If you are looking for a non-crowded, quiet beach, the Longboat Key beach may just be the one. Located south of Anna Marie Island and north of Lido Key, Longbeach is a long, soft, white-sandy beach. The Gulf of Mexico lies on the west side of the island, and Sarasota Bay is on the east side. At Beer Can Island, located at the northern tip of Longbeach, is a curved sandy bar that provides shelter for boaters. Beach front condominiums, resorts, and beachfront estates line the beautiful and pristine ocean waters.
How about a drive on the beach? Daytona Beach, known as the "World's Most Famous Beach," is on the east coast of Central Florida. You can take a stroll on the beach, ride a bike, or even drive your car! You can surf from 9:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. in designated areas. According to disability consultant Steve Deal, Daytona Beach is an "excellent resource for those seeking accommodations for sight, hearing, and mobility disabilities." The beach offers special beach wheelchairs at no charge. Daytona Beach is 23 miles of white sand and open 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Care to hunt for shells? How about spotting some wildlife? One of the best beaches to go shell hunting is Sanibel Island. Here you will become familiar with the "Sanibel Stoop," for that is what many of the islands visitors do. People are bent over all around the beaches looking for shells for their collection, or just for the fun of finding sand dollars, scallops and whelks, to name a few. Sanibel is also a wildlife refuge and here you will find bald eagles, pelicans, herons, egrets, American Alligators, and one American Crocodile. This barrier island is located on the Gulf coast of Florida, near Fort Myers.
Smathers Beach, in Key West, Florida, has been rated by some as one of the world's best beaches. This beautiful pristine beach has everything you need. You can rent umbrellas, jet skis; you can kayak or go parasailing, and of course, swim. There are food vendors on the beach where the hots dogs are superb. You can plan a boat trip or go snorkeling. Or how about a beautiful sunset sail? At a half mile long, Smathers Beach is the largest beach in Key West.
If you are looking for a surfing beach, you may want to try Cocoa Beach. Home to the famous surf shop, Ron Jon, Cocoa Beach offers a summer surf camp where you can either learn to surf or just sharpen what skills you have. In 2009, 50,000 visitors attended the Ron Jon Easter Surfing Festival. Cocoa Beach also has deep sea fishing and an eco-tour where you can actually get up close to Florida's wildlife. This beach is one of the more affordable vacation spots with plenty of action.
