Beach sights in Florida
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10,000 Islands
One of the best ways to experience the serenity of the Everglades - somehow desolate yet lush, tropical and foreboding - is by paddling the network of waterways that skirt the northwest portion of the park. The 10,000 Islands consist of many (but not really 10,000) tiny islands and a mangrove swamp that hugs the southwestern-most border of Florida.
The Wilderness Waterway, a 99-mile path between Everglades City and Flamingo, is the longest canoe trail in the area, but there are shorter trails near Flamingo.Most islands are fringed by narrow beaches with sugar-white sand, but note that the water is brackish, and very shallow most of the time. It's not Tahiti, but it's…
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Beaches
The area's excellent powdery, white-sand beaches are located on the barrier islands west of town. Parking is generally a snap; there are public lots, and public transport from the mainland. Lido Key, just west of St Armand's Circle, is divided into North and South Lido Beaches, the latter of which is huge and also shaded for picnicking. Siesta Key Beach, an absolutely deservedly famous strip of sand, accommodates 800 cars in its parking lot.
Head south on Midnight Pass Rd to the end of Siesta Key for the quieter Turtle Beach. Crescent Beach, perfectly fine, is wedged in between those two. Longboat Key, north of St Armand's Circle, also has lovely beaches with lots of…
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Riviera Beach
If you're hoping to enjoy the sand and surf, pickings are slim in West Palm proper. But Riviera Beach, about 3 miles north of downtown, has one of the nicest beaches in the area, with wild dunes that have remained undeveloped thanks to the area's blue-collar reputation. Lifeguards are on duty from 09:00 to 17:00 daily.
To get here, take Hwy 1 north from downtown West Palm Beach until you hit Blue Heron Way; cross the causeway and continue straight ahead until you see waves. Riviera Beach is served by PalmTran bus 30.
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St Augustine Beach
The 7-mile stretch of St Augustine Beach is a great place to soak up rays, and the road fronting it has a small handful of hotels, family restaurants and boisterous bars.
There's a visitor-information booth at the foot of St John's Pier, where you can rent a rod and reel ($3 for two hours, $1 for each additional hour).
About three blocks south of the pier, the end of A St has – as Florida goes – some fine waves. For late-breaking surf conditions, to rent or buy a board, or just to chill with your fellow surfer dudes and dudettes, stop at Pit Surfshop.
Raging Water Sports rents kayaks ($20 per hour), sailboats ($40 per hour), jet skis ($90 per hour) and motorboats…
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Phipps Ocean Park
- Palm Beach, USA
- Sights › Beach
South of Southern Blvd on Ocean Blvd, before the Lake Worth Bridge, this is another place to catch rays.
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Palm Beach Municipal Beach
- Palm Beach, USA
- Sights › Beach
One of Palm Beach's two beautiful public beaches, both kept pleasantly seaweed-free by the town. Metered beachfront parking is an absurd $5 per hour – head inland to snag free street-front parking downtown. This beach can get crowded.
For privacy, head north on S Ocean Blvd and turn left on Barton Ave. There's free two-hour parking near the church before S County Rd and public access to the beach across from Clarke Ave, one block before you turned onto Barton.
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Fort Lauderdale Beach Promenade
This lovely promenade runs along Fort Lauderdale Beach, which is a finer stretch of sugary sand than anything you'll find in Miami. It may not have the models (although there are plenty of hotties) and fashion shoots, but frankly it's a far better place for some sun, sand and swimming.
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South Beach
Key West is not about beach-going. In fact, for true sun n surf, locals go to Bahia Honda whenever possible. Still, South Beach is a lovely and narrow beach, with calm and clear water. At the end of Simonton St.
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Red Reef Beach
- Boca Raton, USA
- Sights › Beach
Thanks to a unique artificial reef just offshore, this beach is tops for water-lovers, offering lifeguards in swimming areas, and great shallow pools for beginner snorkelers. Together with neighbor- ing South Beach Park, the beaches encompass some 60 acres of wild shores.
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Higgs Beach
Higgs Beach is at the end of Reynolds St and Casa Marina Ct. It has barbecue grills, picnic tables and a big crowd of gay sunbathers and Key West's Eastern European seasonal workforce.
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Smathers Beach
Smathers Beach is further east than the other city beaches, off S Roosevelt Blvd, and is more popular with jet skiers, parasailers, teens and college students.
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Boardwalk
What's trendy in beachwear this season? Seventeenth-century Polish gabardine coats, apparently. There are plenty of skimpily dressed hotties on the Mid-Beach boardwalk, but there are also Orthodox Jews going about their business in the midst of gay joggers, strolling tourists and sunbathers. Nearby are numerous condo buildings occupied by middle-class Latinos and Jews, who walk their dogs and play with their kids here, giving the entire place a laid-back, real-world vibe that contrasts with the nonstop glamour of South Beach.
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