Best Florida beaches

Vague question - really depends on what things you value at the beach - quiet, sand quality, nearby restaurants, party scene?

Private beach and blinding white sand

Has it gotten less crowded? Been going there for 40 years and the pandemic was insane to the point that I haven't been in a few years.

Siesta Key is huge and very prety as are the beaches on Marco Island.

I like Bonita Dog Beach because the pooches can run and play.

Longboat Key

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Pensacola

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My birthplace. I have fond memories of the beaches in that area.

Hard to beat the beaches of Fort Walton/Destin/Seaside for pure beauty.

However, my favorite beaches these day are on Hutchinson Island, north of Stuart, FL on the Treasure Coast.

Beautiful water that is warm enough to swim in year round. The sand is not as sugary white as those on the Gulf side, but the water is all kinds of different shades of blue.

You can park for free right next to the beach and walk on in many places and parking is readily available. Most of the parks have bathroom facilities, as well. There is very little traffic - sometimes the bridge gets a little backed up, but that's not normal.

I go to Walton Rocks Beach, which is a public off-leash beach to give Scout a chance to frolic in the water. The shelling is pretty good, too.

There are condominiums in some areas that are zoned for condos, but usually they are less than 10 stories high and spread apart. There is quite a bit of beach front allocated to preserves and parks (with parking lots), meaning that beach access is very easy, and you can see the ocea from the car in many spots. There are a lot of private homes on the beach, which cuts down on traffic, as opposed to a place like West Palm Beach where you have 20 story condos stacked 2 or 3 deep on the beach. Having said that, there are Air Bnbs and condos available to rent on the island. I know there is a Marriott Golf Resort at one end of the island, but I can't think of any other hotels on the island. It's that quiet.

There are some day where my wife and I will go to the beach and it feels like we are on a private beach, because it is deserted.

The drawbacks are that there are not a lot of restaurants and bars close by. They are there, and there are some nice casual waterfront bars, but you may have to drive 5-10 minutes to them. There are a few nice restaurants on Hutchinson Island, but you have to go to Ft Pierce or Stuart to find a good walkable area with lots of restaurants and bars.

ETA: The biggest drawback is location, which is that it not close to any major airports and a long drive if you live out of state. West Palm or Orlando would be the best bets as far as airports. Orlando will have cheaper flights and you can always spend a day or two at the theme parks before heading to the beach, which is 1-2 hours away, depending on which beach on the Treasure Coast you go to. PBI is about an hour from South Hutchinson Island.

Mexico Beach has been our go-to the past few years.

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In recent years I've shifted to Grayton Beach just past the madness of Destin and just before the next madness of the planned communities of 30A. No hotels or high-rise condos--just houses.

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My family used to vacation there for years in the early 2000s. Always ate one night at the Red Bar and another night at another upscale place locally. We loved it there because it was a little off the beaten path, but right on the beach.

Even Grayton Beach is pretty crowded, these days. One nice thing is that you can walk up the beach to Seaside and go to concerts, restaurants, bars, etc, and walk back (It's about a mile on the beach).