The top South Florida beaches, includes the well-known Florida Keys beaches and the chic, very trendy South Beach and beaches in the Miami area!
The Florida Keys Beaches -- The Keys in Florida are best known for the amazing snorkeling and scuba diving, in and around the live reef, in the area. Everyone is familiar with the well-known song by Jimmy Buffet, ‘Margaritaville’.
The song accurately portrays life in the Keys, as laid-back, casual, and a great place to enjoy cold tropical drinks!
Amazingly enough, there are not many beaches in the Keys of Florida, compared to the other areas of Florida.
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Bahia Honda State Park. The three beaches in this park, are certainly the best of the Keys beaches, and rank in the best of the Florida beaches!
Calusa Beach is located on the Gulf side. For the most part, the water is pretty calm, as the area seems to be more sheltered. There are picnic facilities and parking available at this beach.
Loggerhead Beach is also on the Atlantic side. I particularly liked the snorkeling just offshore at a little rocky outlet. There were also kayakers in the area too. If you don’t wish to rent equipment, you can swim (if you’re a strong swimmer), out to the rocky island.
Sandspur Beach is on the Atlantic side. If you’re into surfing, you’ll not find many curls to ride. There’s a reef just offshore which keeps the water pretty calm at most times. Lots of seaweed tends to drift up on this beach, which is a pain, if you have kids that like to ‘muck’ about at the shoreline!
On the other hand, the beach slope is quite gentle, which makes for a nice safe area for kids. There are picnic, restroom and fresh water shower facilities, boat ramps, full facility camping, overnight rental and boating available. There’s snorkeling gear and kayak rentals available, too.
The palms and the beautiful sparkling waters, make for a very tropical picturesque beach! This is really the ideal spot to really immerse yourself in some Florida beach camping on the South Florida beaches,and play away all day long at some leisurely water sports, enjoy cook-outs, and enjoy some real beach life!
Key West Beach
Smathers Beach is a Key West beach with pretty calm waters, and the best part? Free access. Hot games of volleyball seem to be quite popular on this beach. There’s inexpensive parasailing, kayak, beach chair, hobie cat rentals, boat and snorkeling trips available.
Food? There’s usually food vendors peddling their goods along the beach. Metered parking is available, so bring plenty of change!
Some people complain about an odour from this beach, which I did notice a bit, when I was there. The beach and sand and all were beautiful, but I do question the ‘water quality’ in this area. Apparently, cruise ships and other boaters dump their waste offshore in the area, thus the ‘odor’. It may not be like this year round.
All in all, an o.k. beach, but certainly not in the top 10 of the state! I’ve suggested this beach as it is close for visitors to Key West.
Fort Zachary Taylor is a Florida State Park, located where the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico waters meet. Due to it’s location, the sunsets are absolutely delightful! This beach is best for swimming and snorkeling. Fishing is allowed in some parts of the park. There are nature trails for hiking and biking too. Picnic, bbq facilities and an on-sight restaurant is available. It’s a very beautiful spot too for a Florida beach wedding!
Trendy Beaches in Florida!
The beaches in the Miami Florida area are among the most ‘talked about’ 'glam' beaches in the U.S.! You’ll see ‘everything’ on these beaches!
South Beach is a ‘hot beach’ which attracts locals and visitors. It’s said to be ‘THE place to be seen’! The perfect tanned bodies of the beach-goers ‘strut their stuff’, from dawn to dusk. There’s lots of action on this beach. It’s a beautiful beach with lots of restaurants and shops nearby.
Other Miami area beaches:
12th Street Beach, mostly a gay and lesbian beach
Haulover Beach, the well-known ‘clothing optional’ beach
Bill Baggs Park, Cape Florida, Key Biscayne South
Crandon Park, Key Biscayne North
Other Beaches of South Florida
Palm Beach, the Stuart Beaches, and Fort Lauderdale are also popular southern Florida beaches.
The South Florida beaches have warm water, more so the beaches of Key West and the Gulf side of the area. Although, the sand isn’t the same premium quality as the sands of the Florida Gulf Coast Beaches, the snorkeling and scuba diving in this area, is fantastic and is rated supreme in the U.S. and the world! If you really crave action, excitement and enjoy beach action day and night, the South Florida Beaches are for YOU!
