This is the first in a series of articles looking at the Floridian beaches. This article will focus on the beaches on the East Coast.
Starting on the Northeast coast is the attractive island of Amelia. Amelia has nearly 15 miles of beautiful beaches, with Victorian Fernandina Beach and Fort Clinch State Park , being the most prominent. Further down the coast we encounter Jacksonville, which has a number of family friendly areas, and further on St Augustine, an historic town in its own right but which also hosts a number of beaches, perhaps the standout being Anastasia State Park. Anastasia State Park is an outstandingly beautiful area, and visitors can enjoy the many nature trails, sand dunes and partake in the fishing from a base at one of the numerous campsites. Further on down the coast we come to the world famous Daytona Beach, a magnet for motor-racing enthusiasts, which sports over 20 miles of sand, some portions of which visitors are allowed to drive on. If you feel the need to get away from the undoubtedly crowded boardwalk you could do worse than head for the more sedate option of Ponce Inlet, located towards the south of Daytona. The water on the East Coast is very pleasant for swimming during the summer months, but taking a dip during the autumn and winter months is for the hardier swimmer.
Working our way towards the southern section of the East Coast we encounter a number of the most popular beaches in Florida. The rich enclave of Vero Beach has excellent surfing, and Fort Pierce provides a lovely beach area. Moving down, we then reach Florida’s Gold Coast, which comprises Palm beach, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter and Boca Raton, in total over 60 miles of mostly great shoreline. The Gold Coast is beautiful and clean, which unfortunately leads to overcrowding at certain times of the year. Carrying on we reach the Miami area, boasting a large number of beaches including the ever popular South Beach, catering for the trendy end of the market.
Look in our article What is there to do in Florida? to find other ideas for things to do in the Sunshine State