Northeast Florida's Beaches

Northeastern Florida's primary draw is its beaches. Hugging the coast are long, slender barrier islands whose entire eastern sides make up a broad band of spectacular sand. Development has been modest in many places, and beaches are edged with funky, appealing little towns.

Just below the Georgia border are Fernandina Beach with its well-preserved Victorian buildings, and Amelia Island, an idyllic playland with its acclaimed resorts in lush, natural surroundings.

Separated from the mainland by the Intracoastal Waterway, Jacksonville's main beaches include those in the laid-back towns of Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, and Ponte Vedra Beach. To the south are Vilano Beach; historic St. Augustine, with its beach on Anastasia Island; Daytona Beach; and the surfer's paradise of Cocoa Beach.

Quieter Beaches

Small and scenic, Paradise Beach is a 1,600-foot stretch of sand that's part of a 10-acre park north of Indialantic, about 20 mi south of Cocoa Beach on Route A1A. It has showers, restrooms, picnic tables, a refreshment stand, and lifeguards in summer. Meanwhile, Satellite Beach, about 15 mi south of Cocoa Beach on Route A1A, is popular for family vacations because of its lack of crowds.

Amelia Island/Fernandina Beach

Far from the madness of some of the popular spring break beaches, the shores of Amelia Island put you close to nature. Here, you can swim or body surf; pound the beach on horseback; or fish for tarpon, kingfish, and amberjack. Public parking beach access is available at the north end of Fletcher Avenue.

Cocoa Beach

The Surfing Capital of the East Coast is home to Ron Jon Surf Shop, the world's largest surf shop; the Cocoa Beach Surf Company, the world's largest surf complex, complete with the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame and Museum; and the birthplace of 10-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater. Grommets looking to follow in his aqua shoes should head to the beach at Third Street North (aka Slater Way), where he learned the basics. Stretching 800 feet over the Atlantic, the Cocoa Beach Pier is an everyday hangout and a grandstand for launches from nearby Kennedy Space Center. There's a bait shop, souvenir shops, bars, and restaurants. It costs $3 to park, and $1 to access the fishing part of the pier.

Daytona Beach

The World's Most Famous Beach is fronted by tall condos and apartments, hotels, low-rise motels, and flashy nightclubs. Throughout the year, events such as Bike Week, spring break, and auto racing ensure that the beach is busy. Traffic can get backed up, as driving on the sand is allowed (be careful, because cars can, and do, get stuck). No-car zones are less frenetic and more family-friendly.

Jacksonville Beaches

The northernmost of Jacksonville's beaches, Atlantic Beach is one of the more subdued, thanks to expensive housing that keeps most young people from settling here. Adjacent Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach draw the current crop of tanned bodies in bikinis and board shorts, particularly in the vicinity of 1st Street, where cars often yield to bicyclists and in-line skaters.

It's fun to drive south along A1A to Ponte Vedra Beach and have a look at its multimillion-dollar homes. Unless you stay at an area resort, though, it's fiendishly difficult to reach the sand. Yes, there are designated public-access points between houses, but parking and right-of-way restrictions make true access difficult and keep most stretches practically private. Head farther south still; there's public parking at Mickler's Landing and Guana River State Park.

Note that on the more populated area beaches, lifeguards are on duty 10-6 in summer.