Which beaches in Florida are better: ones along the eastern coast or those along the western coast? By better, I mean color of the water and quality of sand. I have already seen Miami beach and a few others between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. I really like the one in Ft. Lauderdale. However, I have never been to the beaches on the west coast. Could someone recommend great beaches along the west coast of Florida? Have they recovered from the last hurricane season?

just wanted to add, when recommending beaches on the west coast, please recommend those within 2-3 hours drive from Orlando.

I prefer the west coast Florida beaches, however I'm not sure that you can reach them within 2-3 hours of Orlando. I'd suggest checking out Ft. De Soto near St. Petersburg: Siesta Key near Sarasota; and Caladesi Island.

My name is OO and I'm a beachaholic...

The best of the best are the Panhandle beaches. They have clear turquoise water and the whitest of white sand. They also have some winter, so are not a good choice if you plan to travel in the winter. Unfortunately they fail your 2-3 hour drive test as well.

Water color changes rather dramatically just south of the mouth of Tampa Bay, becoming once again tropical blue with soft white sand, although not as soft nor as white as the Panhandle. Anna Maria Island, Longboat, Siesta Key. Winters are much milder in this area, but there are occasional cold snaps.

Further south, I love the quiet upscale Boca Grande. Narrower beaches and a beautiful area with some neat restaurants in the quiet and quaint little "downtown" and bike paths for riding or rollerblading when you've had enough of the beach. It's also the most difficult of any of the mentioned areas to get to...which is part of its appeal for me. It might be pushing it to get there in 2-3 hours from Orlando--I've only made the drive from Tampa.

All this said, I pretty much ignored Lauderdale when we lived in FL. After all, we had our own beautiful beaches in the Tampa Bay area--why drive across the state for more of the same, or not quite as nice? Well, when we finally did get over I was so impressed. The water was beautiful and although the sand wasn't white as on the west coast, the golden sand in the Lauderdale area was a nice change and very pretty in its own right. Good restaurants too, and some fascinating surrounding areas along the canals.

You pick your poison...you really can't go wrong!

The only way you'll stay at Ft. DeSoto is either camping or docking in the marina. It's a state park.

It's right at, maybe even under, 2 hrs. from Lake Buena Vista exit (DW) to the St. Pete Beaches. St. Pete Beach and Treasure Island are the quickest to get to but there are also Indian Rocks, Redington, Madiera, and Clearwater in the Tampa area. From about Tarpon Springs north, the shoreline has less beach and more sea grass shoreline.

Some of the beaches lost sand from erosion. Some have been built back up by bringing in sand. I was at Treasure Island last week and the beach was restored. I don't know about the other beaches.

The other beaches on the coast south of Tampa are Anna Maria island, Ft. Myers, Siesta Key, Sanibel, Captiva, Naples.

My vote goes to the beaches on the west coast. Siesta Key is probably about 3 hours from Orlando.

What Tandoori girl said!

Do a search on Pinellas County, FL.

i vote for Sarasota area beches. Longboat Key is clean, quiet, and very uncrowded. No more than 2 and a half hrs away as long as you avoid i-4 at rush hour.

Hey OO,

Since you have seen Ft. Lauderdale as well as the beaches on the west coast, is the color of water similar? I found the color of water at Ft. Lauderdale beach quite appealing; it's just like what those postcards are made of.

By the way, I am not that interested in nature/wildlife etc. Just looking for a place to relax and enjoy the view.

Siesta Key and Ann Maria Island (Holmes Beach, Bradenton Beach) are my two favorites on the west side. I like the sugary white sand on both and the (usually) calmer waters (in comparison to east coast beaches).

In the mornings (before 9am) and evenings (before sunset) there are always lots of dolphins along the shoreline on Anna Maria Island. Two weeks ago I was taking a morning walk on AMI and a dolphin was zipping around 10 ft from shore in about 2 ft of water. I have seen them eating mantarays before so I think he was on the hunt for one.

Not only are the beaches different than the ones you have been to but the pace and style of AMI and SK are vastly slower than Miami Beach or Ft. Lauderdale.

The water at Pinellas beaches (St Pete Beach up to Clearwater)is a good color, and I'm certain you'd be OK with it, but not as pretty as Lauderdale, no. The color gets better just south of Tampa Bay. Generally speaking, the further south, the better, although currents and storms can change that in a flash, anywhere along the coastline.

Your best bet for prettiest water on the west coast, still within a 2-3 hour drive of Orlando, would be the Siesta/Sarasota/Anna Maria area.

The reason I put 2-3 hours restriction is that I know I can get to Ft. Lauderdale or Miami in about 4-5 hours from Orlando. However, I do not want to drive that far so if beaches on west coast are closer then I would rather go there.

In general, what is the color of water at the beaches you mentioned? Is it torquoise/acquamarine, green or deep blue? Just in case we see colors differently, what would you consider to be the color of water at Miami beach or Ft. Lauderdale beach?

The water at Siesta Key is an aquamarine color and much clearer than the water in Ft. Lauderdale. The sand in Siesta Key is the nicest I've ever seen - in fact, it had the top rating for Best Sand in some beach survey. The sand is white and very fine - perfect for sandcastles.

Another difference is that the ocean in Ft. Lauderdale has waves, and the gulf coast is much calmer.

One of the best things about the beach at Siesta is the very light color of the sand which reflects the sun's rays rather than absorbing the heat like brown sand does. So you can walk barefoot on the beach forever without searing your piggies.

What about seaweed? Does sea water near Siesta has lots of seaweed? How wide is the beach? What about vegeation? Are there any palms (natural or planted) or is it mostly mangrove? Finally, are beaches along the west coast as developed as those on the east coast?

Seaweed from way offshore in the Gulf will wash ashore on any beach if there's a storm offshore. There is also seagrass (kalerpa, usually) growing inside the bays. Mangroves hug the bay-side of the barrier islands, and prefer brackish water.

I suggest you go to VRBO.com and check out some of the waterfront rentals and look at the pictures. You obviously need some help. Maybe you can find something that appeals to you.

The beach is wider at the north end of Siesta Key than at the south end. Overall it's a wide beach, but I would stay away from the south end. I haven't seen seaweed in my 3 seperate trips there.

How's the water in Treasure Island? I'll be there in a few weeks and I'm just dreaming of the ocean and sand........SIGH!

1. There are uncrowded beaches on the East Coast -- you just have to know where they are.
2. Consider Sebastian.
3. Why does everyone think it's so great to have "calm" ocean waters? When I go to the ocean, I want waves!

j9999: I agree with you! It seems as though people like either the west or east Florida coast beaches, but not both! I've never met a beach in Florida I didn't like. I've spent many vacations on the west coast (Sanibel) and have even been to Naples (beautiful). I'm going to Treasure Island (near St. Petes) for the first time in a few weeks.

However, I've been to many beaches from St. Augustine down to Ft. Lauderdale, and I just love the beaches on that side and the waves.

I "slightly" regreted making reservations for a vacation on the gulf in May, but I couldn't beat the $103 RT tickets I got!

P.S. Sebastian Inlet if one of the most beautiful stretches of undeveloped beach I have ever seen!!!