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Writer's pictureGrace Miller

The 7 Best Beaches in Florida From a Local’s Perspective




Looking for a getaway vacation, whether it be from out of state or just a reprieve from a stifling office day, perfect for curling your toes up in the sand, hunting shark teeth, scavenging for conch shells and sand dollars, and floating in cerulean waters clear enough to see the wildlife swimming all around you?


Look no further; Florida’s beaches are the place to be. 



The 7 Best Florida Beaches 

Beach #1: Blowing Rocks 

There isn’t another beach quite as worthy of a visit as Jupiter’s Blowing Rocks beach.


Much of (but not all) of the beach consists of limestone with small fossils and shells comprising them.


In the fall and winter months when Florida’s hurricane season picks up and the tide rises to high levels, you can catch a glimpse of how this beach earned its name.


Waves can shoot off the rocks and raise water up to 50 feet in the air.


On a day when the ocean is calm, Blowing Rocks is a great place to snorkel. When the tide is out, the limestone coast provides a sanctuary for tropical fish and can form tidepools and small bays, ideal for viewing marine wildlife.


This variety of sights and uniqueness of landforms is what places Blowing Rocks high on our list and is a must-see! 


Beach #2: Cocoa Beach 

Also making our list of top beaches in Florida is Cocoa Beach, located in Cocoa Beach City. 


Have you ever wanted to see the sea of stars with its glowing bioluminescence but can’t make it to the Maldives? Cocoa Beach is the place for you!

Take a trip during the summer, when the dinoflagellates organisms are most likely to be visible, and the coastline has the possibility of being saturated with gleaming waters that will make you feel like you’re walking across the stars.


The next best feature of this beach is the Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier.


It stretches 800 feet across the Atlantic Ocean and is home to restaurants, live music, bars, and shops.


This beach is lively and inviting for all, but the bioluminescence is what really captures our attention and isn’t something to be missed. 


Beach #3: Blind Pass Beach 

Blind Pass Beach spans Sanibel and Captiva islands, perfect for lovers of shelling and sunsets.


Sunsets on Blind Pass overlooking the Gulf of Mexico are vibrant and captivating. When the tide is low, this beach is a shell gold mine.


Bring a bag, your walking feet, and get ready to take home all the beautiful and unique shells you will find. 


Beach #4: New Smyrna Beach 

South of Daytona Beach, known for being a surfing hub, New Smyrna Beach rightly earns a place on our list.


Boasting consistent waves, advanced surf, and a wide, flat beach that you can drive on, Smyrna Beach is a true catch.


This beach town is the second oldest in North America and will make you feel like a local with 17 miles of beach, unparalleled cuisine, and, if you’re a shark fan, Shark Week!


With a week-long tribute to sharks that usually takes place in July or August, New Smyrna boasts innovative research on sharks, celebrates their beauty, and educates the community.


For those who aren’t lovers of sharks, the surf is still enough to make this beach a must.   

Beach #5: Palm Beach 

The ritzy, glamorous Municipal Beach on the island of Palm Beach is sure to appeal to travelers of all kinds.


Home to Billionaire’s Row, where some of the most luxurious mansions lay, there is golf, shopping on Worth Ave, gothic style architecture, and, of course, some of the clearest water in all of Florida, all framed by a white sand beach.


Perfect for sunbathing, Palm Beach is the opposite of touristy, which makes its serene, soothing atmosphere the ideal place to relax. 


Beach #6: Clearwater Beach

Looking for the best sugar-white sand around, where the water stays warm year-round, temperatures average around 80 degrees, and you’re sure to see dolphins?


Clearwater is the beach to be!


Located in the city of Clearwater along Tampa Bay, you can grab a bite of fresh seafood along the beaches many gulf front restaurants or fish from Pier 60’s 1,080 foot span.


Clearwater is home to one of the largest beach playgrounds the west coast of Florida has to offer, perfect for a nighttime of family fun. 


Beach #7: St. Petersburg Beach 

Ranked among the top beaches in the nation, St. Pete provides something for everyone.


The City of St. Pete offers a Municipal Beach on the shores of Treasure Island where the active traveler will enjoy volleyball, paddleboarding, or fishing.


The beach is framed by streets of urban nightlife, never to allow one to have a dull night.


Beginning in 1967 and lasting 768 days, St. Pete boasted the world record for the most consecutive days of sunshine, the beach rightfully earning its place on our list for the vacationer who wants nothing more than to tan and lounge under Florida’s sun.  


The Bottom Line: Florida’s Best Beaches 

No matter what kind of vacationer you are, or maybe you aren’t even coming from cross-country, but just out of work one afternoon with time on your hands and in need of some Vitamin D to cure the office slump, Florida has beaches of every kind and every sight.


From crystalline, mirror-like waters to white sand, recreational activities and delectable food, with unique landforms, awe-inspiring surf, and hosting a gallery of shells, Florida’s beaches will not disappoint.

Our top 7 are no exception, so be sure to check them out!  


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