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Top 10 Florida Beaches To Avoid The Crowds

By Joe Winner

Here we are in the midst of another Southwest Florida tourist and snowbird season. It’s not just us. Towns and beaches across Florida are packed full. So which beaches can you go to – if you want to avoid the crowds? One thing to remember, tourists and especially snowbirds watch the news to see what the weather will be like. If there’s a chance of rain, most people won’t venture out to the beach. That’s your best day. We’ve scored free parking on Bonita Beach public access on days in January when it was a little drizzly in the morning. They all came out later when the sun peaked through around noon, but we had already established our prime spot. And the best way to avoid people once you have your spot? A tent. And not a big wide open tent. One like this:

This is how you do the beach when you don’t really like sun. Or the sand. Or people.

Posted by Joe Winner on Saturday, August 22, 2020

I opened the side flaps before I took the picture, but if you put the flaps down and push the tent fairly close to the water it’s like being out there all by yourself. Mind the tide charts if you want to get really close to the water.

But what if you can’t wait for a cloudy day and you need some beach time now? Islands.com keyed us on to  some lessor visited beaches in Florida. But why? Sometimes they’re a little out of the way, and one here in Southwest Florida even requires a ferry to get to. It’s pretty simple, people want convenience and if it takes some work to get there they will normally not bother. So if want some sun and some sand, without all the people, here are 10 Florida beaches you can visit to avoid the crowds.

If you just want to get something to eat near the beach here in Southwest Florida, that’s here:  The Best Southwest Florida Restaurants With Waterfront Views

 

  • Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, Key West

    Because so many people go to Key West to party, you can usually find a spot on the beach. Fort Zach is on the western edge of Key West and even has a cafe to pick up refreshments. It’s also quite possible you’ll stumble across someone getting married.

     

  • T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park

    This one makes the list because it’s just so far away from everything. Just down from Panama City on the Florida panhandle there’s so many other beaches you could stop at before you got there. And a lot of people do. This is 20 miles of white-sand nature preserve and if you don’t mind going out there when the weather is cool, you may be all alone.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BgHceO0nqX2/

  • Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin

    Just outside of Clearwater, the crowds are limited because there’s no roads. You’ll need to hop a ferry to get there and the ferry only carries 30 people at a time. If you have your own boat and know the area that works too. Again, because it’s kind of hard to get to, the crowds are smaller.

     

  • Seagrape Trail, Vero Beach

    Just north of Vero Beach on the East Coast. The was a shipwreck there back in 1715 and occasionally people happen across some treasure. Super soft sands, too. Definitely different from any Miami beach.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/4g1aK2PucA/

     

     

  • Flagler Beach

    Nice wide unobstructed beaches. On the east coast about an hour away from Orlando. There’s even a winery there.

     

     

  • Lovers Key State Park, Fort Myers

    2.5 miles of white sand on a 1,600-acre park. I think what keeps a lot of people away from here is the walk including crossing 2 canals to get to the beach. But if you put in the effort it’s going to be a lot less crowded than Fort Myers beach to the north and Barefoot to the south. Last I checked it’s also like 8 bucks to get past the guard shack. 

     

  • Dania Beach

    About 10 minutes south of Fort Lauderdale, this beach doesn’t get the attention that the bigger beaches get. Which is what we’re looking for.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CH-QQ4KF2d6/

     

  • Blue Mountain Beach

    Another Florida panhandle Beach, this one gets it’s name for – get this – it’s massive sand dunes. No lie, 65 foot high sand dunes. We don’t see anything like that in Southwest Florida. It’s in South Walton, but before you go check the tide charts. You’ll want to go during low tide. 

     

  • Big Talbot Island State Park, Jacksonville

    This state park is far enough away from Jacksonville to be pretty amazing. Be sure to check out the area known as Boneyard Beach: massive trees that have washed ashore then weathered white by the elements. Good spot for your insta.

     

     

  • Little Gasparilla Island, Fort Myers

    Let’s wrap it up with another local spot. Just off the coast of Rotunda West is this hard to reach beach. Remember Rotunda West? It’s that super weird looking development you can see from the plane as you get close to Southwest Florida.

    Little Gasparilla Island

    Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

    There’s no stores or restaurants on the island and unless you have a boat you’ll need to hop on that ferry to get there.  If you have the means, it’s worth the trip.

     

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