Florida's gulf coast beaches have the clear water beaches and white sandy beaches we all dream about. From Gulf Islands National Seashore to Marco Island crystal clear water and soft white sugar sandy beaches are everywhere you look.
People visit brown beaches all of the time as long as they believe the water is safe and clean. We all feel that clear water beaches must be safer and yes cleaner. It is why we crave them and search for them, because we can relax and know that the clear water is cleaner and safer.
Most Florida beaches whether on the Atlantic Coast or Florida's gulf coast have very clean water. Emerald green waters are every bit as clean as the blue water beaches in Florida. The green water is a sign you may get the Bioluminescent effect at night shown below which is totally amazing, safe and a must see at least once in your life.
Those emerald green waters are only present close to shore. Sometimes they fade quickly sometimes they go out for miles. Offshore sometimes the emerald green waters are only close to the surface and when you are scuba diving or swimming from around your boat you realize blue water is only a few feet below the surface.
The best beaches on Florida's Emerald Coast are between Panama City Beach and Pensacola Beach. famous beach towns like Fort Walton Beach, Navarre Beach and Destin with its Destin Harbor Boardwalk draw millions of visitors annually. Destin is the quintessential quaint beach town. Most of the beaches are on barrier islands and the bays and intracoastal are perfect for water sports like jet skiing, paddle boarding or just seeing the natural beauty & chasing blue crabs.
Emerald Green Water keeps nature lovers returning each year when spring time beckons them. Locations like Santa Rosa Beach which is on the bay side of Destin focuses on nature trails and natural beauty while serving as more of a preserve. The more pristine beaches begin on the western side at Pensacola Beach and Navarre Beach. A little challenging to get to but very rewarding as pristine white sand beaches and beach chairs await.
More gorgeous white sand beaches await you on Okaloosa Island. A rather large barrier island between Fort Walton Beach and Destin Florida. The world famous Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier is a must see for beach lovers and fisherman alike. Crab island lies between Okaloosa Island and Destin and this is where hundreds of boats gather in the summer months.
Other Emerald Coast beaches include Henderson Beach State Park, Miramar Beach, Rosemary Beach the amazing Grayton Beach and yes Seagrove Beach to very private and secluded Florida gulf coast beaches. A secret and interesting place to visit would be Gulf World Marine Park. Beautiful white sand, marine life and certainly not the rude crowds you find at South Beach.
Basically from Honeymoon Island State Park (for nature lovers) to the southern tip of St Pete Beach crystal clear water and quartz sandy beaches line this part of Florida's gulf coast. Known as the sunniest part of the state for consecutive days of sunshine this is our favorite destination. It is found in Central Florida not South Florida and Walt Disney World etcetera are 2 hours east from the Florida gulf coast.
Crystal clear waters and Clearwater Beach lead the way among popular beaches in the Sunshine State. All you will need is a beach chair and a cooler. There is nothing like beautiful beaches and beautiful people to visit them. Locally there are endless activities and attractions at this quaint beach town. An amazing pier, trips to scuba dive, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, jet skiing and a wide variety of boat tours. Simply put, the best beach in Florida.
To the south of Anna Maria Island about 1 hour you will find Siesta Key and Siesta Key Beach. The only real competition for Tampa Bay and an amazing place for beach lovers. Siesta Key is a barrier island and the entire western side is made up of crystal clear waters and white sandy beaches with the highest quartz content on Florida's gulf coast. Sanibel Island is similar but much smaller.
Yes, but if you notice they are not marketed other than Smathers Beach and a few others. The Florida Keys and Key West are famous for scuba diving, coral and being a tropical reef Mecca. Its crystal clear turquoise waters are from the gulf stream being right offshore of the patch reefs surround the Florida Keys. Visit Key West for the overall experience and include the 70 mile boat trip to Dry Tortugas National Park to see the sea turtles, everybody loves sea turtles. Just as a side note read up on the Bohemian influence on Key West.
Not to worry, just 300 plus miles of the best beaches on the Atlantic Coast. White sandy beaches? Meh, yes but not as white as Florida's gulf coast. However cobalt blue water and the huge crows you would expect Florida to have. from Central Florida south beaches can be used year round.
Miami Beach and South Beach are the most famous destinations. Yes, this is a to be experienced at least once destination. Some will love it, most can not afford to stay and some will run away. Crowded almost constantly and traffic from a nightmare it is still worth a visit. The young will be amazed and some may well be offended. Miami Beach and South Beach will at least be interesting.
Fort Lauderdale Beach is also a fairly crowded beach. Parking can be challenging because so many stay in the hotels locally and make the mistake of bringing a car. The hotels are right across the street from the beach on A1A (highway'ish). Most locals will go to Delray Beach or Boca and Deerfield Beach which are a little more secluded. To the North West Palm Beach is a less famous vacation spot but with everything found down south.
Central Florida has Cocoa Beach and Daytona Beach. Coco Beach is more of just a nice beach with a pier and nice beach town. Daytona Beach is amazing but do not expect the sand to be the brilliant white color fond on the gulf coast. Still it is a beautiful beach with the pier, amusement park and of course the speedway.
Florida's Gulf Coast means sugar white powdery sand from quartz and clear water beaches. Florida's Atlantic or east coast means cobalt crystal clear water and white'ish sandy beaches. Both side have clear water beaches in Florida.
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