11 Stunning Florida Beaches that are Perfect for Families

Few activities excite children, and families, more than spending the day at one of the best Florida beaches for families. Why the distinction?

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Well, not all beaches are kid-friendly. Some have rough surf and are not suitable for young children or those who can’t swim well. Others have rocky beaches.

And a lot of Florida beaches have adult party atmospheres that many parents would prefer their kids don’t experience. In Florida, we even have several nudist-friendly beaches!

The best Florida beaches for families all have several qualities in common. These include calm areas for wading or swimming, soft sand, easy access, and nearby restaurants or concessions. Taking your family to one of the kid-friendly beaches in Florida ensures everyone will have a fun day remembered for many years.

In this roundup, I’ve compiled the 11 best beaches for families in Florida. Take a look and let me know which one is your favorite or the one you plan to visit the next time you come to Florida. Bonus that Florida has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world!

Siesta Key Beaches (Best Gulf Coast Florida beaches for families)

Siesta Key is a barrier island on Florida’s southwest coast. The two main beaches on the island are Siesta Beach and Turtle Beach. The sand on Siesta Beach is made up of 99% quartz and has been called the finest and whitest sand in the world. Siesta Beach has earned awards as Best Beach in America by Dr. Beach in 2011 and 2017 and #1 US Beach by TripAdvisor in 2015.

Shallow water and year-round lifeguards make this beach one of the safest for families. A nearby village of outdoor dining spots, boutiques, and coffee shops offers families refreshments and a respite from the heat.

Turtle Beach on the southern end of the island is popular with kayakers as a safe, easy place to launch their kayaks. The beach is named for the large number of sea turtles that nest on its shores.

Turtle Beach has one of the best beachfront campgrounds in Florida, as well as picnic areas and a children’s play area. All of these amenities make the Siesta Key Beaches some of the best Florida beaches for families.

Luxury Stay: Ritz-Carlton Sarasota

Check Siesta Key hotel rates on Booking.com or vacation rental rates on VRBO.

Most Popular Kid-Friendly Florida Beach: Clearwater Beach

Clearwater Beach has consistently been named one of the top beaches in the world and is one of the most family and kid-friendly beaches in Florida. In 2018, it was names #1 Beach in the US and Top 10 Beach in the World by TripAdvisor.

Stretching for 2.5 miles along Florida’s Gulf Coast, Clearwater Beach has shallow waters and wide beaches perfect for families to spend a day at the beach. Numerous restaurants and shops line the beach. These are perfect for a quick and convenient lunch. Or enjoy a delicious dinner after a day of fun in the sun.

Hotels also often allow “day use” of their vacant rooms for a nominal fee. This is a great option for families with small children. It gives those families a cool and quiet place for little ones to nap in comfort.

Luxury Stay: Opal Sands

Check Clearwater Beach hotel rates on Booking.com or vacation rental rates on VRBO.

Amelia Island (a hidden gem beach for families)

Amelia Island on Florida’s northeast coast (Jacksonville area) makes the list as one of the best family beaches in Florida for many reasons. Amelia is known for its quaint villages as well as its history, pristine beaches, and luxury resorts. While other kid-friendly beaches in Florida come packed with people and traffic, Amelia Island’s small-town vibe attracts those looking for a more laid-back feel.

With 13 miles of coastline, this barrier island has more than 40 public beach access points. Popular areas include Main Beach Park (Fernandina Beach) with a playground, picnic pavilions, and sand volleyball; Amelia Island State Park where visitors can enjoy wildlife viewing, fishing, and swimming; pet-friendly Peters Point Beachfront Park which also allows cars to drive on to the beach; and Fort Clinch State Park where the beach offers excellent shelling and shark tooth hunting. This state park also offers the historic fort and waterfront campgrounds for overnight visitors.

Luxury Stay: Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island

Check Amelia Island hotel rates on Booking.com or vacation rental rates on VRBO.

Sanibel and Captiva Islands

Sanibel-Captiva is two islands on Florida’s gulf coast near Fort Myers. With 15 miles of beaches and over 250 kinds of shells, Sanibel-Captiva are popular with families and couples. The islands have no stoplights and are home to several luxury resorts and top-notch restaurants. Driving through the towns takes one back to a quieter time among ritzy estates lushly landscaped with tropical foliage. A trip here is a feast for the heart and soul.

Families need not spend a ton of money in this luxurious style. Many people bring coolers stocked with food and drinks. They spend the day building sand castles, playing in the calm and shallow waters, and hunting for the most beautiful shells.

The Sanibel Lighthouse sits at the southern end of the islands and is open to visitors. While the beach near the lighthouse tends to be more accessible and, therefore, more crowded, Bowman’s Beach half way up the islands is less crowded. Getting to the beach there requires a walk across a boardwalk and is surrounded by scrub lands and marsh.

Luxury Stay: Sundial Beach Resort & Spa

Check Sanibel hotel rates on Booking.com or vacation rental rates on VRBO.

Fort de Soto Park (a county park on Florida’s Gulf Coast)

Fort de Soto at the entrance to Tampa Bay encompasses nearly 2400 acres of land on five islands (or keys) and the surrounding waters. The county park offers a little something for everyone, making it a popular destination with locals and tourists.

History buffs enjoy walking through the fort, the museum, and along the nearby self-guided trail of historic buildings (only the foundations survive). Three beaches draw families for a day of play in the calm waters and loose, white sand. One beach even has remains of two wells soldiers dug for fresh water. These delight both kids and adults who enjoy clambering over the unique shell concrete construction and into the shallow pits.

A playground under oaks at another beach is a great place to have a picnic and let the kids play in the shade. The park also offers concessions, a bike path, hiking trails, a boat ramp, and a campground with over 200 waterfront sites.

Luxury Stay: Loews Don CeSar

Check St. Pete Beach hotel rates on Booking.com or vacation rental rates on VRBO.

The perfect Atlantic Florida beach for families: Cocoa Beach

Several beaches make up the area known as Cocoa Beach. Located on Florida’s Atlantic coast, Cocoa Beach lies south of Daytona Beach near Cape Canaveral and is a great long weekend destination.

Visitors to Kennedy Space Center often choose to stay at one of the hotels along Cocoa Beach where they can find a number of top seafood restaurants and take a relaxing day on the beach. The cruise port, Port Canaveral, is also nearby. Cruise passengers often stay for a couple of days before or after a Bahamas cruise.

The beaches of Cocoa include Canaveral National Seashore, Playalinda, and several city and county parks. Like many Atlantic beaches, Cocoa Beach is characterized by wide beaches of somewhat course sand.  This course sand sticks together beautifully, a delight for kids who love to make sand castles.

The surf tends to be a little more rough on the Atlantic side of Florida than on the Gulf side, though by no means is the water dangerous. These wide beaches with gentle breakers create a fun environment for families. They  may just tucker out younger kids who battle the sand and sea and chase animals across the beach.

Luxury Stay: Westgate Cocoa Beach Resort

Check Cocoa Beach hotel rates on Booking.com or vacation rental rates on VRBO.

Delray Beach (a kid-friendly and dog-friendly beach in Florida)

On Florida’s Southeast coast, Delray Beach continues miles beach interrupted only by an occasional inlet. The entire East coast of Florida is basically one long beach. Delray Beach lies between Palm Beach and Fort  Lauderdale. While considered an upscale, intimate town, it’s a more affordable option to either of it’s neighbors.

Like many of the beaches in this area, Delray has a wide, sandy beach perfect for setting up umbrellas and chairs, coolers and beach toys, for a day of fun with the family. The dark blue Atlantic waves roll onto shore and delight kids with their white foam and retreating nature. Younger children can often be found making sand castles or sand angels.

With the city of Delray Beach nearby, a family day at the beach might end in dinner at  a local restaurant or continue into a weekend escape. After the beach, go horseback riding at a local ranch or visit one of the many museums.

Luxury Stay: The Ray Hotel Delray Beach

Check Delray Beach hotel rates on Booking.com or vacation rental rates on VRBO.

St. Augustine Beach

Better known for its Castillo San Marcos and historic lighthouse, St. Augustine also has a beautiful beach which ranks as one of the best Florida beaches for families because of its white sand and relatively calm surf. In Florida, the Atlantic coast beaches, like St. Augustine’s, tend to have rougher surf than the gulf coast beaches. The wide Atlantic expanse and deeper waters closer to shore create small breakers that kids and adults love to play in.

After a day at the beach, visitors to St. Augustine Beach can enjoy fresh seafood at a number of local restaurants or take a sunset stroll along the pier; maybe stay after dark for a little night fishing. Those who have a long weekend to spare should stay for a couple of nights to visit the many historic sites in St. Augustine.

Luxury Stay: Casa Monica Resort & Spa

Check St. Augustine hotel rates on Booking.com or vacation rental rates on VRBO.

Most unique family-friendly Florida beach: Palm Island

Palm Island near Sarasota on Florida’s Gulf coast is actually a resort located on one of four islands that form a quiet archipelago. In reality, Palm Island is just part of Knight Island, the most populous of the islands.

A lack of cars and stores defines the islands of the archipelago. They are all reached only by ferry or boat. While some residents do own a car, most people use bicycles or golf carts to get around.

Visitors stay at vacation rentals or private homes and enjoy relatively secluded beaches because of the complete lack of commercialism on the islands. It isn’t necessary, however, to stay on the islands in order to enjoy them. Those with a boat can access any of the public areas on Knight Island, Don Pedro, or Little Gasparilla. (The fourth island is a wildlife preserve.)

It’s also this very seclusion that makes these island beaches some of the best Florida beaches for families. Unlike the others on this list, you’ll have to bring your own food, drinks, and supplies. There are no easy-to-reach stores if you forget something.

On the other hand, these beaches are more quiet and less crowded than the others. Visitors experience a taste of how the beaches in Florida may have looked and felt 50-60 years ago.

Check Sarasota hotel rates on Booking.com or vacation rental rates on VRBO.

New Smyrna Beach

New Smyrna Beach, another small beach town just south of the more famous Daytona Beach, has been recognized a number of times as one of the nation’s top surf towns. Surfer magazine ranked the town #9 in 2009, and National Geographic ranked New Smyrna in the top 20 surf towns in the world in 2012. These rankings reflect the laid-back attitude found in New Smyrna Beach as much as the good surf conditions (for Florida) found here. This small town has also been named one of America’s top small cities for the arts. And, the county carries the questionable significance of being called the “Shark Bite Capital of the World”.

So how can a beach with the highest number of shark bites of any region in the world be considered perfect for families? Well, considering the millions of people in the water each year, it’s not necessarily surprising. A few simple strategies, like those outlined in this article on Florida myths, can help keep you and your family shark-bite-free. New Smyrna Beach is, however, perfect for families because of it’s quiet, laid-back atmosphere, the art venues, the wide beach full of friendly locals, and the many nearby things to do.

Luxury Stay: Inn on the Avenue

Check New Smyrna Beach hotel rates on Booking.com or vacation rental rates on VRBO.

Jupiter-Juno Beach (one of the most stunning Florida beaches)

Jupiter Beach is not only one of the best beaches for families, 2.5 miles of it is a dog-friendly beach so it’s okay to bring Fido with you! I don’t know about you, but I love any place that’s dog friendly. My pooches are as much a part of my family as my child and parents are.

Much of Jupiter Beach is run by the county parks department. Like any park, there are picnic pavilions, great parking facilities, and other amenities commonly found at parks. When the kids get tired of making sand castles or jumping over waves, there are lots of other things to do nearby, including grabbing a bite to eat.

Located in Palm Beach County, Jupiter Beach is close to major cities. Come for the beach and stay for a weekend to enjoy the many other attractions the area has to offer.

Luxury Stay: Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa

Check Jupiter hotel rates on Booking.com or vacation rental rates on VRBO.

Tips for Visiting Family-Friendly Beaches in Florida

• Plan your day according to your family’s needs. Morning sun is more gentle and beaches are often less crowded.
• Though many beaches offer umbrella and chair rentals, don’t count on that for your shade and sun protection. Pack one of these beach tents for babies or a sun canopy for the whole family.
• Pack sunscreen, hats, and coverups, even if you’re only going to the beach for an hour or so. The sun in Florida can be more intense than you realize and will quickly burn young skin.
• Bring more water than you think you will need. Sure, you can find restaurants and convenience stores near the beach where you can buy more water. However, if you visit during peak season, you’ll wait in long lines and pay more for the convenience of buying your supplies on the beach. Be prepared with a backpack cooler filled with drinks or one of these amazing coolers made for wheeling through the sand.
• Consider buying a GoPro or other waterproof camera to capture all of your best memories in and out of the water.