Best Beaches in FL?

My family has a place on Sanibel. I went there for 3 months at a time in the winter (prior to getting married =-)... so practically a semi resident.
Fort Myers airport is 1/2 hour away. Sanibel beaches are great for shelling and walking. Captiva not as many shells (few good spots) harder to walk but much cleaner and more of a "tropical" feel than sanibel. Both places are a little lacking in the "touristy" stuff. Fort Myers beach has more of the touristy stuff (10 minutes away on the main land). Farther north up the island and onto Captiva get more expensive as you go. South end of Sanibel is more reasonable for accomidations but not as nice.
Naples has great beaches, a lot of shoping, plenty of golf.. about 45-60 minutes south of Fort Myres airport. Anything in the whole area is pretty good.

 

Siesta Key Off Sarasota FL

One of the 10 best beaches in the US! for many years.
+ We have the best group of ferrari owners in the US!
34 consecutive monthly dinners to date.

Tampa Airport is best.

Sanibel is boring for kids and after two days for adults as well.

 

I second Siesta Beach

 

You've done Destin, now try the east coast. New Smyrna Beach, just south of Daytona is fantastic. It is where all the Daytona locals go and there is fantastic beach and the only waves on the east coast.

BHW

 

Siesta Beach in Sarasota.

aehaas

 

How old are the kids?

If they are Disney Age I would opt for something mid way, like Siesta Beach or on the east coast Daytona Beach.

Sanibel is great BUT very laid back. That is more your BVI style without tourists.

Then....we are in rainy season so you have to be careful about thinking what to do indoors in the afternoons.
The West Coast gets more rain than the each coast beaches. Has to do with wind direction and how the wind blows the clowds over the everglades.
I can not believe I have the damn sprinklers running in rainy season.

South Beach is great if your kids are 18-22.
The other option you have is Key Biscayne. Sonesta Beach Resort on Key Biscayne is an excellent resort hotel. It is off the beat but close enough to the City so you can get into the action. Also only minutes from Seaworld, which is right there in Key Biscayne.

A great hotel and good beach is the Sheraton Bal Harbour. Excellent pool area and great beach with watersports. They just relandscaped the beach and renurished the sand 4 years ago. 20min north of South beach, only sophisticated patrons. Bal Harbour Shops are on the other side of the street.
I live 2 minutes from there in Surfside, the next Town.

If you decide Miami Area I can give you a few more recommendations. e-mail me.

 

18-22 ???

South Beach is great if you are male and still have a heatbeat, hell it could most likely restart your heart.

 

I meant if you had kids and think they were not fit for SoBe. Of course I'd take my 10 year old, whats the difference if they see nice breasts at 10 or 18?
Then my kids would be allowed to drink alcohol at age 12 as well.

 

Jim, get out a map and find Panama City. Then keep following the coast line south by east till you get to a point. At the point is St. George's Island. I grew up in the Pensacola Beach area, and it is is toast. But St. George is still far enough away that it is what PB used to be like, particuarly the state park area. Bright white sandy beach. Very few people. Clear water. Big sand dunes. You can go fishing over in the sound side. If you kids want to do the water park scene, you can drive to Panama City Beach where they have more tourist crap that you can shake a stick at. Try google, because I don't think that there are any hotels. You have to rent a house.

Take care, Dale

ps Don't get fooled by the map. It is 500+ miles to Pensacola, and it is a rough drive. Nothing but mothertruckers doing 80 mph bumper to bumper in the rain. But from P-Cola to Jax, for example, it is another 400 miles. From P-Cola to, say, New Smyrna (which is a great beach for the east coast), you are looking at 600+ miles. Not a fun drive with the kiddos. Don't ask how I know.

pps If you drive, let me know. I'll give you my mother's number and you can stop by and take her to lunch, on me!

 

Palm Beach is always nice... alot of private beaches but if you stay at a resort you should manage fine...and its really slow now because its summer here....you might be able to get good rates.

-jt

 

LOL

sounds like my dad when i turned 16 he had me in strip clubs!

-jt

 

Martin,

I am cofused, you don't have kids???

And I thought that cute little 16 year old with the martini that you were with on South Beach was you daughter.

If you don't have kids who was she???

 

we go to siesta key a couple of times a year with the kids, its great

 

Although you've done Destin - I like several places east of there and West of Panama City along a road called 30-A. Some websites to browse for a view of the area..

http://www.seasidefl.com/

http://www.rosemarybeach.com

 

I may be a bit biased, living here, but Boca Has a great beach. If you stay at the Boca Raton hotel they have a great pool, an awesome golf course, and a private club at the beach (you can get there from the hotel by a quick ferry ride). It is a bit pricey, but very very nice.

Scottie

 

She was twice that age and is married to me. I know she looks like 16. Everybody thought we had a nice night out with our daughters that night

 

right on seista key there are no hotels, they mostly have the small motels (not sure that is what you want) and condos which I think you can rent. On some of the nearby keys (longboat key) there maybe more options, Paul S will probably be along with more help

 

Here's why:

Plenty of cheap flights into Orlando. From Orlando International Airport, New Smyrna (between Daytona & Cocoa, on Florida's east coast), is about a hour's drive on "freeways" (although there's a small toll on the "Beeline Exp/SR 528). New Smyrna has a few hotels and lots of "mom & pop" type motels. You can still drive on sections of the beach. Using New Smyrna as a base, you can:
A) Visit the Daytona Int'l Speedway & their museum (20 minute drive north); B) Titusville/Kennedy Space Center & their tours (45 minutes south);
C) Disney World/Sea World/Universal Studios (1.5 hours southwest);
D) Ferrari of Central Florida and Ultimate Motor Works (authorized Lambo & Rolls/Bentley dealer) about 1 hour southwest;
E) A few fishing boat charters/gambling boats out of Ponce Inlet (15 minutes north).

New Smyrna doesn't have the honky-tonk atmosphere that Daytona has, but if you want to experience it, it's just a few minutes north. Just my opinion as a "local."

KevFla
Orlando, FL

 

I used to stay in the Gulf and Bay Club on siesta beach as I had access to a condo there, I also have stayed in Caserina - another condo place I have access too, I now stay in a house off of the key - nothing like free housing when you are on vacation . You can try call the mgmt offices of the gulf and bay club and Caserina to see if some people will rent their condo - I can't remember if they do, they also may have 2 week minimums?. Both are nice and right on one of the nicest beaches in the world.


http://www.siestakeychamber.com/where.htm

 

I recommend Surf and raquet club, just down from Gulf and Bay more Kid friendly, both are right on the Beach
Hell with crossing the Street

http://www.sarasotasurf.com

Paul Sloan

 

that place is right next to caserina and seems really nice, we always meet people from there on the beach