Florida Beach Weekend

[laughinplace199]

Thinking of planning a long weekend on a Florida beach - if not this summer, then next summer. We've been to the Atlantic coast, so thinking we'd like to try the gulf coast this time. It will be me, DH, DD20, DS18, and DS13. The kids love the beach, playing tennis, riding bikes, etc.

What are some of your favorite beaches/resorts? We'd love to stay somewhere right on the beach.

Thanks!

 

[hertamaniac]

Destin or Panama City. Plenty to do for everyone and pristine beaches.

 

[soccerdad72]

We love Sanibel Island. Never stayed there overnight, but there is a lot of rental properties you could get for a week there. Good bike riding island and lots of great beaches.

 

[LysieLee]

Destin is gorgeous. We like Redington/Madeira area.

 

[pryncess527]

St George Island

 

[Deb & Bill]

I live on Marco Island. But it's very quiet during the summer and can be boring for younger people. Average age here is 62. Our beach is beautiful though. It's mostly closed right now.

Be careful when you plan your trip for summer since hurricane season get hot in Aug and Sept. We also get Red Tide from time to time on the Gulf side (not so much on the Atlantic side), but our water is a lot warmer.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

I love the gulf coast area. Most beautiful beaches in the country, imo. The Emerald Coast is a wonderful vacation spot.

As to the best area, it depends on your budget and your vacation style. Do you like quieter beaches with upscale restaurants? Do you prefer a spring-break feel, with mini-golf, bars, and amusement parks? Or do you like beach cottages and farmers' markets? Do you want to stay in a condo or a cottage?

My favorite area is the Seaside/Rosemary Beach area. It is upscale, with quaint shops- and it is very bicycle friendly. It is quite expensive, and many of the rentals are not directly beachside. Many people rent small cottages and bike to the beach. There are farmers' markets and food trucks. It has more of a neighborhood feel. My 13 year old loves Seaside. She prefers it to PCB, but again, it much more expensive than PCB, and it is harder to find a place directly on the beach.

If you like a more inexpensive place where you can find reasonably priced condos on the beach and lots of hustle and bustle, you might try Panama City Beach. It is one of the cheapest places in the area. It can feel a little dirty, though, and it is not good for bike riding. It has mini-golf, water parks, amusement parks, go-carts, shopping, and restaurants. There is a more expensive side and a cheaper side. We have a friend who lives in an oceanfront condo on PCB. She loves living there. She likes the hustle and bustle, but when she wants a quiet place, there is a beautiful beach state park and wildlife sanctuary just down the road from her.

If you are looking for something in between the two, then you could go with Miramar Beach or Okaloosa Island (close to Destin). Still plenty to do, still reasonably priced, but not as much action as PCB. A little quieter. Still not great bike riding areas because of all the traffic, but there are some great resorts on Okaloosa with water parks and tennis, and Miramar has a lot of small neighborhoods with rental houses where the neighborhoods might have tennis and pool.

Destin is great, too. More like PCB, but a little more upscale. Some beautiful resorts in Destin with pools and tennis.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

Thinking of planning a long weekend on a Florida beach - if not this summer, then next summer. We've been to the Atlantic coast, so thinking we'd like to try the gulf coast this time. It will be me, DH, DD20, DS18, and DS13. The kids love the beach, playing tennis, riding bikes, etc.

What are some of your favorite beaches/resorts? We'd love to stay somewhere right on the beach.

Thanks!

Clearwater. The gulf is just clear and the sand clean.

Anastasia Island (which is Atlantic, not gulf) The sand and water are clean.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Destin or Panama City. Plenty to do for everyone and pristine beaches.

Definitely second this.

Also if you like more activities, rentals on the beach, typical fish shacks, beach bars and the like. Go to Destin proper.

About 30 minutes east of there is Seacrest/Rosemary beach. It's more more laid back with out all the touristy "beach town" stuff. Thats our second favorite place to vacation after WDW.

 

[PRINCESS Sweet Pea]

We like the gulf beaches better! I think I have heard that the area on 30A has a lot of bicycle trails. Like Miles. And Sandestin is a big entire resort community where you can bike around. You can look for resorts with good tennis courts and sport stuff too.

 

[laughinplace199]

Great suggestions. Thank you!

 

[Praying Colonel]

DW and I love Perdido Key, especially the part closest to Johnson Beach State Park and the National Seashore. It's not very touristy there, which is how we like it. Just lots of spectacular beach.

 

[JimMIA]

I'm not familiar with the Panhandle beaches, although I've heard nothing but good things about them.

We've been to just about every beach south of Clearwater on the Gulf Coast. We really like Sanibel/Captiva and Marco Island -- although they may be a little quiet for your 18-20 year olds. Fort Myers Beach is a little more active.

I personally prefer the Atlantic Coast for the waves, reefs, and more to do onshore -- but the Gulf Beaches are very beautiful and tranquil.

 

[hertamaniac]

We love Sanibel Island. Never stayed there overnight, but there is a lot of rental properties you could get for a week there. Good bike riding island and lots of great beaches.

I do like me some Sanibel (and Captiva). Lot's of shelling, but the water wasn't as clear as I thought it would be.

 

[Kennywood]

I went to college in Pensacola and HIGHLY recommend it! The white sand beaches are incredible. And, to this day, I've never seen more spectacular sunsets than those in Pensacola.

While there, you could take a day trip over to Alabama. The USS Alabama battleship is just across the Florida/Alabama state line.

I would recommend going after mid-May, when all of the colleges have ended for the semester. Before then, you'll share the beaches with a lot of college students.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I do like me some Sanibel (and Captiva). Lot's of shelling, but the water wasn't as clear as I thought it would be.

Water clarity depends on a lot of things. Our water on Marco can be clear as glass on one day and stirred up and cloudy the next. Sometimes it depends on how much water is released from Lake O.

 

[mom2rtk]

Our go to spot is Sanibel Island. It's known for its shelling. We've been countless times and it hasn't lost its charm. We typically rent a condo on the beach for a week. Nothing like walking the beach at sunset. The kids always loved hunting for shells at low tide.

It's a great island for biking. You can drive through the Ding Darling Nature Preserve looking for wildlife. You can kayak or paddle board on Tarpon Bay. You can rent jet skis or go parasailing on Captiva. Our resort had tennis courts. So much to do.

 

[dish rag]

We like Lido Key and try to get there 3 or 4 times a year. Just had to cancel. Very quiet but an easy walk to St Armand’s Circle.

 

[laughinplace199]

Has anyone been to Pink Shell Beach Resort in Ft. Meyers Beach?

I've gotten so many great suggestions that I"m getting overwhelmed!

 

[bethclayton]

We love Anna Maria Island. Between Tampa and Lido Key. Laid back, quiet, great food, incredible beaches, free trolley that runs the length of the whole island, also very walkable, cute shops.