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The Northeastern beaches of Florida are often overlooked in favor of more famous destinations like Panama City Beach or Siesta Key Beach, but this region is home to some beautiful stretches of coastline to explore.
Known as the “First Coast” – a nod to St. Augustine, the oldest city in the U.S. – this area has wide shorelines, natural barrier islands, and charming beach towns.
There are many family-friendly spots, scenic spots for sunrises, and peaceful stretches of sand away from the crowds.
If you’re wanting to explore beaches during a trip to St. Augustine, here are some of the best things to do in St. Augustine for your trip.
Fort Clinch State Park Beaches
Located at the northern tip of Amelia Island is one of the most scenic natural destinations in Northeast Florida. The park is best known for its well-preserved 19th-century Civil War-era fort.
At the fort you will see a row of cannons and get to explore the many rooms, galleries and the grounds to learn more about the life of a Union soldier. On the first weekend of every month. a soldier fires the cannons and demonstrates other battlefield skills.
Beyond the fort, the park spans over 1400 acres for visitors to explore. There is plenty of space to go cycling, birding, camping, hiking, paddling, shelling and swimming.
The wide uncrowded beaches with white sands, beautiful shells, and warm water make Fort Clinch State Park a perfect spot to enjoy a peaceful day out in nature. There is .75 miles of Atlantic shoreline and 2.5 miles of the St. Mary’s Inlet and Amelia River.
North Beach Park
Located on Amelia Island, North Beach Park is a quiet beach area that doesn’t usually see many crowds. It has two covered pavilions, picnic tables, and a boardwalk that goes to the beach. There is parking but it is limited although it’s not any smaller than other available parking spots.
There are no lifeguards on duty here, so take precautions, but it’s a nice place to swim and sunbathe. You might even be able to find some shark teeth here and many types of shells.
The North Beach Park is Beach Access 12 and the path too the beach is not too long for those who don’t want to walk far.
Main Beach Park
This area on Amelia Island is one of the most well-known beachfront parks on the island. It has lots of recreational grassy areas and amenities. There are volleyball courts, a playground, picnic shelters, restroom facilities, outdoor showers, multipurpose court, skate park and of course the beach accesses.
There are lifeguards on duty here at this beach but only from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. The parking space is bigger than other beach points but since it is one of the more popular places the parking can still be limited.
There are beach accesses all the way down Amelia Island but not all are created equal. Some have more parking and amenities while others don’t have much at all.
Peters Point Park
This park is centrally located on Amelia Island and is easily accessible. The big advantage of this park is that it has a huge parking lot with plenty of parking spaces to go around. There are a few amenities available here too including bathrooms, indoor and outdoor showers, and picnic tables.
It’s a great place for visitors to enjoy and while Peters Point is popular, it’s not overcrowded. You might even see fishermen or people walking their dogs along the shoreline.
If you choose to, you can order Sunsetters Beach Service to deliver loungers and umbrellas to the beach to complete your beach experience.
Amelia Island State Park
At the very southern tip of the island is Amelia Island State Park. It protects over 200 acres of wilderness that includes salt marshes, coastal forest and its beautiful beaches.
The park does have a $2 per person fee and a 300 people at a time with a maximum of 600 people per day since the beach parking is limited.
Nearby, across the water, is the George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park that has a mile-long pedestrian bridge that makes one of the best fishing spots in the area.
Big Talbot Island State Park & Boneyard Beach
The Big Talbot Island State Park has some of the most unique landscapes in the area. It’s a natural preserve that has a rugged shoreline with tidal pools, beaches with black rocks, and drift wood.
One such unique beach in the park is the Boneyard Beach that has massive driftwood trees on the beach. The trees create a dramatic shoreline on the Boneyard Beach while Blackrock Beach has a similar dramatic shoreline with rocks. The rocks are made of highly compressed peat and sand while being shaped by the waves.
There’s a paved path that runs through the park for cyclists, and nature trails for those who want to take a walk.
Little Talbot Island State Park
Little Talbot Island is right next to Big Talbot Island State Park and is more favorable for its beaches. It’s perfect for swimming and sunbathing on an undeveloped Atlantic Coast beach. It boasts more than 5 miles of pristine sandy beaches. Look out for fossilized shark’s teeth or sand dollars as well as shells on the beach.
There are also 3 miles of bike trails to explore and hiking trails like the Dune Ridge Trail. It runs for four miles with sandy paths, arching live oaks and crashing waves in the distance.
Huguenot Memorial Park
Huguenot Memorial Park is basically all surrounded by water as the park sits on a narrow, elongated peninsula that forms the northern edge of the St. Johns River inlet. This gives the park a nice long stretch of sandy beaches and dunes.
There are options for camping, surfing, fishing, kayaking, and going on nature trails. It’s also a premier birding site for those who love birding in Florida.
Another cool feature of this park is that you can drive and park directly on the beach making it great for anglers and campers. There are also lifeguards on duty and concessions available at the park. To enter, there is a fee of $3 for pedestrians or bikers and $5 for vehicles.
Atlantic Beach
Atlantic Beach is the next laid-back seaside community located along the northeastern coastline with access to the beach. It has many public beach access points along its two miles of Atlantic shoreline. These access points are spaced mostly at street ends offering many ways to reach the beach from nearby parking and neighborhoods.
Parking might be a little difficult to find but you can park at any of the street ends or near the access points.
Since these beach accesses are close to town unlike the parks, they allow you easy access to shops and restaurants. Not too far away is the Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park and has even more access to outdoor activities beyond the beach.
Atlantic Beach neighbors with Neptune Beach that also has great access points to the beach.
Jacksonville Beach
Jacksonville Beach is one of the more vibrant beach destinations in Northeast Florida. The beach is located about 17 miles east of downtown with many beach accesses. The beach here offers visitors a family-friendly environment with plenty of space for beach and water activities.
For a small fee of $2.50 for non-locals and $1.50 for locals (that can be .50 less with a cash discount), you can walk onto the Jax Pier far into the Atlantic Ocean. You’ll find people strolling and fishing on the pier up until sunset.
Nearby, there are plenty of places to eat with fresh coastal cuisine and other entertainment.
Mickler’s Landing Beachfront Park Beach
Just two blocks east of the A1A is the Mickler’s Landing that’s the first public beach in Ponte Vedra. It is famous for its pink, coquina sand shoreline and the beautiful water. If you dig through the sand, you can find plenty of seashells and shark teeth.
There you have bathroom facilities, outdoor showers, and a big parking space. From the parking lot, there is a long wooden walkway that leads to the beach. You can enjoy pavilion space and picnic tables for a full day at the beach.
The beach is also dog-friendly and you might even see some horseback riding on the beach.
Vilano Beachfront Park
The Vilano Beachfront Park is a nice place to enjoy the beach with plenty of amenities. With pavilions, changing stations, a playground, restrooms and showers, the beach has everything you need for a comfortable beach escape.
There’s even a stage for occasional entertainment or community meetings. It’s one of the top beaches for locals too in the area with a casual and quiet atmosphere.
Anastasia State Park
For pristine white sand beaches, Anastasia State Park is definitely one of the best places to enjoy beaches in north east Florida. There are more than 1,600 acres of unspoiled beaches, marshes, and sand dunes creating a haven for wildlife.
Birding is a dream here for those who love looking out for different species of birds, the beach mouse is a cute rodent to spot and you can see plenty of marine life too out in the water. Whether you choose to stay on land or venture out into the ocean to go swimming or kayaking, there is plenty to explore.
In addition to exploring the nature, there are also old Spanish quarries to discover. These quarries were used to mine coquina, a type of limestone composed of mollusk shells and sand, that was used in building many of the early colonial structures in St. Augustine. It’s what the Castillo se San Marcos is made of!
St. Augustine Beach
If you’re looking for a beach with easy access, nearby accommodations and entertainment, restaurants and shops, and an impressive pier, this is the beach to be at. Not only that, but it also has a beachside pavilion, a splash park and a sand volleyball court.
It’s everything you imagine a nice beach to be that’s close to all of the conveniences and luxuries of a city. For example, you can use Barney’s Beach Service to rent beach chairs and umbrellas and have them set it up for you and take it down.
Crescent Beach
This beautiful stretch of beach is a quiet escape that’s situated between the touristy St. Augustine and the rugged Matanzas Inlet. It’s slightly off the beaten path but that’s what makes it a great place to be.
It has convenient parking, picnic gazebos and restrooms for those who want a beach with some amenities. It’s on the southern end of Florida’s Historic Coast and still maintains that old Florida feel while being not too far away from St. Augustine city.
Matanzas Inlet
Matanzas Inlet is the last remaining natural inlet on the state’s Atlantic coast. That’s what makes this place special is that it’s an untouched area where you can go fishing, surfing, kayaking, boating, shelling and so much more.
There are also hiking trails to explore and even a cool fort. Fort Matanzas National Monument is a coquina watchtower that was completed in 1742 that defended the southern approach of St. Augustine.