There are many good ways to celebrate life and time with your young ones. One of the lesser-known ways is to have a beach vacation to a place blessed with sunshine 237 days a year. We are talking about the best beaches in Florida for families. They not only have breathtaking shorelines but also parks, piers, and fine dining options nearby. You can do many exciting things for free or allocate your budget for amazing adventures. Keep reading to discover the best spots for a fun-filled family beach vacation.
Best Beaches in Florida
1. St. Pete Beach
St. Pete Beach is a great place to have an amazing time. It has white sand, shining clear water, and lots of water and outdoor activities. From boating, paddleboarding, parasailing, and jet skiing to cruising, there are endless things to keep you engaged. Besides, you can find many eateries, restaurants, and rooftop bars offering the best dining experience. The beach is known for its largest collection of Salvador Dali paintings outside Spain. Put simply, St. Pete Beach is a picturesque destination for a memorable family trip.
2. Panama City Beach
Panama City Beach is an exquisite 27-mile-long beach defined by its glistening white sands and attractions like St. Andrews Park and Shell Island. Here, you can sunbathe, swim in the Gulf of Mexico, or beach comb to find some hidden gems. The beach has over 100 access points, waterfront restaurants, and shopping spots to discover beach antiques and accents for your home. Kayaking, paddleboarding, fishing, and snorkeling to experience the wildlife are just some of the few activities this enormous and well-equipped beach offers tourists.
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3. Vero Beach
Vero Beach comes in the list of the best beaches in Florida for families because of its gorgeous windswept beauty and undiscovered natural marvels. It has 26 miles of beaches and offers plenty of things to enjoy, such as golf, water sports, and fishing. It is an ideal place for a relaxing trip because of its diverse wildlife and opportunities to make visitors experience the Florida lifestyle. The Orchid Island Golf & Beach Club has world-class facilities, while the Arnold-Palmer-designed golf course gives glimpses of the seaside teeming with wildlife. There are high-end and unique boutiques downtown Vero Beach and many fine dining options. You can also venture to the Vero Beach Museum of Art to find an event among its year-round festivities to participate in.
Read More: Things to Do in Kissimmee Florida
4. Cocoa Beach
Cocoa Beach is a place that will always allow you to have the most amazing time. You can see rockets taking off at the massive Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex or watch nesting sea turtles at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Another great option is taking surf lessons on the beaches where world champion Kelly Slater spent her childhood. Fishing enthusiasts can rejoice as there are many water bodies at Cocoa Beach. The Cocoa Beach Dolphin Tours are often taken by visitors who wish to enjoy wildlife like dolphins, manatees, and birds in the morning.
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5. Clearwater Beach
Dazzling with its postcard-like beauty, Florida Beach draws tourists to its sugary white sands to enjoy jet-skiing, parasailing, and stand-up paddleboarding every year. It has been named America’s Ni. 1 Beach several times as it offers many recreational activities. Start by renting a shaded cabana. Fill your day with sightseeing, getting on a dolphin cruise, and ending the day with a sumptuous dinner at the Starlite Yatch. The next day, you can explore the massive beach using the Clearwater Ferry service. It’s easy to lose sense of time on a vacation here.
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6. Siesta Beach
One of the best beaches in Florida for families, Siesta Beach, is made of nearly 99% pure quartz from the Appalachian Mountains. It’s a bustling beach with all the amenities for a convenient stay. The award-winning beach has tennis and volleyball courts, shaded playgrounds, and picnic areas. If you want to refuel yourself, go to the concession stands for a snack or a refreshing drink. The beach has shallow water near the shoreline, and lifeguards are on duty throughout the year. You can venture to its southern tip and enter Turtle Beach to Beachcomb and collect shells. There are 13 access points to Siesta Beach, which adds to the convenience.
7. Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale is a laid-back and family-oriented beach in Florida. The easily accessible beach offers plenty of activities like beach sports, jet-skiing, and parasailing, as well as picnic and barbecue spots. The beach has many lifeguards, making it safe. It is also in proximity to restaurants, bars, and pool parties on Sundays. Tourists love seeing the big cruise ships sailing to and from the beach area. One of its major attractions is the Fort Lauderdale Beachfront Promenade. It features a series of swanky hotels, restaurants, and bars for a great wining and dining experience.
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8. Daytona Beach
Relax with your family at Daytona Beach. Its 500-foot shoreline is home to tourists all year long to embark on exciting adventures. The beach has the title of World’s Most Famous Beach for all the right reasons. It has been hosting some of the biggest motorsport events since the 1900s, including SpeedWeeks and Daytona 500 or Great American Race. On its 23 miles of Atlantic shoreline, you can parasail, paddleboard, kayak, or fish. If you want a budget-friendly vacation, there are many free things you can do. Visit the chocolate shop Angell & Phelps Chocolates, the winter home of multi-millionaire John D. Rockefeller, The Casements, or book a free guided tour to Bethune-Cookman University, a source of African-American historical exhibits. Those whose budgets aren’t constrained can get on eco-tours, rent a bike, or experience fine dining at nearby restaurants and bars.
9. Sandy Beaches of Bahia Honda State Park
The three beaches at Bahia Honda State Park, Sandspur, Loggerhead, and Calusa Beach, are known for snorkeling activities. These beautiful beaches in Florida, with sparkling blue waters, coral reefs, sandbars, and small and big rocks. Snorkel tours are the major attractions here, allowing you to explore the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary underwater. Kayaking, scuba diving, boating, and fishing are some great activities families love to do. Have a picnic or BBQ without worrying about the needed facilities, or head to the Bahia Honda State Park Gift Shop.
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10. Delray Beach
Delray Beach is a lovely village by the sea that extends beautifully for two miles. It is equipped with lifeguards and has complete amenities like ADA accommodation, paddle craft, showers, bicycle and towel racks, and drinking fountains. An assortment of eclectic restaurants, boutiques, and art galleries are also places you can explore. The place hosts Saturday Green Market and live music at the open-air pavilion at Old School Square throughout the year. Venture downtown with your loved ones for the First Friday Art Walks.
11. St. Augustine Beach
Plan an ideal family vacation at St. Augustine Beach. The gentle waves, sunny accommodations, and seaside restaurants make the trip memorable. You can ride a bicycle on the expansive shoreline or go skimboarding, boogie boarding, surfing, or paddle boarding. When you feel tired, grab something delicious at Harvest & Reel or Salt Life Food Shack close to the shore. You can also take your kids to the Ocean Hammock Park. Its playground and boardwalks intersecting the beautiful wetlands will surely amaze you.
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Read More: Romantic Getaways In Florida
12. Beaches of Destin-Fort Walton Beach
The beaches of Destin-Fort Walton Beach captivate with their emerald green waters, sunny ambiance, and spectacular sunrise and sunset views. To get some entertainment, head to the Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island. If you want to boardwalk, have a picnic, and spend some quality time, visit John Beasley Park. The beach is also a place to watch but not disturb nesting and hatching sea turtles. When not in your hotel, you can participate in activities like fishing, snorkeling, and water sports. Some other exciting options include booking a crab island voyage, a trip to the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, shell boating, and parasailing.
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13. Hollywood Beach
Hollywood in Florida, between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, is famous for its expansive beach. The place has oceanfront hotels and resorts for fabulous accommodation. The two most popular year-long activities here are water sports and live music. Hollywood Beach is also known for its 2.5-mile-long Broadwalk, which is a promenade where pedestrians, joggers, bicyclists, rollerbladers, and endless tourists visit. It has many other attractions, such as Hollywood Beach Theatre, a children’s water playground at Charnow Park, and public art displays. There are eight access points to arrive here. If you are in the mood for endless fun during your beach vacation, do give Hollywood Beach a try. When it comes to beaches in Florida, Hollywood Beach is a must-visit destination
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Conclusion
Plan your trip to any one of the best beaches in Florida, as mentioned above. You will experience an equal dose of entertainment, water sports, day and nightlife, and amazing food. These beaches in Florida will mesmerize you with their beauty and take away every bit of tiredness. It’s time to embark on adventures under the sun in Florida.
