There’s nothing like the feeling of the sun on your skin and the sand in your toes. Here are Florida’s ten prettiest places to kick off your flip flops.
Caladesi Island State Park
Another quartz beach, Caladesi boasts nearly five kilometres of fine white sand and a tranquil, remote location to boot. Split from neighboring Honeymoon Island by a hurricane in 1921, this untouched island is accessible only by either a 20-minute ferry ride or long stroll from Clearwater Beach.
Captiva
Often called the Shell Island, Captiva has pristine beaches that offer some of the world’s best bounty for shell collectors. A natural ridge just off the island’s coast acts like a basket, collecting shells of all shapes and sizes from the Gulf, Caribbean and other seas, and dropping them on the island’s sandy beaches to be enjoyed by visitors young and old. From giant conch shells to lightning whelks and cockle shells, the biggest tend to wash up on Captiva’s tree-lined shores.
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Located on the southern tip of Key Biscayne, Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is minutes from downtown Miami, and yet its untouched white sandy beach feels like a world away. For beautiful views and a bit of a workout, climb the 95-foot lighthouse. Built in 1825 and reconstructed in 1846, it’s Miami-Dade County’s oldest standing structure.
South Beach, Miami
It might not be the most pristine or remote of Florida’s many beaches, but South Beach’s sand and water are just part of the beauty you’ll find in South Beach. Here’s where the pretty people come – to suntan, rollerblade or stroll – and often in minimal clothing. Wear your shades to hide your gawking, ahem, admiration.
Siesta Beach
With sand that’s 99 per cent pure quartz (unlike many Florida beaches, which are made of ground coral), Siesta Beach, on Siesta Key, lays bragging rights to some of the softest, finest grains in all the U.S. The sand here is so perfect, Siesta is considered to be one of the best sandy beaches in the world. And because quartz is reflective, the sand here stays cool even as the mercury soars.
Playalinda Beach
Spanish for “beautiful beach,” the name Playalinda really says it all. Located near Cape Canaveral on Florida’s east coast, Playalinda is less built up than many of Florida’s beaches – in fact, it’s situated on the state’s largest stretch of undeveloped coastline.
Tigertail Beach Park
People aren’t the only residents who flock to Tigertail Beach Park on Marco Island. With its salt water lagoon, the beach is a popular hangout for dozens of species of birds, including ospreys and bald eagles. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a dolphin frolicking offshore.
Cocoa Beach
Cocoa Beach, with its 115 kilometres of sandy coastline and dunes near the Kennedy Space Centre, is beloved for its great surfing waves. Even dogs have been known to get in on the action at the Florida International Dog Surfing Championship.
Venice
Venice Beach, located midway between Tampa and Fort Myers, is wonderful not just for its soft white sand (though it’s got plenty of that) but also for its access to pristine wildlife. The beach has nearly five kilometres of raised boardwalk taking visitors through mangroves, over dunes and to isolated Gulf inlets.
St. George Island State Park
With nine miles of undeveloped beaches and untouched dunes, St. George Island State Park is a pristine spot for swimming, hiking, fishing, kayaking, boating, and lots more. Located on the Gulf Coast in the northwestern part of the state, the sand here is so fine some say it squeaks.
