Looking for a Quiet Beach Near Orlando

[jsmla]

I hope someone out there can help me!

DH Scott and I were supposed to in WDW 9/30-10/08 but now he wants spend a few days at the beach before we head home. I'd like to find a DH beach for him since he'll be doing Disney for me. A DH beach for Scott is one in as natural a state as possible. Scot is an avid nature lover.

I'm looking for a Gulf beach somewhere on the west Florida coast. I keep reading about Sanibel and Captiva and they sound about right. Which of these is the least developed? Can anyone help me choose?

What we want:
1. Quiet place with GREAT beach.
2. No more than 2 hours drive south of Disney.
3. A place that's fairly undeveloped. I know that's a tall order in this area but we hate those beaches lined with high rise condos and tat.
4. Within short driving distant of Ding Darling park.

Stuff we don't care about:
1. Luxury resorts with tons of amenities. A clean simple basic hotel will do.
2. We don't need a Gulf view but don't want to have to cross streets to get to the beach.
3. Restaurants, shops, entertainment venues. This part of the trip is going to be for a bit of R & R after 5 days at Disney.
4. Pool not important.

Thanks,
Jennifer

 

[tednvon]

Hi...here is copy of reply I did a while back...We absolutely loved Honeymoon
Island...check out the link...I think it is just what you are looking for and beaches without homes or condos or hotels are a rare thing anymore!! Folks do have to drive from the small hotels to get to the beach...but we think it is worth it.

Enjoy..Ted

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello,

We have done a bunch of beaches and here is our opinion...
Atlantic or east side is just OK...Daytona is very hard sand but can drive right on the beach at low tide...
Cocoa is OK...nothing spectacular...about one hour 15 minutes right to the beach. East side has very few shells, but great waves.

Clearwater (Gulf side) is about 1 hour 30 minutes...very busy but huge beach with sugery white sand and good supply of shells..good but not really big waves...nice local restaurants close...we love Cooter's about 2 blocks from the Ocean...

Best of all is Honeymoon Island about another 15 minutes from Clearwater...the ONLY State Park Beach for hundreds of miles...pristine shoreline with shells EVERYWHERE...you can walk for miles up the beach and not see a single condo or house...there are just two buildings, one with a snack shop and restrooms and a second with just restrooms...there is also a small very nice beach for swimming in front of the building with the snack shop...low waves pretty calm...very shallow out hundreds of feet
We loved Honeymoon Island and spent hours collecting shells...

Here is the site...FYI you could do both Honeymoon Island and then about 20 minutes to Clearwater beach and the restaurants if you started early from Disney area...

http://www.abfla.com/parks/Honeymoo...moonisland.html

Good Luck...Ted

 

[flatline]

Best of all is Honeymoon Island about another 15 minutes from Clearwater...the ONLY State Park Beach for hundreds of miles...

that's not quite correct. Fort DeSoto is just south of Honeymoon Island and is the largest state park in the area. it's a chain of barrier islands, so you have to drive in. it's as natural of a place on the west coast you'll find. Honeymoon Island is nice, too.

 

[tednvon]

Thanks, went to the web site...it looks beautiful....we just had not been that far south yet...Ted

 

[Gillian]

Another link for Honeymoon

You can also take a ferry from there to Caladesi Island St. Park. We loved it there! Our kids were little - 3 and almost 1 - and the water was wonderful for them. Very calm.

I don't know if there are any hotels in Dunedin, but that's the closest town. Clearwater is close too.

 

[Daisysmom]

I like Anna Maria Island and Treasure Island. Both are very quiet