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Stroll the Best Beaches
When coastal experts began rating U.S. beaches more than a decade ago, at least one of Florida's beaches has made it into the top 10 every single year. In a recent rating, Florida captured four of the top spots, including number one. According to this survey, the best beach in the country is St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, a pristine 9-mile stretch of sand 22 miles from Port St. Joe. Stay in one of its rustic loft cabins on the bay side of the park or pitch your tent in the campground, and you'll find out what makes this place so special. The three other top beaches in Florida are Fort De Soto State Park in St. Petersburg, Caladesi Island State Park near Clearwater Beach, and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Recreation Area on Key Biscayne near Miami.
Florida's Atlantic Coast
Florida's Atlantic Coast includes Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, St. Augustine, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, and Coral Gables.
Florida's Gulf Coast
Florida Panhandle beaches along the Gulf Coast are always family-vacation favorites - Destin, Panama City Beach, Apalachicola, Ft. Walton Beach, and the state's aptly named Nature Coast.
Florida's West Coast
Well-known Florida West Coast beaches include Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Sanibel and Captiva Islands, and the Lee Island Coast.
Coast to Coast Beaches
The best beaches outside the South from Southern Living, Coastal Living, and Sunset
