Florida Family Beach Vacation Spots
Yes, it’s that time again. Time to pack your bag, get in the car and start the journey to Florida. To me, nothing beats warm weather, sunny days and a cold beer. I’ve been even more excited this year as my family has joined the party with our little kid. However, there are so many family-friendly beach vacation spots in Florida to choose from! If you want to Decide on The Most Suitable Beach Vacation Spots for your family, use the tips in this post.
In Florida, a trip to the beach is highly thought of as an attractive option for family vacations. There are many popular beaches, and also some not so popular. Here are a few of the more popular ones.
Made up of the Atlantic, Gulf and everglades , Florida has a plethora of beach destinations that are just waiting to be explored. Whether you prefer the white sandy beaches along the Atlantic coast or the glistening quartz-like sands of the Gulf region, every vacation can be like a paradise. South Florida is the perfect place for a beach vacation, with 35 of florida’s most beautiful beaches right at your fingertips.
Florida Family Beach Vacation Spots
Florida is not called the Sunshine State for nothing. America’s favorite playground draws countless visitors from across the continent and overseas, lured by the promise of plenty of sun and fun by the sea.
The same clever marketers could easily have opted for another, equally applicable, nickname: the “Beach State.” All told, more than half of the state’s coastline – 700 out of 1,200 miles – comprises magnificent stretches of sand. From the Panhandle on the Gulf of Mexico all the way around to Amelia Island on the Atlantic coast, Florida’s beaches provide travelers and day trippers alike the perfect setting for a memorable family vacation.
To help you choose the very best stretch of coast for your next vacation, be sure to refer to our list of the best Florida beaches for families.
Note: Some businesses may be temporarily closed due to recent global health and safety issues.
1. Cocoa Beach
The Atlantic coast of Florida offers no end of superb beaches for families to lay down their beach mats, pop up an umbrella, and splash their feet. Cocoa Beach has much to commend it to families, not least of which is its location. Just a short drive south of Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach’s location on the Space Coast places it within easy reach of top attractions, including the Kennedy Space Center, as well as Walt Disney World, an hour’s drive inland.
And whether you’re here for a day, a week, or a weekend, there’s plenty of fun to be had on the beach, too. The top things to do for families with kids on Cocoa Beach include swimming in the shallow waters offshore, surfing and boogie boarding (lessons and rentals are easy to find), as well as Jet Ski rentals. For a truly memorable family experience, opt for an exciting (and educational) manatee kayaking tour, which takes you up close to these fascinating (and docile) marine creatures.
Accommodation: Top-Rated Resorts in Cocoa Beach
2. Clearwater Beach
Of all the top-rated beaches on Florida’s Gulf Coast, it’s Clearwater Beach that many families will choose for their seaside vacation. Why? The reasons are many. For starters, Clearwater Beach boasts some of the finest, softest sand anywhere in North America, with visitors insisting that it is, at times, a little like walking on talcum powder.
It’s also a very wide beach, perfect for finding a quiet spot where you won’t get trampled on, or feel crowded, with plenty of space to throw up an umbrella to provide some shade for the kids while they nap and build sandcastles. And the water is generally calm and shallow, perfect for smaller children to play in, while older kids can enjoy activities as diverse as parasailing or fishing off the long Clearwater Beach pier.
After you’ve had your fill of the beach, head inland to visit top attractions, including the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, home of a dolphin called Winter, famous for its prosthetic tail. There are also plenty of other things to do, from great shopping and dining to sunset festivals, street music, and fun pirate cruises for the kids.
Accommodation: Top-Rated Resorts in Clearwater
3. Fort DeSoto State Park
Those with a penchant for nature would do well to include the beaches of Fort DeSoto on their list of great Florida family getaways. The park is just a 20-minute drive from St. Petersburg.
ort DeSoto State Park covers five distinct keys comprising a total of some 1,100 acres, including mangrove swamps that are protected as a natural habitat for a variety of animal species, including the loggerhead turtles that lay their eggs here. Young bird-watchers, too, will enjoy trying to identify the more than 300 species of birds that live in the islands, including herons, egrets, and pelicans.
In addition to the park’s lovely stretches of pure white sand, there’s other fun to be had, too. Highlights include a number of adventure playgrounds, plenty of hiking trails, two fishing piers, bike rentals, and an old fort dating from the time of the war with Spain, all waiting to be explored. Other amenities include picnic spots, washrooms, and on-site lifeguards.
4. Fort Lauderdale Beach
For those seeking an urban beach experience – yet without the crowds of, say, Miami – Fort Lauderdale may be just the ticket. Flanked on one side by the Atlantic and on the other by a lovely (and long) boardwalk that separates the beach from the waterfront-facing resorts and hotels, it is far more family-friendly than many other such beach locations.
Stretching for seven miles, with two miles of it staffed by lifeguards, the beach is long enough and wide enough to ensure there’s ample space to spread out with the kids. There’s plenty of fun to be had, from swimming and snorkeling off the beach to renting Jet Skis or kayaks and exploring the inland canals and waterways.
And when it’s time for a change of pace, take a walk (or rollerblade, for that matter) along the boardwalk and grab a bite at one of the many restaurants along the way. Time your visit right, and you’ll find yourself enjoying street performances and entertainment, along with festivals and concerts.
Accommodation: Top-Rated Resorts in Fort Lauderdale
Read More: Top-Rated Beaches in Fort Lauderdale, FL
5. Panama City Beach
Florida’s Panhandle, although often overlooked by sunseekers for destinations farther south, should certainly be considered by those seeking a memorable family beach vacation. Panama City Beach is one such destination.
Stretching for an impressive 27 miles along the most westerly section of Florida’s Gulf Coast, the white-sand beach here is a delight, soft and silky, facing mostly shallow waters that are great for swimming and paddling. In addition to sunbathing and swimming, popular activities include kayaking and paddleboarding, snorkeling and diving, fishing charters and dolphin cruises, along with rentals of Jet Skis.
Off-beach adventures are also plentiful here, with enough family-friendly attractions to keep kids busy for days. Highlights include water parks and amusement arcades, music and entertainment venues, a fun pirate festival, plus plenty of great places to shop and dine.
Accommodation: Top-Rated Resorts in Panama City Beach, FL
6. Venice Beach
Of all Florida’s many wonderful family-friendly beaches, few can boast the very thing that makes Venice Beach so unique: shark’s teeth. Widely considered the “shark tooth capital of the world,” Venice Beach – like most of Florida – was once completely underwater. As the water receded, the shark habitat diminished with it, until only the area around Venice Beach remained.
Nowadays, millions of shark teeth are submerged off the coast, with many being washed ashore almost daily just waiting for kids to find them (the best places to look are said to be around the Venice Jetty).
Other fun things to do here include wildlife spotting, with commonly seen species including dolphins (dolphin cruises are available), along with turtles and plenty of bird-watching opportunities. The beach has plenty of quality amenities, too, including a fishing pier, a long boardwalk, volleyball courts, picnic areas, washrooms, and ample parking.
7. Fort Myers Beach
Just a little south of Venice Beach (and north of Naples) is Fort Myers Beach. Situated on Estero Island just a short drive outside of Fort Myers proper, it’s the perfect place to spend a day or longer outdoors, enjoying quality family time on the beach. Unlike many of the top beach resorts in Florida, Fort Myers Beach has managed to retain its small-town beach community feel. The area has several beaches to choose from but your best bet is to head right to the heart of Fort Myers Beach, where you’ll find the Pier and Times Square.
In addition to its historic bed-and-breakfasts and classy inns, there are many great family resorts here, too, most with direct beach access and plenty of fun activities to enjoy. And what a beach! Stretching seven miles, the sand is soft and powdery underfoot, and perfect for playing in and building sandcastles.
In addition to the usual fun activities such as swimming, diving, and snorkeling, Fort Myers Beach has earned a reputation as a great place to spot dolphins, and a variety of fun dolphin-watching excursions are available (book in advance if you can to avoid disappointment during the peak seasons). Other fun things to do include fishing from the centrally located pier, or challenging family and friends to some beach volleyball.
Accommodation: Top-Rated Resorts in Fort Myers
Read More: Top-Rated Attractions & Things to Do in Fort Myers
8. Daytona Beach
Daytona’s former reputation as a place where adults and college-age big kids went to, well, unwind, has long been a thing of the past. Modern sensibilities (along with consumer demands) have prevailed, and Daytona these days ranks highly as one of the top family-friendly travel destinations in Florida. With its wide and hard-packed shore, it’s not unusual to see cars parked directly on the beach itself (though not in the main beach area any more), with make-shift picnic shelters and changing rooms.
If you’re traveling with older kids, try to set up as close to the main beach area around the famous pier as possible; this ensures you’ll not only be able to keep an eye on the kids when they’re in the water, but also when they venture off to explore the endless amusement arcade options close by (including those on the pier itself). Jet Ski and scooter rentals are also popular diversions for older teens.
In fact, it’s not just the beaches that appeal to families here. Not only is Daytona an hour or so drive from the world’s theme park capital of Orlando, the city boasts numerous world-class attractions of its own. Top-rated tourist attractions in Daytona Beach include the famed Daytona International Speedway, home to thrilling NASCAR races, as well as the popular Daytona Lagoon waterpark and Marine Science Center.
