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Help finding our ideal Florida beach town
I’m hoping I can get some recommendations for a spot for my family’s April spring break this year. We’re looking to rent a house or condo on the beach in a relaxed, laid back beach town. We’re open to either coast, but thinking the Atlantic coast may be preferable because I have two teenagers who love to surf. Aside from a clean, pretty beach with soft sand we’d love some sort of little “down town” with some casual local restaurants, cute local shops, market, ice cream shops, surf shops, place to rent bikes for the week, etc. Hoping to avoid big box stores, high rise hotels, and chain restaurants. I’ve been to Florida many times to take the kids to Disney but now we’d like to find our ideal Florida destination to chill out at the beach. Any advice to help in my search would be so appreciated! |
New Smyrna Beach checks all your boxes. We even have a great French bakery. Downtown Flagler ave is perfect. Very much a surfing spot and the restaurants are very good. No big box stores once you cross the causeway. Walmart is on the other side of 95. You will see a publix grocery and an outback but everything else is local.
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PS, airbnb and vrbo are big here and you can find a condo on the ocean easy.
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Since you are open to either coast, have a look at Pass-a-Grille on the Gulf Coast. It is a quintessential beach town with candy and ice-cream shops, bike rentals, etc.
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Are you in New Smyrna Macross? We were there on our RV trip this spring/summer. Nice town (a little hard to park an RV :-)) |
Wondering if St Augustine would suit. I have a nephew who surfs there.
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I live a bit south of NSB but my vet, doctor etc are all there. We wish we could afford a house on beachside! Best beach and the downtown area is so nice. Canal st across the bridge is nice also. You can get to Canaveral seashore also if you want a very peaceful beach. Great surfing and clean beach.
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There is no surfing along Gulf Coast which includes Pass-A-Grille, Sarasota, Siesta Key and the like. Older crowd there IMHO. Check our Ormond which is up near St. Augustine.
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Thanks everyone for the suggestions! You’ve given me some great info for me to use in my planning! :) |
Not a surfing beach but Siesta Key on the west coast is one of the nicest beaches in Florida and the town checks all of your boxes. |
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