I was talking to a Disney friend the other day, and told her I thought it was so funny that she makes all these trips to FL and never sets foot on the beach! 
But we are beach people, first and foremost. Do y'all have your favorite FL beaches? Do you ever take time to head to the beach when you are here? I'd love to hear your impressions of one of our states best features 
Sorry Lizzy, we are so NOT beach people. So my answer to this question is the beach at the Poly lol.
I have family in Central Florida so we go to the beach quite often when visiting them. We love New Smyrna beach. It is on the east coast. Its more of a family place than somewhere like Daytona.
My other favorite beach is of course Panama City. I have family there as well. They have made so many changes over the last 5 years. Its no longer the party beach, so its very very nice and very family oriented.
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We like the Gulf much better than the Atlantic. This year we are going to North Redington. We like Treasure Island, Clearwater, and Madeira also. They are all really close to each other so it just depends on the hotel/condo usually. Some day I do want to go to Vero Beach and stay at the Disney resort there.
We aren't really beach people either and never go to the beach when we are down there. My Grandparents used to have a house on the beach in Melbourne Florida and I would go down there in the summer but don't know the name of the beach.
We're not beach people but we always take a trip to the beach at some point, its a relaxing day plus we get to see more of Florida. For me, I would probably say i liked the beach at miami, but it felt a bit too 'trendy' for us LOL. So I would say Clearwater as a close second 
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We used to always take a beach day. My husband proposed to me at Clearwater Beach on one of our Disney trips. No idea why he didn't do it at Disney, LOL!
I LOVE Cocoa Beach for the waves, but we do Clearwater now for our son since it's calmer.
Sanibel Island has the best for shells and white sand.
I also am not a beach person and the only FL beach I have ever been to is Daytona Beach, and you can well imagine what I did there.
My parents are with Poppet on this one....they love Sanibel Island! They go every single year in May.
New Smyrna, definitely!
I've been the beach in Florida once like 30 years. I want to say it was Daytona Beach but I can't remember for sure.
I'm a reborn beach person! As a kid, we'd come down to visit my grandparents on Merritt Island and would usually do a day at Cocoa Beach or New Smyrna Beach. This was back in the day when Ron Jon was still a cool little store on the pier. Wow, I feel old...Anyway! I remember the waves seemed a bit rough and I always wound up with sand in unpleasant parts of my bathing suit!
However, a few years ago we did a different kind of trip - 2 days at Universal, 2 days at Disney & 3 days on the beach at Treasure Island. We were totally hooked. After a moderate amount of exploring, we found some awesome beaches on the Gulf side - Fort DeSoto's North Beach and St. Pete Beach near Passe-A-Grille were the big winners for us. We also did a snorkeling day trip to Egmont Key. Loved it! 
The best part was watching my...ahem...risk-averse child leaping fearlessly off the deck of the boat to go snorkeling. If you can drag yourself away from Disney a few days early or just have the extra time, a few days lazing around on the beach are a fantastic way to NOT need a vacation to recover from your vacation.
LoL... Becks has been trying to get me to the beach for years! The big problem, I HATE sand!! I'll take my beaches as just a a view from the cement and chlorine!
What a great array of tastes we have! I've managed to see beaches all up and down both coasts, as well as they Keys, and they all have their charms for me! Thanks for weighing in, everyone Feel free to keep the opinions coming...I'm definitely learning about a few more spots I'd like to see!
I'm not really a beach person (I prefer pools) as the sand get's everywhere. The only Florida beach I've been to is Clearwater, the weather was slightly overcast and a bit windy so I don't think I saw it at it's best. It was nice, but didn't change my opinion about beaches in general.
It will come as no surprise to some to learn that if I had to pick a beach anywhere, it would be a quiet cove in the Greek Isles. One in particular is very quiet as Loggerhead Turtles nest there during the spring/summer months.
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I am such a beach girl. I grew up on Hilton Head, SC so the beach runs through my veins I think. Since we live in SC we don't really do the beach too much in Florida but one trip we went to Cocoa Beach first for a few days and we just LOVED it. We wanted to do that again this year but I'm not sure if we'll get to!
Bella
We're not really beach people either, but we did make the trek to Daytona Beach one year during a Disney trip.
We've always wanted to at least see the Gulf side - we thought about taking a half day during our Disney trip and heading to a Gulf area. But we're not the type that can sit and lay on the beach, so all we would do is walk around. And I would probably keep saying "This is nice...can we go back to Disney now?"
We are beach people. We come all the way from Colorado every year, so we make it a point to explore the beaches as much as possible while still getting in our full dose of Disney time. The last few years we've been starting out vacation in Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area for a few days, then making our way up to Orlando. But we usually break up our time at the parks with a trip to Clearwater and Cocoa Beach as well. This year though, I'm hoping to check out a beach we haven't been to yet, which has been voted one of Florida's best beaches, Caladesi Island.
We are beach people. We come all the way from Colorado every year, so we make it a point to explore the beaches as much as possible while still getting in our full dose of Disney time. The last few years we've been starting out vacation in Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area for a few days, then making our way up to Orlando. But we usually break up our time at the parks with a trip to Clearwater and Cocoa Beach as well. This year though, I'm hoping to check out a beach we haven't been to yet, which has been voted one of Florida's best beaches, Caladesi Island.
Welcome, Christinafo! Let us know your impressions of Caladesi - I've never been there.
I'm not really a beach person (I prefer pools) as the sand get's everywhere. The only Florida beach I've been to is Clearwater, the weather was slightly overcast and a bit windy so I don't think I saw it at it's best. It was nice, but didn't change my opinion about beaches in general.
It will come as no surprise to some to learn that if I had to pick a beach anywhere, it would be a quiet cove in the Greek Isles. One in particular is very quiet as Loggerhead Turtles nest there during the spring/summer months.
Definitely give them another try...but I would certainly love to explore the Greek Isles as well! We actually have sea turtle nests all up and down our beaches as well, so things are kept quiet and dark at night for their benefit.
I just realized I hadn't offered MY 2 cents! I love Daytona. I've been going there since I was little, and before I visited, there were always stories of my mom's family vacations there as a child, so there's a lot of sentimentality wrapped up in it. Still, I like it on its own merits, too. We normally stay at the south end (just north of the Dunlawton Bridge.) There is driving on the beach, which is unique, but there are also areas where driving isn't permitted.
I think what I'm realizing is the same exact beach can be so different, depending on water conditions. Last August, we spent a week at South Daytona. The water was pristine and clear. The beaches are nice and wide, and the sand is powdery. There aren't a lot of shells, so tender feet aren't bothered. I've seen it look cloudy and murky and rough, too. Rough days are super fun for surfing or boogie boarding, or just jumping the waves!
Sanibel has its charms, but honestly, I like our East Central beaches better for an overall "beach" experience. I will say that I thought Sanibel was MUCH prettier (and so were the shells) during our Labor Day visit, versus two July trips we've made.
St. Andrews State Park near Panama City had gorgeous beaches when we visited in May 2008! Really, it looked like something straight out of the Caribbean. However, we visited again in July 2009, and it was murky and ugly. It's so crazy how different things can be. I'm sure it was just the time of the year, or the crowds.
We love the beaches at Clearwater, but the paid parking and crowds were daunting. Daytona has spoiled us with all of the free parking available, in lots, at waterfront parks, and at some on ramps.
Finally, in Miami, the beaches made by the expressway built out to Key of Biscayne are surprisingly nice! We like the clear water and little waves - great for playing with the kids.
This in no way represents all Florida beaches! But give them a try if you're a beach fan. I for one love them.
As of today I have a new favorite beach! We are on the west coast so today we went to St. Pete beach, and down at the end is a super cool quieter beach called Pass A Grille. It was absolutely perfect, close and ample parking, a few low key restaurants and shops, nice sand, shells and beautiful blue green clear water. If you've been to Treasure Island, Medira, or Reddington, it's just south of there, and worth the extra few miles. We also love Anna Maria Island, it has a totally different relaxing feel than the hub bub craziness of Clearwater.
I love love love the beach!
Julie
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About an hr from Orlando is Honeymoon Island Beach. It's really pretty and totally quiet if you're looking for a more secluded place. St. Pete Beach is always great, but there can be a lot of people in the summer. I went there for a few days for cheer camp last summer and we spent all morning jogging along the whole beach - there's some gorgeous views and pretty hotels! 
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About an hr from Orlando is Honeymoon Island Beach. It's really pretty and totally quiet if you're looking for a more secluded place. St. Pete Beach is always great, but there can be a lot of people in the summer. I went there for a few days for cheer camp last summer and we spent all morning jogging along the whole beach - there's some gorgeous views and pretty hotels!
I've been to Honeymoon Island Beach! We found it quite by accident. We thought it was gorgeous!
As of today I have a new favorite beach! We are on the west coast so today we went to St. Pete beach, and down at the end is a super cool quieter beach called Pass A Grille. It was absolutely perfect, close and ample parking, a few low key restaurants and shops, nice sand, shells and beautiful blue green clear water. If you've been to Treasure Island, Medira, or Reddington, it's just south of there, and worth the extra few miles. We also love Anna Maria Island, it has a totally different relaxing feel than the hub bub craziness of Clearwater.
I love love love the beach!
Julie, we'll have to check out Pass a Grille! I've never heard of it. Me toooo with the beach love! I feel restored when I can put my toes in sand and surf!