travelin9

Trying to decide which area we should vacation in Florida. Gulf vs.Atlantic Ocean? Would like clear/pretty blue water with waves. DH likes the roar of the ocean. Which part of Florida is better?

travleis

In general, the Atlantic coast of Florida has bigger waves, dark water, relatively cool water, darker sand beaches, grainier sand.
The better Gulf beaches have white sand, fine/soft sand, smaller waves, much lighter water, much warmer water.

You can find both of these types of beaches in the Caribbean as well, but the latter are more sought after, of course.
I don't care for the Atlantic beaches at all for swimming or scenic purposes. I love the better Caribbean beaches. For me the Gulf coast beaches of FL are by far the better beaches.

Marci_77

I don't think you get larger waves on the gulf, ie not really surfable. But the water is clear blue and the sand is puffy white. Very beautiful.
The water in the Atlantic is not clear and is a darker blue. The sand is more yellow and is hard packed. It is great for jogging, biking,walking etc.
I think of the Atlantic as "active" and the Gulf as passive.

GoTravel

What part of the caribbean? I find the southeastern Florida coast from Lauderdale-By-The-Sea to Miami to have coastlines similar to Jamaica and the Bahamas. I find other parts of the caribbean (Mexican beaches) to be much rougher. Further south in the caribbean places like Aruba have wildly rough coasts and tranquil coasts.

What are you looking for? Generally speaking, a coastline that isn't protected by another land mass will have rougher waves.

sunvalley

Enjoyed the sandy white beaches of Destin. Clear water & nice area to vacation.

mclaught

The gulf beaches in the Tampa Bay area definitely do not have "clear/pretty blue water with waves." Instead, you have a greenish, murky water that is completely without waves unless there is a storm blowing with westerly winds. The water on the Atlantic side from Jacksonville to Melbourne is also sort of greenish and not very clear, and if you're going in the summer, there won't be waves either. The Florida Keys offer the clear/pretty blue water you're looking for.

bucky

I agree with mclaught. I like the gulf waters, but the keys would be the closest to the caribbean, in color and also for snorkeling.

Last time we were at the gulf (captiva) we were bothered quite a bit by red tide. That was the first I had heard of it. Is it a frequent occurrence? We were all coughing like crazy anytime we got near the beach, and there lots of dead fish all over. Luckily, it didn't last the whole week we were there.

travelin9

Ugghh. Dead fish all around. Plzzz tell me which parts of Florida have that. I don't want to be walking on dead fish on the beach. (Gross) What are some other areas besides the Keys/Miami that have nice beaches in Florida and NO dead fish!

Tim_and_Liz

My parents live in Fort Myers Beach and it is beautiful there! No waves though. You will get waves on the ocean side and beauty on the gulf side. (In my opinion).

adeewebstr

Red tide is not predictable. I should know the name because I live on the Gulf coast - but - it is a marine plant that suddenly multiplies, uses up all the oxygen and kills the fish, and lets off toxins that cause coughing. It seems to bother us (Anna Maria) about once a summer, but usually doesn't last that long. I don't know if the Atlantic side has red tide. Key West doesn't have real beaches. In high school, we would drive across the state to the Atlantic for surfing - such as it was. The Gulf, unless there is a storm, does not have big waves.

cd

The Florida panhandle has soft, white sand and clear blue water. We've been from Pensacola to Destin and the beaches are beautiful.

audra

LOVE the gulf coast! And yes, it does resemble the Caribbean, IMO. Just returned from our trip to the Emerald Coast and will report soon. No waves, except during storms, but other attributes make up for it. Guess it depends on what you're looking for, and while we love the waves too, we were very pleased with the Emerald Coast. Maybe trade off coasts every other year?!

Candy210

The waters around Captiva Island in the gulf resemble the waters of the Carribean. They are a turquoise color and crystal clear. Absolutely beautiful!

orangetravelcat

Have been to a beach in Hollywood FL (the FT Lauderdale area) and was surprised at the turquoise water. It was delightful and beautiful.

KathyK

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Siesta Key. In my opinion, this beach most resembles the turquoise waters and soft white sand of the Caribbean.

travelin9

Where do you fly to get into Siesta Key?

DianeC

Sarasota is nearest, although we fly into Tampa a 1 & a half hour drive.

travelin9

Thx!!

benj

I just watched a show today on the Travel Channel. It was about the best US beaches. Their pick for #1 sandy beach was Siesta Key. The pictures they showed were gorgeous. The water & sunset reminded me of pictures of Jamaica. They said the beach was like white powder but not extremely hot since the whiteness reflected the heat.
We have always gone to Destin or Sanibel. Now we have a new place to try.

Judyrem

No, Gulf water is not aat all clear and blue, it is greenish and murky, not good for diving and snorkeling. We will soon be moving from the Ft Myers area to Ft Lauderdale for their much bluer, clear water for diving and snorkeling, The beaches are better on the Gulf but the water is better on the the Southeastern coast IMO.