Quaint beach towns in Florida
 

Hi all,

We're planning a trip to Florida in late October and we're looking for a location that meets these criteria:

beautiful beach
cute town with shops/restaurants/historic district
not too far from an airport (under two hours)
preferably not too crowded (we're not expecting solitude, we just don't want to feel like we're in Miami)
close enough to some good snorkeling that we can take a day trip to snorkel

What towns should we be looking at? We've done a little research into New Smyrna, Siesta Key, etc. are we on the right track? Are there other towns we should be looking at?

Thanks for your help!

Key West has everything on your list, but it might be crowded. Still nothing like Miami, though.

Just make absolutely CERTAIN that NO cruise ship is docked in Key West when you are there.

I think you may be disappointed with what I honestly think <B>most</B> people would say is the lack of many, if any, "beautiful" beaches IN Key West.

Key West has everything on your list, but it might be crowded. Still nothing like Miami, though.

We were in Miami Beach and Key West last February, and Key West was FAR more crowded than Miami Beach (two cruise ships in port in KW). There were decent beaches in Key West, but nothing that I would call "beautiful".

You have to understand that the Old Town section of KW, and believe me that IS the part most people troop down there to stay in, is a lot smaller in size than Miami Beach.

Now, be aware that on the weekends even after those cruise ships have left and the whole sunset at Mallory Square thing has concluded, the lower part of Duval Street can be rather congested and noisy. This is a very popular party and DRINKING destination.

There is no good snorkeling in Florida anywhere except the Keys.

New Smyrna is great but no snorkeling.

You might want to take a look at this link before you decide where the "best" snorkeling is down here. Up to you:

http://www.beachhunter.net/florida-snorkeling-beaches/

And there are a LOT of internet resources with lots of opinions. I would advise you to weigh them and then make a decision.

The Keys are great for snorkeling; however, Key West is a solid 2 1/2 to 3 hour drive from Miami International Airport. There are no "beautiful" beaches in Key West (in my opinion). We usually frequent Bahia Honda National Park which is at mile marker 37 or 38 for a better beach experience. I would also book guided snorkeling tours, i.e, Looe Key, etc. As for the hotel, I would recommend staying at the Pier House Resort & Spa.

My other suggestion would be Anna Maria Island or Sanibel Island on the West Coast of Florida.

Hope that helps!
J.

Bahai Honda was beautiful (absolutely gorgeous) for camping at the beach, but I don't recall a "cute town" right there??

Apalachicola is historic and cute as all get out (one blinking traffic light and a Piggly Wiggly). The Beach is at St George's Island, mostly low-rise and low key. Close enough that people drive to Apalachicola for church. Well, Episcopalians do.

Perhaps that's why Hermine decided to make landfall there.

Late October would be good for Anna Maria Island, but don't come January thru April.

"Perhaps that's why Hermine decided to make landfall there."

Who can resist a Piggly Wiggly?

I like beaches on the Gulf Coast side of Florida much better than the East Coast. The Clearwater area has nice, wide, white beaches and good restaurants.
For a cute town, have a look at Pass-a-Grille Beach, just South of St Pete Beach. You can find nice little cottages to rent there. It is like a little village, great for walking, with ice cream shops and candy stores.

Bookmarking :)