Clearwater Beach
Pinellas County. The city's main beach, guarded seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with towers staffed according to season and weather. Pier 60 runs out from the middle of it.
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Where are the beaches for sunbathing in Florida?
For lying in the sun you want wide dry sand above the tide line, a chair and umbrella to rent, and somewhere to buy a drink without moving the car.
Clearwater Beach and St Pete Beach in Pinellas County have all three the length of the sand. Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood in Broward County, and Lummus Park on Miami Beach, are the Atlantic versions, with the added point that the sun crosses in front of you rather than behind. Siesta Beach in Sarasota County has sand that stays cool underfoot, which matters when you are on it all afternoon. Lake Worth Beach in Palm Beach County rents chairs and cabanas. In the Panhandle, Panama City Beach and Pensacola Beach. Remember that the Florida sun in June will burn fair skin in twenty minutes.
The places named in this answer.
St. Pete Beach
Pinellas County. The county access at 4700 Gulf Boulevard, with 235 paid parking spaces, restrooms, showers, a water fountain and three boardwalks over to the sand. County parks open at 7 a.m. and close at sunset, with the closing time posted at the entrance.
Open the guide →Fort Lauderdale Beach
Broward County. The city's main beachfront, with the waterfront walkway running along it. Fort Lauderdale Beach Park at 1100 Seabreeze Boulevard has restrooms, outdoor showers, picnic tables, grills, a playground, a volleyball court, a basketball court and a launch for boats without motors.
Open the guide →Hollywood Beach
Broward County. The Broadwalk runs nearly two and a half miles along the sand here, brick paved and open to walkers, joggers, cyclists and skaters. On it are the Hollywood Beach Theatre and a children's water playground at Charnow Park.
Open the guide →Lummus Park Beach
Miami-Dade County. The 26-acre park behind the sand on Ocean Drive, from 5th Street to 14th Place, open from sunrise until midnight. Eighteen sand volleyball courts, two playgrounds, and restrooms at 6th, 10th and 14th Streets.
Open the guide →Siesta Beach
Sarasota County. 948 Beach Road on Siesta Key, and the sand is why people come: TripAdvisor named it the number one beach in the United States. Lifeguards. Restrooms, picnic shelters, and a historic pavilion with raised seating looking over the water.
Open the guide →Lake Worth Beach
Palm Beach County. Twelve hundred feet of municipal beach with lifeguards, cabana, chair and boogie-board rentals, a playground and a restaurant. The William O. Lockhart Municipal Pier runs out from it, and no fishing license is needed to fish from the pier.
Open the guide →Panama City Beach
Bay County. Bay County's main shore, and the rules here are worth knowing before you arrive. A red flag means rip currents are strong enough to be dangerous; double red means the Gulf is closed to swimming altogether, and that one is enforced.
Open the guide →Pensacola Beach
Escambia County. The Santa Rosa Island Authority runs this shore and puts lifeguards on four parts of it: Casino Beach, Park East, the Fort Pickens Gate park and Quietwater Beach. Full-time cover runs June through August, with weekends from the middle of April through September, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Open the guide →More questions like this.
What do the beach warning flags mean in Florida?
Florida's guarded beaches fly a colored flag to say what the water is doing that day.
How do I check for red tide at Florida beaches?
Red tide is a bloom of a microscopic alga, Karenia brevis, and it turns up in the Gulf almost every year, usually in late summer or early fall.
Where can you ride horses on the beach in Florida?
Only a few stretches of the Florida coast allow horses, and at most of them you ride with a guide.
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