The beach?

[Verity Chambers]

I do apologise as I know this has been asked a million times before!

We want to spend a day at the beach (well DH does anyway!), but I'm not sure where to head. It will be the two of us and DD (2). Any good suggestions.

Thanks .

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Hi,

Further away from Orlando but personally feel the beaches on the west coast cannot be beat.
There is a lot of work being done on Clearwater at the moment which is the only thing that would put me off going there.

Anna Maria Island is just above Sarasota and is THE best beach I have ever been on, never really crowded and pure white sand.

 

[Verity Chambers]

Thanks Johnny! How far from Orland is that?

 

[Stitch's Greatest Fa]

Is cocoa beach worth a visit?

 

[Callum]

I'd go along with Johnny's suggestion. A 2 to 2 1/2 hour drive would get you there.

Another favourite of ours is Treasure Island - a 2 hour drive away - which is just to the North of St Petersburg. Never seen the beach over crowded.

 

[tyke]

The east coast beaches - Cocoa and Daytona are ok and are a shorter drive from Orlando.

St Augustine is very nice and worth a visit.

The west coast beaches on the gulf of mexico are far better and the water is much warmer !!!

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Thanks Johnny! How far from Orland is that?

Hi Verity,

I would say around 2 hours direct to Anna Maria.

To Clearwater/St Petes, maybe slightly less.

http://www.annamariaislandchamber.org/

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Is cocoa beach worth a visit?

It is much closer to Orlando, but in my opinion the beaches on the other coast are in a different league.
Further away but worth it, wasn't that impressed by Cocoa to be honest.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

We drove to clearwater for the day years ago, it was worth it,only went to fl for a week, norm we go for a whole week. cocoa beach is ok but not in the same ball park as say clearwater, wish I was there now, never seen any dolphins at cocoa beach, you always see them at clearwater/dolphin beach, go on the sea screamer at clearwater!! its great.Key Largo was my fav ever.

 

[diberry]

We stayed on Anna Maria Island one year and it's the only time in my life I've ever walked into a warm sea! Miles and miles of white beaches, very quiet - not much else for tourists as far as I recall. Very unspoiled.
St Pete's and Clearwater are nice too and a lot more to do but also much busier, depends what you're looking for really - anywhere down that coast is lovely.

 

[ford family]

Anna Maria Island taken in June.

ford family

 

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

We always have a day at Clearwater - the sea is so much warmer than Cocoa beach!

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

The photo of Anna Maria island is great

 

[alisonbestford]

Clearwater Beach was lovely, as was St Petes

We've also stayed at New Smyrna Beach (just down the road from Daytona but Daytona seemed a little 'frantic' and too much like Blackpool for me )
New Smyrna was somewhat 'wilder', weather wise, than the West Coast but lots to see locally.

http://www.nsbfla.com/

A Floridian friend goes to Cocoa Beach for the 'holidays' but says she much prefers Clearwater - Cocoa Beach is so much closer for just a day or two

 

[Verity Chambers]

Thanks everyone! We are going to try Anna Maria Island, it looks lovely!

 

[jackieleanne]

It does look lovely back when i was 6 on my first trip to DW we went to Clearwater to stay for a few days because back then there was only 3 disney parks and one universal park and no where near as many rides so we had more time to relax I remember it being lovely, now just picking which of the three out of Tresure Island, Anna Maria and Clearwater instead of Cocoa like originally planned. Which is the best for Dolphins and are they easy to get to from Orlando?