LongIslandGirl

Live on Long Island and planning on heading to Florida for a few nights for a quick relaxation trip in August.

Any suggestions on location?

Late 20's married couple looking for relaxation on a beautiful beach and nice hotel area. Not sure where in Florida I can find the best beaches.... other than south beach/miami area bc we are looking for something more intimate and relaxing.

Thanks!

thurstonbb

What else do you like to do? Please keep in mind how hot it is on the beach this time of year. Mid day I imagine the beaches are empty as people head in to cool off. We prefer the Cocoa Beach area, but down away from the pier. We like walking for a long distance so that is perfect. East coast water is more waves and rip currents, west coast more serene and calm waters.

Myer

Actually, the beach is the place to be in August. Especially on the east coast of Florida.

The beach usually has a breeze.

What you want to do is get up early and do you beach stuff before noon. Then depending whether or not it clouds over and rains you can do your shopping stuff.

Then in mid/late afternoon you can relax out on the beach before dinner.

While you could easily hit a dry spell, the rainy season is in summer. However, rainy season doesn't mean cloudy from morning to night.

It starts of sunny and then by mid morning you can see the clouds forming. It will pour sometime between 11AM and 2PM. Then it will clear and the temp will drop a bit.

If you like clubs South Beach may be the place. A lot of restaurants near the beach and on Lincoln Road.

xkenx

Very relaxing on nice beaches are Naples on the Gulf Coast and the Boca Raton-Delray Beach area on the southeast Atlantic coast. Plenty hotels, restaurants, and areas with shopping, galleries, and restaurants.

Hubster

Being that I am from Florida I tend to be partial towards Delray Beach on the Atlantic coast and Longboat or Siesta Key on the Gulf side. I do prefer the Gulf coast sands, which have a powdery white consistency that won't burn the bottoms of your feet, no matter how hot. Plus, it seems more laid back and friendlier on the Gulf side.

GACOIAFL

Look into the Beaches of South Walton on the Gulf Coast. White sands, blue-green water, beautiful beaches. There are several wonderful towns - Seaside was the first of its kind in the area. Since then, Rosemary Beach, Water Colors and several others have popped up. Perfect location for couples. You can park your car and walk or ride bikes to anything that you need. Wonderful restaurants, cute shops and great places to have a drink by the water. If you are looking for something a little less expensive, you can try neighboring Seagrove or Grayton Beach. They don't have the quaint town setting but the beaches are beautiful and you are very close to the areas mentioned above for dining, etc. Not sure what you are looking for but check them out online. I have been to all of them and they are all as good as they look online. Have a great trip!

sunbabe

I second Siesta Key (near Sarasota). It's simply my favorite beach in Florida. The white powdery sand doesn't get as hot as the sand on the east coast. Siesta Key Village has bars, restaurants, and shops. And, as a bonus, St. Armands for great shopping is just a short drive away.

diann24

You can try Siesta Keys. It was or has been voted one of the best beaches by Dr.beach from the travel channel. It looks wonderful although I have never been myself. I have been to Ft. Lauderdale and I think it is a unique city, and I found it rather fascinating with the many boats to be seen. There is Las Olas Blvd. and the water taxi's are a great way to get around.

kireland

My BF and I just returned from Fort Lauderdale and I was suprised how nice it was. I had a conference at the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and it was very nice with great ocean view rooms, a huge beautifully landscaped pool and a private beach. There is a strip of upscale resaurants and bars on Las Olas, which is a short taxi ride from the hotel.

Might suit your needs...

Rachel

LI Girl-I love the sand on the west coast beaches, but if you want more surf, its the east coast beaches. Last year we spend a week in Longboat Key which was lovely, but a little laid back for us. We found ourselves going into Sarasota and Brandenton for many things (also, my DH had a broken ankle so the beach wasnt too good, and I injured myself while there so, the beach became off limits for me too)There are very few hotels on LB, but many condos for rent, some of which will rent for a long weekend if avaialbe. This year we are going to Siesta Key (tomorrow actually) which seems to have a bit more to do. St. Armands Circle is at the south end of Longboat and it has lots of shops and restaurants. It looks like its just north of Siesta so I'm sure we will be back there. I really like Delray Beach. I go there everywinter (my Dad lives there 6 mos/year) it has a nice downtown area, and the beach is nice, but not too many hotels on the beach. I thinks there's a lot more activity and hotel choices in Ft. lauderdale, but Delray is a little quainter, slower paced. I dont think you can go wrong no matter where you end up. A bad day on the beach is better than a day at work!

travelbug44

We stayed at the Doubletree in Indialantic (Melborne) and loved it. The hotel is ocean facing, so every room has a balcony and faces the water. We were awed by the view and loved the room

Angelo721

I have to agree with Thurstonbb. I live in Ft Lauderdale and by 1-2 p.m. the beach is only bearable for 1-2 hours at most.

Ft Lauderdale and Miami and real hot spots now.

If you want great beaches and even better nightlife go to South Beach. The Keys are nice in certain areas and not in others. And the some of the hotels are 4-5 stars. But Ft Lauderdale and Miami are only an hour away from each other. So you could stay at a hotel in South Beach and take a day trip up to Ft Lauderdale. Hang out on Las Olas.

If you have the Travel Channel on your Satellite or Cable on July 22 at 8 p.m. they are running a special Florida's top Ten Beaches. This show is great for picking a place in Florida to go.

jvega

The following is a list of beach areas you may want to look at:

In Miami:
South Beach, Crandon Park, Fountain Bleu Beach, Bal Harbour Beach, Haulover Beach, Golden Beach.

In Ft. Lauderdale:
Hallandale Beach, Hollywood Beach, Dania Beach, Ft. Lauderdale Beach, Deerfield Beach.

On the West Coast:
Ft. Meyers, Sanibel & Captiva.

I'd recommend you try to visit a different one each day if possible, whichever you choose... enjoy and God bless you!

Joe
http://josevega.topcities.com