The sands at Perdido Key are fluffy and welcoming, and there are different dunes to investigate too. Check out thesehighest ziplines in the US. Skin yourself from the sands to witness aquatic life at Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park or analyze hands-on exhibits at Emerald Coast Science Center. Fort Island Gulf Beach is at the end of Fort Island Trail on the far west end of Crystal River. Draw up a bistro chair and drape your hand into the fine, white sand or join a game of beach volleyball. She now splits her time between Colorado and Paris, ensuring she doesn't have to live without skiing or L'As du Fallafel. Click here for our Complete Real Estate and Accommodation Guide to the Nature Coast, Florida. 12 Best White Sand Beaches in Florida You Should Visit Clearwater Beach . Heading further south in Levy County is another local and secluded beach, Bird Creek Beach, which offers a small natural white sandy beachfront and a boat ramp. Then, snag a shady picnic table and dive in. It has always been given awards for the grade of the beach, the lovely town location with family-friendly interests, and its spectacular sunset viewpoints. Swimming, fishing, shelling, hiking and bicycling are all popular activities that make Honeymoon Island State Park an ideal getaway. To be real without an agenda. Youll be enticed in by the velvety quartz sand, glistening turquoise waters, and laid-back beach townlet environment It is the Best White Sand Beach. However, these beaches would not even exist at least not in their current state if not for the beach dunes that are found on the west side of the island. The entire island is now Fort De Soto Park, a Pinellas county park which offers fine beaches, fishing, nature trails, camping, boating, and much more. Get barefoot! Clearwater Beachis renowned for its immaculate white sands and beautifully turquoise waters, and is one of the biggest attractions on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Swim, snorkel or kayakin the fresh cool spring waters and spot a manatee or two. Horseshoe Beachis a very remote town in Florida that is located at the tip of a peninsula juttingout into the Gulf 20 miles from the nearest main roadway. If you go beyond the beach, there is a lot more for you to discover, such as forests, cranberry bogs, and wetlands. Sitemap, 13 of the Best Florida Keys Resorts for Families, 13 of the Best Family Campgrounds in Florida, Where To See Alligators in Florida: 13 Gator Watching Spots, Palm Springs Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting With Kids, Seattle Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids, Las Vegas Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids, Florida Keys Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids, Myrtle Beach Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids, The Bahamas Family Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting with Kids. A must: walking out to a sandbar beyond the shore (dont worry, the waters are typically shallow and calm). If you love tracking for seashells, this is an ideal beach for you! Tucked in the northwest corner of Florida, this sliver of paradise is so narrow you can often see the Gulf of Mexico and the bay at the same time. Sunbathers appreciate the calm old-Florida vibeand mild waves that are ideal for swimming. WebAs one of the worlds top 10 nations when it comes to total coastline area, there are beaches to be found along the Pacific, Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and even in the Delray Beach is the perfect place to alternate between napping, swimming in the ocean, and people-watching. 23 Unbelievable Beaches You Must Visit In The USA 9. It boasts an average temperature of 75 degrees and 343 days of sunshine never mind snow-white beaches that beg you to ditch your sandals. If youre peeking for an excellent spot to go swimming in the Sarasota area, check out Siesta Key! TRAVEL + LEISURE is a registered trademark of Travel + Leisure Co., registered in the United States and other countries. For a day of gathering seashells, lead to Coquina Beach at the islands southern border. From April through October, the beach is a Loggerhead Turtle nesting hotspot as well, which is bound to be a memorable sight for those of all ages. The beachs topography of virgin sugary white sand and turquoise sea is a wonderful oasis for personality lovers looking to unwind. And thanks to an '80s redesign, you can choose between sitting in the sand or posting up in the park's shaded grassy area. Leisure is king here, and you will be hard-pressed to discover anything more pleasant than swimming in its emerald sea, biking the picturesque trails, or sunbathing on the virgin white seasides. The pioneers called it Hog Island, but it became Honeymoon Isle in 1939 when a New York developer built 50 palm - thatched bungalows for honeymooners. If you have little ones, they may not share your vision for a day spent sitting and doing nothing. Copyright 2023 USA by Numbers | All Rights Reserved, 13 Best White Sand Beaches in the US [List of 2023], 12 Best Beaches in Alabama You Must Visit [Update 2023], Top 16 Famous Landmarks in Hawaii [Update 2023], 17 Best Places to Visit in Hawaii [Update 2023]. Navarre Beach is nicknamed Floridas Playground, where you can absorb the untouched attractiveness of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Also see ourUltimateFlorida Beaches Guidefor more beaches in Florida. Siesta Beach is the ideal illustration of a white-sand Florida seaside. Relax on the white sandy beach areafeaturing a playground and amenities. Here, we take a look at a handful or so of the most beautiful white sand beaches in Florida, starting on the Panhandle and working our way south. SunWest Park is a recreational waterfront park inside a planned community in Pasco County with a fabulous beachfront area that offers gorgeous white sand and shallow swimming areas. A prized stop on the Florida Birding Trail, Bahia Honda State Park is loaded with wildlife and vantage points for taking it all in. Search along scenic South Beach Park before joining a game of pickup volleyball. VISIT FLORIDA is a service mark of the Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation, d/b/a VISIT FLORIDA, registered in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Spend the cool mornings curating your perfect stash of shells on Bowman's Beach before laying down a towel under the warm sun. The World's Beaches With the Whitest SandQueensland, Australia. Spending a lot of time in Australia's Whitsunday Islands is sure to amaze you, particularly iconic Whitehaven Beach.Clearwater, Florida, USA. Bora Bora, Tahiti. Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Boracay, Philippines. Lofoten Islands, Norway. Zanzibar, Tanzania. Jericoacoara, Brazil. Okinawa, Japan. New South Wales, Australia. Belleair Beach maintains a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere providing all the advantages of waterfront living and the charm of an old-fashioned neighborhood. From quick boardwalk strolls over gator-clad waters to lengthy shoreline treks, these are the best hikes in Everglades National Park. It was also declared the Number Two Beach in America and the Number 16 Beach in the World in 2013 by TripAdvisor. Highway 314 You can pass your time here at Smathers or Higgs Beach, but for calm waters and wide stretches of sand, it's hard to beat Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. On Siesta Key, the dunes are so delicate that you might mistakenly believe thatyou are putting your feet in icing. To help, we've curated some of our favorite Florida hot spots, from sprawling family-friendly stretches to tiny islands with intimate beach nooks, so you can make digging your toes into sugar-white sand a reality. Sand Key beach located on the barrier island is known as a secret beach! Though the Florida Gulf Coast epicenter, Pensacola Beach is renowned for its emerald-green waters and sugar-white sands. 10. WebI live in north Florida and believe the panhandle has some of the most attractive beaches. Several keys off shore have beachfronts as well. The island encompasses Perdido Key State Park, Big Lagoon State Park and Johnson Beach at Gulf Islands National Seashore, all heaped with gloriously soft sand. You'll find the Loggerhead Marinelife Center a 15-minute walk down the beach, and a 10- to 15-minute car ride will take you to the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary and John D. MacArthur Beach State Park. Just south of Horseshoe Beach is another small beachfront area, Shired Island Beach. The Nature Coast does not have the same beachfronts that you can find in the panhandle or the Clearwater and St. Pete beaches to the south. This unique find is the beautiful beachfront and clear waters of this lake that was developed around a former limestone mine with a 70 acre spring-fed lake. Honeymoon Island State Park attracts visitors from all over with its world-class beaches. By continuing on our website, you consent to our use of cookies. From baseball to bluegrass, road trips to wildlife, there are endless fantastic experiences to have across the US. Of course, theres always plenty of space for just soaking up the sun on the beach! Plus, it boasts spectacular sunsets over the Gulf. To share the positive things that make the area unique. It is a fun find along the Nature Coast with a pretty beachfront and a cool history. Smathers Beach is just that. It is a small sandy area fronting the Gulf that has a small stretch of natural sandy shoreline. But in reality its due to the fact that thesands arealmost entirely composed of silicathat has been finely crushed. Clearwater Beach gathers near Pier 60, a lovely play space, a fishing pier, and live amusement. If the lively hustle and bustle of Key West isnt striking the right chord, the untouched beauty of Curry Hammock State Park will. The waters here are again beautiful and transparent, with soft waves supplying ideal requirements for swimming. WebWhat are the top attractions near the beaches? Caladesi Island boasts exquisite swirls of soft white sands and excellent beachcombing opportunities along the stretch that juts out toward the Gulf of Mexico. But if you are looking for an afternoon visiting a small town with fishing, boating and beach options, head up the Nature Coast and discover Old Florida at its best. When looking skyward, eagles, osprey and great horned owls can be seen, while ground animals include gopher tortoises, raccoons and armadillos. Interested in subscribing to DEP newsletters or receiving DEP updates through email? This beach is a very secluded spot so be sure to get gas and food prior to going. Estero FL 33928, 300 Anastasia Park Road If you want to learn more, swing by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center at the northern end of the park. WebThe beachs landscape of pristine sugary white sand and turquoise waters is a perfect oasis for nature enthusiasts looking to unwind. While the beach itself certainly one of the best beaches in Florida is a wonderful hangout for kids and adults alike, the nearby Quiet Waters Park is a great bail-out option if the kids get bored. Most known as the principal filming location for the 1961 Elvis Presley movie Follow That Dream. Smathers Beach. Everglades National Park is a wonderland of marshland, sawgrass and mangroves. We follow the highest standards for listings and our editors will verify and approve all listings before they become active on our site. Fortunately, the key never actually fetches too active anyway, even in the center of summer, with numerous tourists choosing to find themselves other east along the coast or down on the cape. Check out the area's historic Art Deco architecture, walk around South Pointe Park, or swing by Joe's Stone Crab for a meal you won't soon forget. When you see the picturesque shoreof white dunes, which is bordered by beautifulpalm trees with precipitous rocks ahead, youll know why it is one of the most popular beaches in Hawaii. Grayton Beach is a location with Hemingway-style wooden places, known for its brightly stained art showrooms and retro homes situated on side lanes paved with crushed oyster shells. Perhaps the best beachin Puerto Rico, hassoft white sands thatextend across thebay, which features deep turquoise waters, perfect for diving and snorkeling. Hole up at one of the beach's chill waterfront bars or watch surfers from the fishing pier. Learn more in ourCookie Noticeand ourPrivacy Policy. Here, seashells from the Gulf of Mexico wash ashore, attracting collectors from all over the world so it's no surprise Bowman's Beach makes this list of best beaches in Florida. It is comprised of seven islands and is perhaps the most isolated destination within the entire US National Park System. Sign up forour monthly enewsletterto stay up to date on what's happening in Florida, upcoming events and special deals. The highlight of Coronado Island in San Diego is themile-long stunning white sandbeach located in that area. While the towns along this region are fishing and boating communities, some bring in soft white sand to create more beautiful shorelines in public parks. Nestled on the southwest tip of Key West, Fort Zachary Taylor Park hosts a monthly Civil War reenactment (the fort remained in Union hands throughout the conflict). Click here to view our Google Map with pinpoints of each of these Nature Coast Beaches. Clearwater Beach is home of pristine white sand beaches, clear gulf waters, warm sunshine, and plenty of hospitality. A trip to the Rotary Centennial Nature Center helps visitors learn about the parks history and natural resources. You want Tampa. In addition to campsites, a 1.5-mile nature trail and four pavilions for picnicking, this is the park for a day of paddling. If you are looking for the gorgeous white sand beaches, this is not the area for you. One of Floridas best-loved state Your browser is not supported for this experience.We recommend using Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari. The generous waters here are simply respectable for swimming and paddling, and there exist different fun exercises to be located nearby at locations somewhere near Henderson State Park. The vibe is laid back, and flip-flops are the only footwear youll need. Spanning 125 miles of dynamic island bliss, there is no shortage of turquoise waters, white sands and outdoor delights in the Florida Keys. All in all, it is truly the best white sand beach in the US. Map Your email address will not be published. Load up your holiday with activities or lay back and appreciate the 24 miles of peaceful emerald waters and calm granular sands at the shore.