Are there any beaches in Florida like Castaway Cay?

[SHammett]

I absolutely love Castaway Cay, in particular the clear water, lush sand with little to no waves. We have small children, one being 3 and not able to swim yet. The atmosphere was just so peaceful and easy to keep a close watch on the kids. I grew up going to Myrtle Beach and, of course, it just doesn't compare. Does anyone know of any beaches or resorts that are comparable and can be driven to?

 

[kcashner]

I don't think there are any beaches outside of possibly some private resorts that can compare to Castaway Cay.

 

[uromac]

Hi!

I just went to Siesta Key on the Gulf Coast of Florida near Sarasota - I was amazed at the long and deep beach which does not get very hot because the sand is made out of quartz and the beauty, warmth and gentleness of the gulf water which we had never experienced and went on forever not being very deep. I think it is a little under 2 hours to get there from WDW if that helps! Also it is always ranked one of the top ten beaches in the world - my sister just moved to the area and she now goes to that beach all the time!

Good Luck!

 

[pugmom626]

You might enjoy St. Pete Beach (St. Perersburg, FL). There are little or no waves and the water is so clear that you can see the fish without snorkeling. It's the Gulf of Mexico and much warmer than the Atlantic Ocean (although Myrtle Beach is much warmer than the Jersey Shore!) It's close to Busch Gardens, Tampa if you want to go to a theme park.

 

[barney4liz]

The Florida Gulf Coast has some incredible beaches. IMO, the most beautiful are along the Panhandle --Fort Walton Beach east to Panama City. The Seaside area is GORGEOUS, sugar-white sand, clear blue-green water. That is why this part of Florida is known as the Emerald Coast (I grew up there). Personally, I think these beaches are more beautiful than Castaway Cay.

The water can be rough sometimes (not as rough as the Atlantic for sure).

The west coast of Fla. further south, as others have mentioned, also has beautiful beaches and quieter waters. I have not been to Siesta Key but I hear it is beautiful. DH and I spent a lovely weekend last year at the Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater. Lovely place. Google "Sandpearl Resort" and you will find it.

 

[disney1990]

On my travels home from Florida over the weekend, I ran into a couple that was returning home from Siesta Key and they raved about it. It was their first visit there and they were already talking about going back.

 

[kileybeth]

Siesta Key is by far the best beach on the gulf coast. Nice and wide, gogeous white sand, clear water with a gentle incline out many feet into the even gentler surf. Loved it so much on a daytrip from Disney with our 4 kiddos, we returned for a long weekend with the DH.

There is a snack/lunch place as well. Restrooms are typical beach showers and just average. There are some playground areas as well. Ample parking.

NOT Castaway Key but didn't need to book a cruise to enjoy! The Gulf is so much nicer then the Atlantic IMO, and I live near an Atlantic Beach!

 

[KSandbergFL]

You might enjoy St. Pete Beach (St. Perersburg, FL). There are little or no waves and the water is so clear that you can see the fish without snorkeling. It's the Gulf of Mexico and much warmer than the Atlantic Ocean (although Myrtle Beach is much warmer than the Jersey Shore!) It's close to Busch Gardens, Tampa if you want to go to a theme park.

We live in Melbourne, on the east coast of FL. The beaches here are quite... ordinary. The surfing can be good, but if you want a Castaway Cay vibe, you need to head to the Gulf Coast, or down to the Florida Keys.

We've been to St. Pete Beach several times - the Gulf waters are much warmer and the sand is much nicer. The little section of southern St. Pete Beach is known as "Passa-Grille", and is technically its own little island.... very quiet, serene beach there.

I've also been to Pensacola and Ft. Walton Beach, those are very very nice beaches too.

Finally, my brother-in-law highly recommends Honeymoon Island, off the coast from Tampa... nearby is Caladesi Island -- accessibly only by boat (just like Castaway Cay). This web site makes it look really nice: http://www.romantichoneymoonisland.com/

There are some beautiful islands off the coast from Ft. Myers too, but I can't recall their names right now....

 

[moochpuppy]

The gulf coast would be the place for you. Some of the best are Naples, Venice Beach, Siesta Key, St. Pete Beach and Clearwater Beach.

 

[pumpkin21]

I can second Honeymoon Island. It is a great location. Lots of white sand, little waves.
Also, Fort DeSoto at the south end of St. Pete's beach is a good location. When the tide is out, there are little sand bars that appear.
My kids love to enjoy both locations.

 

[sabrecmc]

I would say the Panhandle area (Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Destin, Watercolor, etc.) and the Keys would probably come the closest. I live in the Panhandle, so am biased! However, while I actually find the sugar white beaches here and emerald waters to be prettier even than CC, the Gulf can be rough and the undertow is not to be messed with. My now 4 year old splashes in the Gulf with close supervision. We don't swim-swim there with her just yet. That being said, there are tons of resorts with awesome pool areas and splash zones, among other activities. Your child would not miss out.

 

[Tarabra]

Someone already mentioned Naples which is beautiful. Marco Island probably reminds me the most of CC though. Gorgeous.

 

[SHammett]

Thanks so much for all the replies! I will look into each one. Ideally, we would love to find a nice resort on that type of beach. We're a family of 6, so the airfare to somewhere in the bahamas or similar would be pretty big. We live in SC and don't mind driving 10 or so hours, so maybe one of these would work for us. Thanks again!

 

[everafter1]

I agree with the above posters, my favorite beach is Siesta Key in Sarasota. The beaches in Destin and Pensacola are also really pretty, but it's quite a drive from the Central Florida area.

 

[pugmom626]

Thanks so much for all the replies! I will look into each one. Ideally, we would love to find a nice resort on that type of beach. We're a family of 6, so the airfare to somewhere in the bahamas or similar would be pretty big. We live in SC and don't mind driving 10 or so hours, so maybe one of these would work for us. Thanks again!

Try the TradeWinds Island Grand, they have a paddle boat waterway that winds around the hotel and floating restaurant.
The beach is gorgeous!
http://www.tradewindsresort.com/properties/island-grand.aspx

 

[Im_A_Princess]

Thanks! Great to know!

 

[JOANNEL]

destin in the panhandle

 

[Kim&Chris]

Can any of you recommend a hotel in Siesta Key? I'm thinking about a 3-night pre-Disney stay here, and I'd love to hear some recommendations!

 

[JeanfromBNA]

I second (third? fourth?) the Panhandle. Both Rosemary Beach and Seaside offer beachside rentals. Rosemary Beach has a carribean vibe of sorts: http://rosemarybeach.com/

Seaside is where The Truman Show was filmed. Seaside was at the forefront of the New Urbanism (Traditional town) movement in city planning: http://www.seasidefl.com/

We've stayed at both resorts and can recommend them wholeheartedly.

 

[outahere]

You could also check out Hawk's Cay Resort in Duck Key, near Marathon - about mid-way down the keys.

We stayed there a few years ago and enjoyed it. They have a hotel and they also rent privately owned townhouse condos. The beach is protected by a breakwater and they have a lagoon that is great for kids, and several pools. They also have a Dolphin encounter where you can swim with the dolphins or be a "trainer" for a day.