Coronado Central Beach is a mile and a half of wide, golden sand that glitters from flecks of mica, stretching beneath the turrets of the historic Hotel del Coronado just across the bay from San Diego. Regularly ranked among the best beaches in America, it offers gentle surf, year round lifeguards, and room to spread out for swimming, surfing, or a sunset stroll. With fire rings, volleyball courts, and the iconic red roofed hotel as a backdrop, it is an easy and worthwhile day trip for almost any traveler.
Highlights
Glittering mica-flecked sandHotel del Coronado backdropYear-round lifeguarded swimmingBeginner-friendly surf lessonsBeach fire rings and volleyball courtsWinter low-tide tide pools
Clearwater's wide ribbon of ultra-fine white quartz sand meets calm, bath-warm Gulf water, with a walkable strip of cafes right behind it. Every evening the free Sunsets at Pier 60 festival fills the sand with buskers and makers before the sky goes pink. It is the easy do-everything Pinellas beach day: park once and stay through sunset.
Siesta Key Beach near Sarasota runs on sand that is roughly 99 percent quartz, so fine and white it stays cool underfoot even on a hot afternoon and squeaks as you walk. Spread a towel on the wide flats, swim the calm turquoise Gulf shallows, then ride the free trolley into Siesta Key Village for dinner. Drumming circles draw crowds to the soft sand at sunset.
St. Pete Beach fronts the Gulf with a long ribbon of white sand and some of Florida's most reliable sunsets, all under the pink, 1928 silhouette of the Don CeSar hotel. Swim the warm shallows, walk the quieter sands down at Pass-a-Grille, or join a dolphin watching charter from Merry Pier. Stay through dusk, when the sky over the water turns to color.
