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. Except in the most populated areas, development has been modest and beaches are lined with funky, appealing little towns.

These towns range from Jacksonville Beach to historic St. Augustine and Daytona Beach and on to the surfer's paradise of Cocoa Beach. Also in Northeast Florida are Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach, an idyllic playland amid Victorian buildings and natural surroundings. Here, wildlife viewing and water sports are key.

Separated from the mainland by the Intracoastal Waterway, Jacksonville's main beaches include the laid-back towns of Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, and Ponte Vedra 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.

Northeast Florida's Best Beaches

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 watch sea turtles carve out their nests, pound the beach on horseback or fish for tarpon, kingfish, and amberjack. Access the beach on Fletcher Avenue.

Daytona Beach

The World's Most Famous Beach is fronted with a mixture of tall condos and apartments, hotels, low-rise motels, and flashy nightclubs. Although the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005 caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to the Daytona area, most commercial properties and many smaller family-owned properties have since reopened. 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.

Cocoa Beach

As home to Ron Jon Surf Shop (the world's largest surf shop) and the Cocoa Beach Surf Company (the world's largest surf complex), and the birthplace of nine-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater, it's only fitting that Cocoa Beach be dubbed "Surfing Capital of the East Coast." Grommets looking to follow in his aqua shoes should head to the beach at 3rd Street North (renamed "Slater Way" in his honor), where he learned the basics, then head to the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame and Museum (located inside the Cocoa Beach Surf Company on Atlantic Avenue) for inspiration. Stretching 800 feet over the Atlantic, the Cocoa Beach Pier is an everyday gathering spot as well as a beachside grandstand for space-shuttle launches. There are several souvenir shops, bars, and restaurants, and a bait-and-tackle shop. It costs $3 to park here, and another $1 for access to the fishing part of the pier.

Jacksonville Beaches

The northernmost of Jacksonville's beaches, Atlantic Beach is more subdued but a favorite with local surfers. Adjacent Neptune Beach is largely residential and draws bicyclists and in-line skaters who cruise up and down 1st Street. Just south is Jacksonville Beach, which has a decidedly more active shoreline, with volleyballs and Frisbees buzzing through the air and portable radios blaring everything from Kanye West to Van Halen. With multimillion-dollar homes stretching for miles, Ponte Vedra is the most difficult beach to access but makes for a lovely drive down Route A1A. Lifeguards are on duty on the more populated stretches of the beaches from 10-6 in summer.