The Atlantic Coast or Gold Coast is commonly popular for surfing and other beach sports. In the North located in some beautiful areas often with additional great historical interest are St Augustine, Amelia Island, Jacksonville Beach, Palm Coast.

Central Atlantic Coast beach vacation rentals are high in number and many are very close for some magnificent beaches. Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Shores, Edgewater, Fort Pierce, Hutchinson Island, Melbourne Beach, Melbourne, Merritt Island, New Smyrna Beach, Ormond Beach, Ponce Inlet, Port St Lucie, South Hutchinson Island and Titusville, to mention but a few.

The mega rich descend on Palm Beach which is located in the Southern the main Atlantic coast Other popular beaches in this region include Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach and Sunny Isles Beach reaching down seriously to Miami and the renown Miami Beach.

The Florida Keys stretch 160 miles south of Miami and are often described as Florida's Jewels due to the sparking effect produced by the closeness of the ocean on both sides. You will find around 800 islands in the Keys, 42 of which are linked by bridges. Within the Upper Keys and Lower Keys there is an abundance of water sports and activities.

Gulf Coast Florida beach vacation rentals are well-liked by the "snowbirds" from the cold Northern elements of America and Canada and are frequently booked for longer periods in the first part of the year. The reason being the Gulf coast is often warmer and advantages of the warmer waters from the Gulf. A great range of location to escape the worst of the cold snow filled months in the North. The most used areas include Marco Island, Naples, Anna Maria Island, Bradenton, Clearwater Beach, Hudson, Indian Rocks Beach, Longboat Key, Madeira beach, New Port Richey, Redington Shores, Sarasota, Springhill, Venice and Tampa. With 26 miles of white sand beach running from Clearwater to St Petes, 3 beaches rank in the top 10 of the entire USA and 12 are award winning Blue Flag beaches. No other area of Florida has so many award winning beaches.

Caladesi Island was ranked Americas Number 1 beach in May 2008, located just north of Clearwater. A mangrove-covered kayak trail winds from the marina to the St. Joseph Sound and back. Kayaks can be found for rental through the Cafe Caladesi. The nature trail is a fabulous place to find Osprey or cross paths with a gopher tortoise. Make sure to take water and sunscreen!

Caladesi Island is accessible only by private boat or via the Caladesi Connection ferry service. Cost for the ferry is a few dollars per person. Ferry passengers are allotted a four-hour remain on the island. Pets are not allowed on the ferry. The ferry to Caladesi leaves from Honeymoon Island State Park hourly beginning at 10 AM.

Two other Florida beaches made the list, third-ranked Siesta Beach near Sarasota and ninth-ranked Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, near Miami.

The Public Beach on Siesta Key may be the widest beach in the area. It is also the most popular. Well-known for its soft white sand, the amenities include lifeguards, concessions, picnic tables & grills, rest rooms and showers. volleyball courts, tennis courts and a playground shaded by Australian pines are an added bonus. Parking is free. Be sure to get there before noon on the weekends since it gets busy.

The Florida Keys are not known for their long expanses of sandy beaches like the remainder of Florida. The beaches on the Keys remain sandy and fabulous, just smaller and often man-made. Two of the best are;

1. At mile marker 37 the Bahia Honda State Recreational Area has both sandy beaches and deep waters near shore. These provide exceptional swimming and snorkeling opportunities.

2. At mile marker 73 Anne's Beach is dedicated to famous local environmentalist Anne Eaton. It offers a shallow swimming area and although on the Atlantic Ocean has almost no wave action.

Many owners of Florida Beach vacation rentals have beach chairs, umbrellas and coolers etc due to their guests to use. Alternatively these may be rented quite cheaply at the beach themselves. Throughout Florida the facilities at the beaches are usually very well maintained. with most beaches having restrooms, shower and changing facilities, BBQ's etc as a minimum.