With no shortage of coastline and miles of sandy beaches, it’s hard to narrow down the best beaches in Florida. But begin with the most famous, Miami’s South Beach, and you’ve also got one of the best for its unmatched style, people-watching, energetic urban feel and many cafes, activities and hotels. Miami also has plenty of quiet stretches of sand frequented by locals, including Haulover Beach, where some of the biggest swells come in and where you'll spot a significant amount of surfers (and nude sunbathers, too).

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 Crandon Park Beach will appeal to families, since it has a sandbar and great activities like a roller rink and Crandon Park Gardens. For more solitude, Virginia Key Beach is less crowded but no less beautiful. Bill Baggs Cape State Park on the island of Key Biscayne appeals to everyone, though. Home to the oldest structure in Miami-Dade County, the Cape Florida Lighthouse, this one-mile beachfront lets you do everything from canoe to fish.