Under-the-Radar Florida Beach Towns to Visit this Winter

From Fodors

From the East Coast Atlantic to the Florida Panhandle, we picked quiet Florida beach towns that you need to check out.

Here’s the thing about Florida: You visit time and again, and you’re quite sure you know the state and its glorious sandy stretches pretty well. But there’s always a surprise waiting for those who stray from the classic Panama City–Orlando–Miami–Key West stops. From Atlantic coast enclaves that locals try to keep to themselves to subtropical islands dotting the Gulf of Mexico, from the Tampa Gulf and the Florida Panhandle, most of our picks for under-the-radar Florida beach towns won’t ring a bell, but consider that a good thing. Get away from the vacationing masses for a taste of old Florida in these spots where the simple things—sun, surf, and a no-worries attitude—still reign on these quiet beaches.

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Atlantic Beach

There’s just one high-rise building—the classy One Ocean Resort & Spa along this primarily residential beach just east of Jacksonville. In-the-know surfers and vacationers converge for an east coast beach vibe that feels more like the Outer Banks than Florida. Bathing suit–clad bikers pedal colorful beach cruisers along the sand at low tide and past the cluster of shops and restaurants along Ocean Boulevard, where Atlantic and Neptune beaches converge. Grab your morning coffee with surfers at Southern Grounds in Neptune Beach (the neighboring seaside burg) or opt for a sunset cocktail later in the day at the Lemon Bar, right on the beach and attached to the old-school Sea Horse Inn. Vacationing families and locals alike head to Whit’s Frozen Custard for a sweet interlude to a great beach day. There’s hardly a chain hotel or restaurant to be seen in these parts, and that’s much of what makes Atlantic Beach so special.

INSIDER TIPHead just north of Atlantic Beach (you can bike along the beach or go by car to get there) to Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park, which has some of the best mountain biking trails in Florida.

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Deerfield Beach

Heading south from West Palm Beach, tourists tend to make a beeline for the vacation destinations ofFort Lauderdale and Miami. But it’s well worth exiting I-95 at Deerfield Beach for a different kind of Florida stay. The luxury boutique hotel Royal Blues Hotel, with just 12 yacht-inspired rooms fronting the ocean, is a contemporary stunner clad in teak and marble. But there’s still an old-school feel to Deerfield that defies South Florida’s overt bling. The beach here is particularly pristine and has been named a “Blue Wave Beach” by the Clean Beach Council. Toss out a line from the 976-foot-long fishing pier that juts into the Atlantic, or enjoy top-notch scuba diving just offshore on the wreck of the Ancient Mariner; head out with Dixie Divers, a 1930s Coast Guard cutter that sits upright in crystal-clear waters loaded with fish.

INSIDER TIPAccessible by boat only (with a weekend boat shuttle), Deerfield Island Park has spectacular nature trails draped with mangroves and other native Florida flora.

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Vero Beach

Located within roughly two hours of both Orlando andMiami, Vero Beach sits along Florida’s Treasure Coast, so named for the Spanish treasure fleets that sank here in the 1700s. After a big storm, you’ll see folks with metal detectors in hand strolling along the beach, hoping to get lucky. But even luckier are the vacationers who find their ways to this subdued stretch of sand over the ticky-tacky tourist towns (Cocoa Beach and Daytona Beach) to the north. Made largely of driftwood and listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, The Driftwood Resort has great rooms for families and a fun restaurant and bar called Waldo’s fronting the ocean. For excellent Cuban food and Caribbean vibes, stop by Wave Kitchen & Bar at the stylish Costa d’Este Beach Resort & Spa, owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan. And theKimpton Vero Beach Hotel & Spa is another beautiful oceanfront property population with vacationing families. Loggerhead turtles nest here from March through October; you can witness the action during sea turtle watch programs that take you out on local beaches for a chance at seeing nesting turtles in action. For the most amazing overhead looks at the area, book a sightseeing flight with Treasure Coast Seaplanes during which you’ll flow low over the coast before landing on an isolated inland lake.

INSIDER TIPSebastian Inlet State Park, just north of Vero, is one of the best spots in the state for both surfing and fishing.

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Ponce Inlet

Just 10 miles south of the hectic spring break and biker scene of Daytona Beach lies one of east coast Florida’s most quaint seaside spots, Ponce Inlet. The Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse—built in 1835, and the largest lighthouse in Florida—is the crown jewel in the town of roughly 3,000, and looks like something you’d spot along the coast of Maine. There’s an observation tower as well as surrounding nature trails to explore. Lighthouse Point Park, on the southern tip of the peninsula, has beaches with sugar-fine sand and calm waters that are often pocked with playful dolphins. Cool off with a rum-spiked cocktail at the Hidden Treasure Rum Bar & Grill, next to the lighthouse, and feast on flopping-fresh Florida fish at waterfront Down the Hatch Seafood Company.

INSIDER TIPStroke a stingray in the touch pool and learn about turtle and seabird rehabilitation programs with a visit to the Marine Science Center, a great family outing.

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Cedar Key

Located about 2.5 hours north of Tampa on the Gulf Coast, the low-development cluster of islands that comprise Cedar Key make for a very different kind of Florida vacation. Here, getting back to nature and the simple things are the focus, and Cedar Key feels like the kind of Florida locale where Hemingway would hang his hat. The Cedar Key Seafood Festival, held every October at the start of stone crab season, is a great time to visit, as it’s one of just a few times during the year when visitors can access nearby Seahorse Key (reached by boat), a protected island with a historic lighthouse that’s part of the Cedar Key National Wildlife Refuge. Be sure to try local delicacies like mullet dip, oysters, and clam chowder. You can find traditional wooden stilt houses to rent on vacation rental websites, and plan to head out on guided tours with Kayak Cedar Keys to spot horseshoe crabs, ospreys, and raccoons and visit a 19th-century cemetery.

INSIDER TIPYou’ll likely be directed to Tony’s Seafood Restaurant for the famous clam chowder, but be sure to hit Kona Joe’s Island Café, too, for Florida’s tastiest shrimp and grits.

Vilano Beach

Historic St. Augustine, America’s oldest town, is one of Florida’s top tourist attractions and can feel as crowded as a theme park much of the year. Travelers in the know opt to visit as a day trip then bed down just north in the quieter coastal community of Vilano Beach. Magic Beach Motel is a cool retro hotel with funky murals in the rooms and complimentary breakfast to start you off right for a day of sun and surf on Vilano’s pristine beach. For the most romantic hotel in town, book in at the historic Casa Monica Resort & Spa. A dinner favorite, with outdoor tables overlooking the Tolomoto River, is Beaches at Vilano. Live music accompanies the sunsets here, and the seafood is second to none.

INSIDER TIPThe beach at Vilano is one of the best in Florida for finding shark’s teeth. Just sift through the sand at low tide and look for telltale razor-sharp edges glinting among the shell shrapnel.

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Anna Maria Island

From crème brûlée French toast for breakfast at Ginny and Jane E’s, a restaurant and beach-inspired home furnishings shop housed inside a former IGA grocery store, to pedaling a beach cruiser around the quiet residential streets, Anna Maria Island activities are as good as Florida’s Gulf Coast beach life gets. Located at the northern tip of a barrier island just offshore from swanky Sarasota, AMI, as the locals call it, is almost entirely free of chain stores and hotels. Settle in at a table with your toes in the sand at the Sandbar for beautiful sunsets and killer grouper sandwiches. And head to Beach Bums to rent toys like beach cruisers, SUPs, surrey bikes, and kayaks.

INSIDER TIPPineapplefish Rentals has an incredible selection of artistically decorated bungalows and villas on AMI’s beautiful canals and sugar sand beaches.

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