I will be working in Flordia for the next two months and I would like to go to some great beaches. I do not like very crowded beaches, but otherwise I am open to anything.

Tell me what you think the best beach in Florida is!

Sunset Beach, TI.

Fort Myers Beach

North Miami Beaches, Melbourne, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Key Biscayne, Hollywood.

Blacktie, stop telling people. They will come. Just like in that stupid cornfield movie.

Siesta Key, Sarasota, but it can get crowded. Perfect, powdery sand.

I like Sanibel b/c of the wide variety of shells. For really uncrowded beaches, take a boat to Cayo Costa or North Captiva.

"America's Best Beaches 2004" as per Dr. Stephen Leatherman include several in FL. Ft Desoto and Caladesi are in the Tampa Bay area. Siesta Key is just south of Sarasota. I have no idea where Cape FL State Park is (and they'd probably like to keep it that way!)

1. Hanauma Bay, Oahu, HI - National Winner
2. Fort De Soto Park, FL
3. Ocracoke Island, NC
4. Caladesi Island State Park, FL
5. Main Beach, East Hampton, NY
6. Hanalei Bay, Kauai, HI
7. Crescent Beach, Siesta Key, FL
8. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, MA
9. Cape Florida State Park, FL
10. Coronado Beach, CA

Previous winners include more of FL's best (and once they have won "best beach" they aren't included in future years' lists)

2003 Kaanapali, Hawaii
2002 St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, Florida
2001 Poipu Beach Park, Hawaii
2000 Mauna Kea Beach, Hawaii
1999 Wailea Beach, Hawaii
1998 Kailua Beach Park, Hawaii
1997 Hulopoe, Hawaii
1996 Lanikai Beach, Hawaii
1995 St. Andrews SRA, Florida
1994 Grayton Beach SRA, Florida
1993 Hapuna, Hawaii
1992 Bahia Honda SRA, Florida
1991 Kapalua Bay Beach, Hawaii

The FL beaches from the above list are all in the Panhandle with the exception of Bahia Honda, which is in the keys. He's very definitely predisposed to selecting "beaches less travelled".

Where in FL will you be? It's a loooong state, tip to tip!

Captiva for it's beautiful turquise clear water. Very peaceful.Great sunsets.
Sanibel is also great.
Love both of them & return every year.

During the miserably hot & humid summer months, the "best" beaches are probably in the Panhandle area, from Pensacola west -- Seaside, Destin, Panama City Beach, etc.

Depending on where you're staying, it may be too far to travel.

Enjoy!

Blue Mountain Beach, near Grayton Beach. We went there last summer after going to Kiawah Island, SC for 15 summers and fell in love with the area. It is not commercial at all and is not anywhere near crowded. A wonderful, wonderful place with pure white sand. We stayed in Blue Mountain Fantasy which was oceanfront. Rode our bikes to Grayton and/or Seaside each day. I can't say enough about this beach. I'm so glad that it hasn't been commercialized.

And the food! Great restaurants: 331 is absolutely fabulous and there is an Italian restaurant up the main road, which I can't for the life of me remember the name, but it is in a little non-descript shopping center that you will miss if you blink; but, of the food and atmosphere! And I don't even like Italian food. The chicken marsala is to die for.

Try the AOL message board and you will find more posts about this area.

"Cape Florida" must actually refer to Bill Baggs State Park on Key Biscayne, where the Cape Florida lighthouse is located. It is a beautiful beach and is generally not very crowded, mostly because there are a variety of free beaches more accessible to the Miami masses (State Parks charge admission).

Sorry, TG, you're correct - delete SS Beach, it's a virtual cesspool, rough beach, polluted waters, tacky bars, just a blue collar rendezvous if there ever was one. All the motels, ugh! And those motorcycle and go-cart races on the beach!!! You'd think it was Ybor West.

Ive lived in Florida for 12 years and have lived on both coasts...for a relaxing visit try....
East coast: Jupiter Beach
Vero Beach, and Hobe Sound
West Coast: St. Pete/Passa Grille Bch
Caladesi Island, Siesta Key

For a fun, people watching and action packed visit! Go to these beaches during "season" aka winter months....SOuth Beach Miami, FT. Lauderdale Beach, Clearwater Beach (BEAUTIFUL)

And last but not least...the best resort area beaches!! Marco Island, Captiva, Sanibel, Sarasota, St. Augustine, and Seaside..all on the Gulf Coast

oops. st. augustine is on the east coast, you would have figured that out!

I have yet to meet a Florida beach that I didn't like! All of them have something good about them, whether it's the sand, the water, the seashells, whatever.

Although I will say I am partial to South Beach, Miami, and Grayton Beach on the Panhandle.