This is the place to go for surfing. The East Coast beaches offer the best waves (they generally get better the further north you go), and the Atlantic water is a tad cooler here than at the other beaches. Daytona Beach is a wide, flat beach where you can drive your car onto the sand. That explains why Daytona is the home of "Race Week" and the Daytona 500 in February, and "Bike Week" in March (1 hour drive). Cocoa Beach, home to the 'Ron Jon Surf Shop' is the closest beach to Orlando (45min to 1 hour drive). South of Daytona, New Smyrna Beach is also wide and flat with vehicle access, but much less crowded than its northern neighbor (1.25 hour drive). Melbourne Beach is easily reached from the Kissimmee area, and offers a clean narrow beach more popular with locals than tourists (1.25 hour drive).

Situated on the Gulf of Mexico, and smack in the middle of the Gulf Stream, the beaches of the West Coast offer warm, calm seas, and are generally regarded as very safe for swimmers. Try to stay late because the sunsets here are nothing short of spectacular. The most popular beaches are St. Petersburg and Clearwater. Both are famous for well groomed white sands, and their delightful mix of resort amenities and relaxed beach living (2 hour drive). Take a look at the Historic Spanish Fort at Fort Desoto while the kids splash the day away (2.25 hour drive). To get away from the crowds drive a little further south to Longboat Key, Sarasota, Ft. Myers, Naples, and Marco Island. (2.5 to 4 hour drive).

If you like your beaches with a more metropolitan feel this is where you want to go. The South East beaches of Florida have long been a playground for the wealthy and fashionable. The most well know, Miami Beach is always a hotspot for celebrities (4.5 hour drive). Look up from the water at the mansions of Palm Beach (3 hour drive). Key West is one of the best places in the world to go scuba diving (7 hour drive). The fish are biting off the coast of Key Biscayne (4.5 hour drive), and you can just imagine the tropical feel of Coconut Grove (4.5 hour drive).

The water here is the same warm, emerald green of the Gulf of Mexico as the West Coast Beaches. In fact the Panhandle is actually part of the West Coast, just a little further north. Here there is the expected beautiful shoreline found along the rest of the state, but there is also quite an emphasis on outdoor activities such as camping and fishing. Destin offers a wide array of full and half-day fishing charters, and was voted "Best Beach" by Parent Magazine (6.5 hour drive). For those who enjoy the fishing, but not the boating, try the Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge in Pensacola (7.5 hour drive). You can park your car right next to your spot! Enjoy 27 miles of white sand beach in Panama City, and if you like diving you'll find out why this is called "The Wreck Capital of the South" (6 hour drive). Camp out on St. George Island, and enjoy the stretch of undeveloped beach (5 hour drive).