Best Beaches in Florida: 10 paradisiacal beaches to visit on your trip

Discover the best beaches in Florida, a detailed list of 10 paradisiacal beaches from north to south of the state, complete with beautiful photos and tips for exploring each one.

The cool thing is that almost all the beaches on this list have a corresponding post already published here on the site, that is, just click on the link to get more tips on what to do in the region, where to stay, where to eat and much more. Ready to be enchanted by the best beaches in Florida.

Best Beaches in Florida

When it comes to Florida, it usually comes with Orlando’s parks and Miami’s fun. How about adding some of Florida’s incredible beaches to your itinerary?

There are wonderful beaches on both the west coast (Gulf of Mexico region) and the east coast of the state, and both can be visited on incredible road trips . With that in mind, at the end of the post, I include a ton of tips for putting together your itinerary for the best beaches in Florida . I also include a map with all the beaches in this post .

Here is our list of the main beaches in Florida. Click on the item below to go straight to the point, or if you prefer, read the entire post.

1. Coquina Beach
2. Lido Beach
3. Siesta Key
4. St. Pete Beach
5. Indian Rocks Beach
6. South Beach
7. Holywood Beach
8. John D. MacArthur
9. Palm Beach
10. Bahia Honda State Park

1. Coquina Beach

I’ll start with my favorite destination, Anna Maria Island, an island that’s only 7 miles long and has beaches from one end to the other. A destination full of charming little inns, and without a doubt, some of the best beaches in Florida.

To represent Anna Maria Island on this list of beaches, I chose Coquina Beach, located in the south of the island and with a very complete structure with changing rooms, a playground for children, picnic tables and the Coquina Beach Café (4000 Gulf Dr, Holmes Beach), a snack bar that serves delicious PF’s and ice-cold lemonades.

I recommend spending 2-3 days in Anna Maria to enjoy it calmly and get to know the other beaches, which are also beautiful. I loved the vibe at Manatee Beach , where the restaurant serves all-you-can-eat pancakes for breakfast (what’s not to love?) and ends the day with lively happy hours during sunset. Another good option is Bradenton Beach, which is right next to the center and has an excellent restaurant right on the sand, the Beach House (200 Gulf Dr N, Bradenton Beach).

2. Lido Beach

Our next beach is a regular on the list of the best beaches in the United States and a classic stop on the West Coast of Florida. Lido Beach is one of the main beaches in Sarasota County , a beach with calm waves, soft white sand and lots of seashells.

Lido Beach combines structure, and the cool thing is that you can stay in a hotel in front of the beach – we stayed at the  Holiday Inn Lido Beach  and loved the cost-benefit – and enjoy the vibe of the early hours of the morning: you will have the beach to call your own!

Those who are not staying in the area can enjoy the facilities at the Lido Beach Pavillion,  a public leisure area with a swimming pool (entrance costs $4 per person) and facing the sea. There you can rent sun loungers and umbrellas for $25.

If you want something a little more “wild”, head to the tip of the island to visit  South Lido Key Beach Park . The park, located on the back of the beach, has a more natural feel. Those who enjoy kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) can rent one there and explore the tunnels formed by the mangroves. They are beautiful.

For lunch, the tip is to take a quick trip to  St. Armands Key , a shopping district with charming circular streets. It’s a 5-minute walk and there are several restaurants that are worth visiting.

3. Siesta Key

Voted the best beach in the United States by Trip Advisor, Siesta Key deserves a spot on our list of the most beautiful beaches in Florida. The beach offers a beautiful experience with clear waters, calm waves and sand that doesn’t get hot even in the hottest moments of the day. Let me explain: its sands are made up of 99% quartz, which makes them very white and very comfortable to walk on.

The beach is huge and has a very complete structure, including ample parking, a playground for children, a recently renovated pavilion with a snack bar and changing rooms, volleyball and tennis courts.

On weekends, my tip is to arrive early and look for the less crowded areas of the beach. Access 7 is the most photogenic, and access 4 is the emptiest and has an area that forms small natural pools to observe marine life during low tide.

Siesta Key is also in the Sarasota region , a region that deserves 2-3 days of your Florida itinerary .

4. St. Pete Beach

St. Pete Beach in the city of St. Petersburg is worth mentioning both for the beach and for the whole area: you can have a delightful experience with hotels right on the sand and with great facilities for families. The city is very pleasant and has a lively downtown area, excellent breweries and great museums. Don’t leave without visiting the Dalí Museum and the Chihuly Museum, I loved both.

Calm waves, good options for beachfront hotels (I stayed at The Don Cesar , also known as the Rosa Palace, and loved the facilities and the experience) and a sunset that will stay in your memory. Between May and October the water is warm, and you can stay in the sea until the sun goes down.

Combine your day at the beach with drinks or a fancy dinner at the  Spinner Rooftop Grille , the rotating restaurant that has beautiful views of the beach. I loved the views and the experience.

Other St. Pete Beaches

Another beach that is on my list is Pass-a-Grille , a very local beach that looks beautiful. I hope to visit the place soon and I will come back here to update the post!

5- Indian Rocks Beach

I could talk about Clearwater Beach, the most famous beach in Clearwater , known for its wooden pier and seaside promenade, but I’ll do it differently and talk about the neighboring Indian Rocks Beach, a very local beach surrounded by native vegetation and with small photogenic inlets.

I was enchanted by the color of the water, blue-green, and the unpretentious atmosphere. There are about 5 km of beach, 27 different access points and few parking spaces, so arrive early or make good use of the PSTA cable car ($2.25 with change) that connects the beaches in the region.

Many of the entrances have little or no support structure. Bring water, food and a tent or umbrella.

6. South Beach

Any list of Florida beaches worth its salt must include South Beach, the liveliest beach in Miami Beach, a true icon of the state. With colorful and unique lifeguard huts – there are 15, and chances are you’ll want to collect photos – South Beach is lively, fun and beautiful.

I love staying in the area and starting the day with a dip in the warm Miami sea. In the late afternoon, the tip is to enjoy the sunset and the departure of the ships at South Pointe. In addition to the beautiful views of the beach, there is a nice lawn, a playground for the kids and a wet play area.

7- Hollywood Beach

“I live on vacation,” a dear friend of mine who lives in Hollywood with a great ocean view told me, and I agreed, he really does live on vacation, and what a vacation! Hollywood is right next to Miami and is one of the best beaches for kids in the area.

The beach is beautiful and the seafront promenade is a delight to stroll along. For those who want to combine beach and shopping, the Aventura Mall in the city is excellent.

8- John D. MacArthur Beach

John D. Macarthur Beach State Park, in the Palm Beaches region , is not just a beach, it is a beautiful experience through two different ecosystems full of nature.

To get to the beach you will have to cross a wooden platform built under the estuary surrounded by mangroves and which provides shelter for dozens of species of fish and birds. With luck and a keen eye you will see dolphins and manatees along the way.

The beach is completely unspoiled – so bring water, snacks, use plenty of sunscreen and be sure to pick up all your trash when you return. I visited the beach on a day with big waves but no currents and had a lot of fun catching alligators.

Combine your visit to the park with a kayak trip along the estuary. In just an hour, you can paddle to Munyon Island and be amazed by the life of the estuary. Greedy birds and jumping fish liven up the beautiful path. Choose high tide to avoid the risk of running aground.

9- Palm Beach

Palm Beach is one of the most popular luxury destinations in Florida and has a beautiful beach. Municipal Beach is located in the city center and just a few blocks from the pompous Worth Avenue, a street with small European-style buildings with facades adorned with azaleas, a very pleasant place to stroll.

Back at the beach, the view is very beautiful with white sand and a gradient of blues that brought instant smiles to my face. It is worth a visit and worth combining the destination with other beaches in Palm Beach County .

10- Bahia Honda State Park

Bahia Honda, my favorite beach in the Florida Keys, has Caribbean-colored waters and a coral reef right next to the beach. Snorkelers will enjoy diving there.

Shallow waters and interesting views of the old railroad that once connected the park to Miami complete the scenery. Get there early—the park closes as soon as parking reaches capacity—and prepare to be enchanted.