic inn, there are private cottages with up to four bedrooms (including several that are waterfront with private docks). The island is threaded with hiking trails and there are kayaks and SUPs for rent, too. Weekends get busy with local boaters who arrive at the inn’s open-air restaurant for live music, cold beer, and platters of stone crab and charcoal-grilled shrimp. During the week, however, you’ll only share the island with a few intrepid souls.
See sharks and shipwrecks off the coast of Jensen Beach.
Photo by Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock
Jensen Beach
The two sand-spun barrier islands that make up Hutchinson Island off Florida’s east coast are best known for Jensen Beach, a golden stretch of sand that’s far more residential than commercial. But there’s more fun to be had in the area than beaching, from the annual aeronautical extravaganza, the Stuart Air Show, in November to scouting for sea turtles, sharks, and rays within the open air lagoon at the Florida Oceanographic Society. Snorkelers and divers shouldn’t miss the chance to explore the Georges Saint Valentine shipwreck, one of 12 Florida Underwater Archaeological Preserves, which rests in shallow water 100 yards offshore.
Stay the night
- Book now: Hutchinson Shores Resort & Spa
Much of the appeal in staying oceanfront at Hutchinson Shores Resort & Spa comes in sleeping to the sound of the crashing Atlantic waves and having one of Florida’s least-busy east coast beaches almost entirely to yourself, thanks to the residential setting. It’s especially worth getting out for a stroll at sunrise, when everything gets coated in gold and the only crowds are the seabirds. The hotel’s Dune Beach Bar has ocean-view tables set just back from the dunes and is a delightful spot to sip a raspberry daiquiri or Cuban punch.
Atlantic Beach
Along the east coast is Atlantic Beach, one of the northernmost beach towns in Florida and the most upscale of the Jacksonville Beaches (which include Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach). Visitors are always surprised by how wide and empty the sands are here, since the community is almost entirely residential, with no vacation rentals allowed. At low tide, you can pedal a beach cruiser north along the sand to reach Kathryn Abbey Hannah Park, home to a 60-acre lake and 20 miles of mountain bike trails to explore. Explore a cluster of independent boutiques, restaurants, and bars around the intersection of First Street and Atlantic Boulevard, only a block from the sand. Sit outside on the terrace with a glass of wine and charcuterie at Salumeria 104 or try the local Mayport shrimp at North Beach Fish Camp.
Stay the night
- Book now: One Ocean Resort & Spa
The only high-rise hotel fronting the ocean in Atlantic Beach is One Ocean Resort & Spa, an elegant property with an oceanfront pool and rooms with balconies overlooking the beach. Look for a barefoot luxury rebranding and upgrades to the hotel in spring 2026, when the property debuts as Dune House Hotel & Spa with a poolside tiki bar, co-working coffee shop, and more (it remains open to guests during the transition).
Shell Island comprises the southern part of the 1,200-acre St. Andrews State Park.
Courtesy of Visit Panama City Beach
Panama City Beach
Panama City Beach is one of the finest in northwest Florida if you’re looking for sugar-fine sand meets crystal-clear water. Ride the Shell Island Shuttle, a pontoon-style passenger ferry that makes regular daytime trips, just offshore to reach an undeveloped seven-mile-long barrier island where you can play castaway, strolling the beach, snorkeling, or counting dolphins cruising past.
Consider a yacht charter aboard the Bella Vita to go fishing or for an overnight boating excursion. Or bask on Panama City Beach’s mainland beaches in St. Andrews State Park, where you can snorkel in the shallows or stroll 1.5 miles of totally undeveloped, chalk-white sand lapped by waters the loveliest shades of emerald.
Stay the night
- Book now: Sunset Luxury Properties
There aren’t any true luxury beach resorts in Panama City Beach, and that’s part of its charm. Instead, splurge on a gulf-front vacation rental from Sunset Luxury Properties, with a private pool overlooking your own stretch of sand.
St. Pete Beach
Prefer to pair your beach time with an artsy city for when it’s time to rinse off? St. Pete Beach is the spot.
You can spend your morning splashing in the gentle shorebreak or paddleboarding atop water that’s usually as smooth as glass. Or check out the satellite beach community of Pass-a-Grille Beach, just south, where St. Pete resident Amber Brinkley says the jetty at the beach’s southern end is a fun spot to snorkel and scope for hiding octopuses in the shallow waters.
To the east, downtown St. Pete’s urban fun awaits, including the Dalí museum, with its renowned collection of Salvador Dalí works, and the glorious St. Pete Pier, which opened in 2020 with its own beach on the bay, a rooftop tiki bar, and on-site eco-discovery center by Tampa Bay Watch, with an observation deck and interactive exhibits.
Stay the night
- Book now: The Don CeSar
It’s impossible to miss the Don CeSar (aka the Pink Palace), a cotton candy–hued, birthday cake–like building on the horizon of St. Pete Beach. And after many millions of dollars in renovations and a grand reopening in 2025, the Don is better than ever, with freshly renovated rooms, new hot-pink chaise lounges on the sand, and the fabulous Maritana restaurant, where Spanish-inspired flavors and fresh seafood await. Don’t miss a treatment at Spa Oceana, where the couples’ suite has a private shower, tub, and balcony overlooking the Gulf.
For a more intimate beach stay a half mile away, the hotel’s extra luxurious sister property, Beach House Suites, fits the bill for fun in the Florida sun, too.
Florida residents can get 15 percent off a stay at the Longboat Key Resort.
Courtesy of VisitSarasota.com
Longboat Key
Powdery sand so fine you might feel like you’re traipsing atop pixie dust and shallow warm waters make Longboat Key feel like the Caribbean. The Gulf of Mexico beach only minutes from downtown Sarasota usually stays fairly quiet, since it’s mostly fronted by low-rise condominiums, private homes, and intimate inns.
“Longboat is low-key and relaxed,” says Janet Malin, from Tampa, who often visits for a beach day with her daughters. “It’s got the old Florida vibe.” When you’re ready for people-watching off the beach, Sarasota’s upscale St. Armands Circle, with its seafood restaurants, cafés, and ice cream shops, is a few miles south.
Stay the night
- Book now: The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort
One of the most exciting Florida beachfront resort openings in recent years, the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort debuted in late 2024 on a fresh barrier island beach. Its incredible amenities include a 500,000-gallon saltwater lagoon where you can snorkel among thousands of tropical fish and de-barbed stingrays. There are separate adults-only and family pools (the latter with a lazy river), as well as a 20,000-square foot facility with a sauna, steam, cold plunge, and its own private pool overlooking the Gulf. The property’s excellent on-site restaurants feature coastal Italian, Nikkei-style, and steakhouse cuisine.
Ponte Vedra Beach
Jacksonville’s most upscale oceanfront community, Ponte Vedra Beach, has long drawn golfers with its proximity to TPC Sawgrass, home to two legendary PGA tour courses. But the coquina shell beaches here are even more beautiful than those legendary greens. The beach across from Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Marine Estuarine Research Reserve is backed by some of Florida’s least touched sand dunes and is a popular spot to hunt for shark’s teeth and other marine fossils at low tide. Dig into delicious southern-inspired shrimp and grits and fried local fish while enjoying views of the Intracoastal Waterway at Barbara Jean’s on the Water.
For more sightseeing, it’s less than an hour’s drive south to reach St. Augustine, one of the most historic U.S. cities. St. Augustine is home to the country’s oldest wooden schoolhouse, which dates to the early 18th century, as well as the Castillo de San Marcos, an impressive fort on the Matanzas River first built by the Spanish in the 17th century.
Stay the night
- Book now: Ponte Vedra Inn & Club
A 30,000-square-foot spa, championship golf course, and tennis courts are among the many amenities at the elegant Ponte Vedra Inn & Club and sister property, the Lodge & Club, which sprawl across 10 low-rise buildings on the oceanfront.
If you’re yearning for space after a few Disney days, head to Cocoa Beach.
Courtesy of Florida’s Space Coast Office of Tourism
Cocoa Beach
Drive 65 miles (just over an hour) east of Orlando’s theme park attractions for an out-of-this-world experience along Florida’s Atlantic coast in Cocoa Beach. Rocket launches happen so regularly in nearby Cape Canaveral that you might find yourself surprised by one while you’re out for a surf or sipping something frosty at a popular beach bar like Coconuts on the Beach or Rikki Tikki Tavern, at the end of the Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier. The wide, golden beaches here get tracked by mother sea turtles when they come ashore to nest from March through October. During the summer months, you can head out on nighttime turtle walks in the area and try kayaking through bioluminescent waters in the Indian River Lagoon.
Stay the night
- Book now: Beach Place Guesthouses
Beach Place Guesthouses, behind billowing dunes in quiet South Cocoa Beach, has an artsy feel, with firepits and hammocks on a deck overlooking the sand. The apartment-style accommodations include full kitchens, and there’s a talking parrot to greet guests.
Art galleries, destination dining, and plenty of open space help Vero Beach make it onto the list.
Photo by Joe Semkow
Vero Beach
Along Florida’s Treasure Coast (named for the Spanish 1715 Treasure Fleet that spilled its loot here during a hurricane), Vero Beach is no longer the rustic diamond in the rough it was in bygone decades. But the tony town still has plenty of real Florida charm in spots like Waldo’s Restaurant and Bar, where you can eat coconut shrimp and conch fritters as good as in Key West overlooking the pounding surf and narrow swath of coquina shell beach. Or try Riverside Café, which serves tuna nachos and fried fish on the shore of the Indian River Lagoon, where dolphins frequently swim. The Vero Beach Museum of Art has more than 800 works of mostly American art, including from notables like Reginald Marsh, for when you fancy a break from the beach.
Don’t miss an outing to Sebastian Inlet State Park, where an even wider and emptier stretch of spectacular Florida beachfront awaits some 16 miles from downtown Vero Beach. There’s good snorkeling in a protected cove on the north side of the inlet. For the best breakfast in Vero Beach, arrive early for a coveted table at the Lemon Tree, known for its lemon blueberry pancakes.
Stay the night
- Book now: Costa d’Este Beach Resort & Spa
Boutique property Costa d’Este Beach Resort & Spa has an oceanfront pool, hot tub, and bar within steps of the sand. Located in downtown Vero Beach, the hotel is within a short stroll of restaurants, boutiques, beach bars, and the weekly Vero Beach Farmers’ Market. Families love the nearby Kimpton Vero Beach Hotel & Spa for its sprawling pool overlooking the shore and suites with full kitchens and multiple bedrooms.
Palm Beach
Head about 20 miles north of Delray Beach to reach Palm Beach. The narrow barrier island town by the same name is known for being one of the country’s most high-income zip codes. But what many people don’t know is that the gorgeous beaches at the eastern end of uber-luxe Worth Avenue (home to couture boutiques and Italian-style cafés) are open to the public and are sublime.
“The water has a luminous quality there that I love, and it’s the perfect temperature for a dip nearly all year long,” says Amy Murad, who vacations in Palm Beach from her home in central Florida for a long weekend every summer. Soak up the scene at the espresso bar at Sant Ambroeus on Royal Poinciana Way, or hit Le Bilboquet for French fare and oyster platters in a tucked-away courtyard off Worth Avenue. Cross Lake Worth (the Intracoastal Waterway) for more casual entertaining options on Clematis Street in neighboring West Palm Beach. Make time to rent a bike to pedal along the Lake Trail past some of Palm Beach’s most historic and spectacular waterfront homes.
Stay the night
- Book now: White Elephant Palm Beach
Florida’s most legendary grande dame oceanfront hotel is the Breakers, with suites and restaurants that appeal as much to couples as families with kids in tow, a world-class spa, and a prime beachfront location. For a boutique stay a few blocks off the beach, White Elephant Palm Beach’s 32 rooms occupy a lovely renovated 1924 building.
Delray Beach is not far from the many boutiques and restaurants lining Atlantic Avenue.
Photo by Felix Mizioznikov/Shutterstock
Delray Beach
Like a mini, more manageable Fort Lauderdale, Delray Beach has a loyal following among Floridians and the many northeasterners who’ve “discovered it” thanks to its pleasant, small town vibe mixed with a happening main drag (Atlantic Avenue) of shops and restaurants. Much of the beachfront here is backed by sea grape trees that help prevent the sands from eroding during storms while lending the place a true tropical look. Kite boarders and surfers often take to the waves.
When you’re not beaching, check out the creative Pineapple Grove Arts District, home to the incubator galleries and studios at the Arts Warehouse, and lively Atlantic Avenue (don’t miss City Oyster & Sushi Bar and the chic women’s boutique, Periwinkle). It’s worth detouring a few miles inland to the incredible Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, where you can stroll past lakes lined with flowering trees, visit the bonsai garden, or take a sadō (tea ceremony) workshop.
Stay the night
- Book now: Opal Grand Resort & Spa
Opal Grand Resort & Spa has luxury villas and oceanfront rooms with balconies overlooking the beach and is only steps from the dining and entertainment of Atlantic Avenue.
This article was originally published in 2023 and most recently updated on January 13, 2026, with current information.
