The Florida beachcombing coast

Browse Florida's beachcombing coastline region by region, from the Panhandle's quartz sand to the shell beaches of the southwest Gulf and the coquina shores of the Atlantic.

Canaveral National Seashore · TripOfALifestyle.com, CC BY 4.0

Northwest Florida

Quartz-sand barrier beaches and state parks from Pensacola to Panama City.

Camp Helen State Park · Panama City Beach
Carillon Beach Access · Panama City Beach
M.B. Miller County Pier Beach · Panama City Beach
Mexico Beach · Mexico Beach
Rick Seltzer Park · Panama City Beach
Shell Island · Panama City Beach
St. Andrews State Park · Panama City Beach

Pensacola and Perdido

Sugar-white quartz sand and long barrier island shorelines at Florida's western edge.

Big Lagoon State Park · Pensacola
Fort Pickens · Pensacola Beach
Johnson Beach (Perdido Key) · Pensacola
Langdon Beach · Pensacola Beach
Navarre Beach · Navarre Beach
Navarre Beach Marine Park · Navarre Beach
Opal Beach · Navarre
Pensacola Beach (Casino Beach) · Pensacola Beach
Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier · Pensacola Beach
Perdido Key State Park · Pensacola

Emerald Coast

Clear green water, sugar sand and coastal dune lakes along 30A and Destin.

Blue Mountain Beach · Santa Rosa Beach
Deer Lake State Park · Santa Rosa Beach
Grayton Beach · Santa Rosa Beach
Grayton Beach State Park · Santa Rosa Beach
Henderson Beach State Park · Destin
Inlet Beach · Inlet Beach
James Lee Park · Destin
John Beasley Park · Fort Walton Beach
Norriego Point · Destin
Okaloosa Island Beach · Fort Walton Beach
Seaside Beach · Seaside
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park · Santa Rosa Beach

Forgotten Coast

Quiet, undeveloped shoreline around Apalachicola and Cape San Blas.

Alligator Point Beach · Alligator Point
Bald Point State Park · Alligator Point
Cape San Blas · Port St. Joe
Carrabelle Beach · Carrabelle
Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park · St. George Island
Hodges Park (Keaton Beach) · Perry
Indian Pass Beach · Port St. Joe
Keaton Beach · Perry
Mashes Sands Beach · Panacea
Money Bayou Beach · Port St. Joe
Salinas Park · Cape San Blas
Shell Point Beach · Crawfordville
St. George Island Public Beach · St. George Island
T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park · Port St. Joe

Tampa Bay and Pinellas

Long barrier-island beaches, shelling flats and easy access from the bay.

Anna Maria City Pier Beach · Anna Maria
Apollo Beach Nature Preserve · Apollo Beach
Bean Point · Anna Maria
Beer Can Island (Greer Island) · Longboat Key
Ben T. Davis Beach · Tampa
Caladesi Island State Park · Dunedin
Clearwater Beach · Clearwater
Coquina Beach · Bradenton Beach
Cortez Beach · Bradenton Beach
E.G. Simmons Conservation Park · Ruskin
Fort De Soto East Beach · Tierra Verde
Fort De Soto North Beach · Tierra Verde
Fort De Soto Paw Playground Beach · Tierra Verde
Fred Howard Park · Tarpon Springs
Honeymoon Island State Park · Dunedin
Indian Rocks Beach · Indian Rocks Beach
Madeira Beach · Madeira Beach
Manatee Public Beach · Holmes Beach
Pass-a-Grille Beach · St. Pete Beach
Redington Shores Beach · Redington Shores
Sand Key Park · Clearwater
Shell Key Preserve · Tierra Verde
St. Pete Beach · St. Pete Beach
Sunset Beach (Tarpon Springs) · Tarpon Springs
Treasure Island Beach · Treasure Island

Sarasota and Venice

The best-known shark-tooth coast in the state.

Brohard Paw Park · Venice
Caspersen Beach · Venice
Lido Beach · Sarasota
Nokomis Beach · Nokomis
North Jetty Park · Nokomis
Point of Rocks (Crescent Beach) · Siesta Key
Service Club Park · Venice
Siesta Beach · Siesta Key
South Lido Park · Sarasota
Turtle Beach · Siesta Key
Venice Beach · Venice
Venice Fishing Pier Beach · Venice

Charlotte Harbor

Manasota Key, Boca Grande and productive gulf-facing keys.

Boca Grande Public Beach · Boca Grande
Don Pedro Island State Park · Cape Haze
Englewood Beach (Chadwick Park) · Englewood
Gasparilla Island State Park · Boca Grande
Manasota Key Beach · Englewood
Stump Pass Beach State Park · Englewood

Sanibel and Captiva

East-west facing islands that catch shells like a net.

Blind Pass Beach · Sanibel
Bonita Beach Park · Bonita Springs
Bowman's Beach · Sanibel
Captiva Beach · Captiva
Cayo Costa State Park · Cayo Costa
Gulfside City Park (Algiers Beach) · Sanibel
Lighthouse Beach Park · Sanibel
Lovers Key State Park · Fort Myers Beach
Lynn Hall Memorial Park (Fort Myers Beach) · Fort Myers Beach
North Captiva Island Beach · North Captiva
Tarpon Bay Road Beach · Sanibel
Turner Beach · Captiva

Naples and Marco Island

Soft sand, calm gulf water and good winter shelling.

Barefoot Beach Preserve · Bonita Springs
Clam Pass Park · Naples
Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park · Naples
Keewaydin Island · Naples
Lowdermilk Park · Naples
Naples Pier Beach · Naples
South Marco Beach · Marco Island
Tigertail Beach · Marco Island
Vanderbilt Beach · Naples

Nature Coast

Quiet marsh, limestone and spring-fed shoreline between the Big Bend and Tampa Bay.

Alfred A. McKethan Pine Island Park · Weeki Wachee
Anclote Key Preserve State Park · Tarpon Springs
Cedar Key City Beach · Cedar Key
Fort Island Gulf Beach · Crystal River
Robert K. Rees Memorial Park · New Port Richey

Southeast Atlantic Coast

Reef-fronted Atlantic beaches from Stuart to Miami.

Bathtub Beach · Stuart
Bathtub Reef Beach · Stuart
Blowing Rocks Preserve · Hobe Sound
Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge Beach · Hobe Sound
Stuart Beach · Stuart

Space Coast

Long Atlantic strands, national seashore and after-storm surprises.

Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge Beach · Melbourne Beach
Canaveral National Seashore · Titusville
Cocoa Beach · Cocoa Beach
Jetty Park Beach · Cape Canaveral
Lori Wilson Park · Cocoa Beach
Paradise Beach Park · Melbourne
Playalinda Beach · Titusville
Satellite Beach · Satellite Beach
Sebastian Inlet State Park (North Jetty) · Melbourne Beach

Northeast Florida

Boneyard beaches, fossil-rich shorelines and wide Atlantic sand.

Amelia Island State Park · Amelia Island
American Beach · Amelia Island
Anastasia State Park · St. Augustine
Atlantic Beach · Atlantic Beach
Big Talbot Island Boneyard Beach · Jacksonville
Blackrock Beach (Big Talbot Island) · Jacksonville
Crescent Beach · St. Augustine
Flagler Beach · Flagler Beach
Fort Clinch State Park · Fernandina Beach
Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area · Flagler Beach
Huguenot Memorial Park · Jacksonville
Jacksonville Beach · Jacksonville Beach
Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park · Jacksonville
Little Talbot Island State Park · Jacksonville
Main Beach Park · Fernandina Beach
Marineland Beach · Marineland
Matanzas Inlet Beach · St. Augustine
Mickler's Landing · Ponte Vedra Beach
Neptune Beach · Neptune Beach
Peters Point Beachfront Park · Amelia Island
Ponte Vedra Beach · Ponte Vedra Beach
St. Augustine Beach · St. Augustine Beach
Vilano Beach · St. Augustine
Washington Oaks Gardens State Park · Palm Coast

Florida Keys

Shallow, protected shorelines with very different rules and habitat.

Anne's Beach · Islamorada
Bahia Honda State Park · Big Pine Key
Curry Hammock State Park · Marathon
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park · Key West
Harry Harris Park · Tavernier
Higgs Beach · Key West
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park · Key Largo
Long Key State Park · Long Key
Smathers Beach · Key West
Sombrero Beach · Marathon

Daytona and Volusia

Hard-packed Atlantic sand, inlets and famously productive shark tooth beaches.

Apollo Beach (Canaveral National Seashore) · New Smyrna Beach
Bethune Beach · New Smyrna Beach
Daytona Beach · Daytona Beach
Lighthouse Point Park · Ponce Inlet
New Smyrna Beach · New Smyrna Beach
Ormond Beach · Ormond Beach
Ponce Inlet Beach · Ponce Inlet

Treasure Coast

Shipwreck coast beaches known for sea glass, fossil material and Atlantic surf.

Blind Creek Beach · Fort Pierce
Fort Pierce Inlet State Park · Fort Pierce
Golden Sands Beach Park · Vero Beach
Jaycee Park · Vero Beach
Pepper Park Beachside · Fort Pierce
Round Island Beach Park · Vero Beach
Wabasso Beach Park · Vero Beach
Walton Rocks Beach · Port St. Lucie

Palm Beaches

Reef-fronted Atlantic beaches with rocky ledges and steady shelling after blows.

Carlin Park · Jupiter
Delray Municipal Beach · Delray Beach
John D. MacArthur Beach State Park · North Palm Beach
Juno Beach Park · Juno Beach
Lake Worth Beach · Lake Worth Beach
Oceanfront Park Beach · Boynton Beach
Palm Beach Municipal Beach · Palm Beach
Red Reef Park · Boca Raton
Riviera Beach Municipal Beach · Riviera Beach
Spanish River Park · Boca Raton

Miami and Broward

Urban Atlantic shoreline, park beaches and reef-adjacent access points.

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park · Key Biscayne
Crandon Park Beach · Key Biscayne
Dania Beach · Dania Beach
Deerfield Beach · Deerfield Beach
Fort Lauderdale Beach · Fort Lauderdale
Haulover Park Beach · Miami Beach
Hollywood Beach · Hollywood
Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Beach · Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
Matheson Hammock Park · Coral Gables
North Beach Oceanside Park · Miami Beach
Pompano Beach · Pompano Beach
South Pointe Park Beach · Miami Beach
Village of Key Biscayne Beach · Key Biscayne