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Travel + Leisure

I've Lived in Florida for 35 Years—These Are My Favorite Affordable Beach Vacations in the Sunshine State

With a warm climate year-round and 1,350 miles of coastline, Florida has lots of places to enjoy a beach vacation. There are deep shipwrecks, big waves, and surf culture on the Atlantic side, and sugar-white sand and eco paradises filled with mangroves and wildlife on the west side. There are quiet spots where you can relax with a book and buzzy stretches where beach volleyball and Jet Skis fuel the vibe. I came here for college, and 35 years later, I still call the Sunshine State home. Florida has grown in popularity, but some beach enclaves remain affordable. Here are some of my favorite beach destinations in Florida when you want to maximize fun in the sun while staying on a budget. Lifeguard stand in front of a beach front building.I landed in Panama City Beach (PCB) a little more than 17 years ago and always count myself lucky to call this place home. With 300-plus days of sunshine each year, it's known to have some of the world's most beautiful beaches, including some affordable spots. And thanks to 100 beach access points, it's easy to spend a day paddleboarding the gentle waves or building sandcastles. Shell Island, the seven-mile barrier island just off St. Andrews State Park on the east end of PCB, provides a private oasis where you can collect moon snails, periwinkles, and olive shells—all native to the area. My family scuba dives and we spend our time underwater exploring the coral-encrusted shipwrecks, Goliath grouper, large sea turtles, and schools of angelfish. If you prefer to stay on land, inexpensive mini-golf courses dot the beach. Locals like me know to beeline for the food trailer, Finns Island Style Grub, which serves excellent fish tacos. Visitors exploring St. Augustine. Valerie de Leon/Travel + Leisure Once you've had your fill of affordable attractions like taking the free ferry to Rattlesnake Island–home to Fort Matanzas, a fortified watchtower built by the Spanish in 1740—head to the 42 miles of Atlantic Ocean-facing beaches. St. Johns County Ocean Pier has a beachfront park with bocce ball courts, a playground, and a children's splash zone. I love to spend the day relaxing on St. Augustine Beach before heading to Boat Drinks bar for arguably the best piña colada in the state. And that's saying a lot—last summer, I traveled the state top to bottom, trying cocktails and meeting bartenders while writing a book called, "Florida Cocktails." Sandy walkway on St. George Island. kellyvandellen/Getty Images On the Forgotten Coast of Florida, life moves a little slower. There's shelling, bird-watching, lighthouses worth exploring, and some of the best beach stargazing at Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park. It's common to catch sea turtles nesting at dawn on the 22 miles of serene beach in early summer. Relatively untouched for the 30 years I've been coming here, it often ranks among the top beaches in the U.S. An ordinance restricting buildings above three stories has kept the high-rises and big brands at bay. When you get hungry, Paddy's Raw Bar has a bushel of oyster preparations and a tasty shrimp salad sandwich with just the right amount of mayo and dill. Stop by Aunt Ebby's Ice Cream after a day on the sand; I've been taking my kids there since they were babies. A red lifeguard stand on a Jacksonville beach. Jackson Vance/Travel + Leisure Jacksonville has 22 miles of public, pet-friendly beaches dotted with surf shops, boutiques, restaurants serving Mayport shrimp, and magical spots like Boneyard Beach. Known for having some of the biggest waves on the East Coast, it's also a surfer's paradise. Visitors and locals alike can take lessons with Saltwater Cowgirls, a crew of women instructors. Just don't leave without tasting some Mayport shrimp—Jacksonville's beaches have several stops on the Mayport Shrimp Trail, or you can swing by one of the many fish camps for fresh, local seafood. Travel writer Carrie McLaren, born and raised here, loves TacoLu on Beach Boulevard. She says, 'My family stops here for tacos, margaritas, and the street corn after a day at the beach.' Sign for Flagler Avenue in New Smyrna. Valerie de Leon/Travel + Leisure A little over an hour from Orlando's theme parks and 30 minutes from Daytona's high-octane activities, New Smyrna Beach offers small-town vibes with long swaths of coastline, swooping Florida shorebirds, history museums, and families on beach cruisers pedaling the sand. With 17 miles of sandy beaches and North America's most diverse estuary, the Indian River Lagoon, there are plenty of budget-conscious activities for visitors. Book an inexpensive two-hour pontoon boat tour up the Indian River Lagoon. Guided by a conservationist from the Marine Discovery Center, you'll have a chance to spot the elusive manatee, leaping mullet, and pink-hued roseate spoonbill. You can also go fishing, and drop off your catch at JB's Fish Camp, where they'll cook it to order for just $15 and serve it alongside fries and coleslaw. Coastline of Stuart, of Palm Beach County, Stuart proves a South Florida escape can be done on a budget. A county-wide four-story building height restriction means no towering structures spoil the 22-plus miles of uncrowded beaches. Speaking of beaches, they're all public, with free parking and rolling beach wheelchairs for visitors with mobility needs. Beyond the sand, more than 115,000 acres of sprawling parks and conservation land offer lots of exploration opportunities, including free guided eco tours, like sea turtle beach walks, kayak trips, birding excursions, and more. Coral Reef Park on Key Largo. lucky-photographer/Getty Images For many, a Florida Keys vacation ends in Key West, but that's not necessarily the most affordable option in the archipelago. Just a couple hours north sits Key Largo, the largest of the Florida Keys and home to several beaches. It's a more budget-friendly option, plus it has the nation's first underwater park, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, where admission starts at $4.50. Soak up the sun on Far Beach, or swim to remnants of an early Spanish shipwreck 100 feet offshore at Cannon Beach. For travelers looking for affordable dining, Mrs. Mac's Kitchen, the longest-running restaurant in Key Largo, has fueled many of my personal dive trips. Sunset over Hollywood Beach. felixmizioznikov/Getty Images Located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, Hollywood offers a budget beach vacation tamer than its siblings to the north and south. Everything is within walking distance, and I never leave without a stop at Le Tub for one of their toasted coconut piña coladas. There's something about a boardwalk, or Broadwalk in this case, that makes a beach particularly attractive. The 2.5-mile pedestrian lane here is paved with bricks rather than wood, hence it's name, Broadwalk. Take in the dramatic ocean vistas plus outdoor cafes, farmers markets, juice bars, and ice cream shops while walking or roller skating (my preferred mode of transportation) the path. Two parks offer a little respite from the summer heat—paddleball is popular at the historic Garfield Street courts, and the children's water playground at Charnow Park has a whimsical dolphin fountain for kids of all ages (like me) to play in. A sandcastle in Pensacola, Florida. Pensacola Beach is home to one of the longest stretches of federally protected seashore in the U.S., Gulf Islands National Seashore. With 40 miles of soft, white-sand beaches and emerald waters, an ideal afternoon here might include swimming, snorkeling, and sandcastle building. If you visit on a Tuesday between April and October, talented local musicians provide the soundtrack to your beach getaway. Pensacola is also home to the first stop on the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, so don't forget to pack your binoculars. Pensacola also includes Perdido Key, home of the Flora-Bama Yacht Club—one of my favorite places to spend a lazy afternoon at the beach. From the Jimmy Buffett and Kenny Chesney lyrics painted on the walls to the memorabilia left by musicians passing through to the unobstructed view of the sand and sea, it's a must for anyone traveling to Florida. Order one of their legendary Bushwackers and sink into island life. Bird's eye view of Manasota Key. This barrier island, between Tampa and Fort Myers, may just be the least talked about slice of paradise in the Sunshine State. Go for the beaches filled with shark teeth ripe for collecting, but stay for the Hermitage Artist Retreat, a multidisciplinary collective offering free and low-cost public events. The island is also home to nature preserves, like Lemon Bay Aquatic Preserve, which has diverse ecosystems for hiking, bird-watching, and exploring mangroves. There's parasailing, tarpon fishing, dolphin tours, and more to enjoyed. And if you find a green sea grape leaf while exploring, add a stamp and mail it as if it were a postcard for the destination—it's a little-known, time-honored tradition on Manasota Key.