Florida is known for its miles of coastline and sandy, powdery beaches. The turquoise blue waters, sounds of crashing waves, and smells of the ocean are enough to put a smile on anyone’s face.
With thousands of miles of coastline, Florida has many beach towns to consider for your next vacation.
The Sunshine State has a lot of well-known beach towns, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Clearwater, Naples, Palm Beach, and more.
This list will help you decide which beach town to visit by distinguishing the most walkable beach towns in Florida to help you narrow down the list of places to choose from.n These are great places to visit if you don’t plan or want to rent a car.
If you’re ready to get your steps in while you enjoy the expansive ocean views, look no further.
It’s no wonder Florida is such a popular place to visit, it’s beautiful, and the weather reigns supreme, and it has some of the prettiest beaches in the USA.
Best Time Of Year To Visit The Beach In Florida
The best time of year to visit Florida if you’re planning on spending your time at the beach is from the end of April to the beginning of June or the end of September through early November.
The summer brings high temperatures, intense humidity, and lots of rainfall, so it’s best to skip July and August if possible.
In August, the temperature can be near 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and you may experience a thunderstorm daily.
To make the most out of your beach vacation and to be able to enjoy comfortable temperatures for relaxing in the sand, consider the end of April to the beginning of June or the end of September through early November.
Best Walkable Beach Towns In Florida
Besides helping you get your steps in, walkable beaches are great because they save you the hassle of driving from place to place, looking for and paying for parking.
For many people, being able to explore on foot is a real treat. It makes getting around more accessible, and you can have a great time without worrying about renting a car, using public transport, or other modes of transportation.
Keep reading for the best walkable beach towns in Florida:
1. Delray Beach
Delray is a small city in Florida on the Atlantic Ocean. Walk along the main street and enjoy all the architecture and quaint establishments, then head to the beach for the day and enjoy the stunning views.
There is an awesome historical beach walk in Delray, and it’s about a mile long and will teach you all about the history of the area.
Delray’s size is what makes it so appealing. Since it’s on the smaller end, it is so much easier to get around making it one of the best small beach towns in Florida.
It’s also less crowded, so it’s the perfect place to visit if you want a beach vacation where you can easily get around on foot.
2. Sanibel
Sanibel is a small city on Sanibel Island, which is a barrier island on the Gulf of Mexico just off of mainland Florida.
The island is very walkable, making it super appealing.
It has charm and boasts an enticing, relaxing environment. It’s the perfect location to slow down and unwind.
The most popular activity in Sanibel is shelling. Enjoy walking along the coast looking for seashells because you’ll find stunning ones in Sanibel.
The marsh boardwalk is also a very cool place to walk around when you’re ready for a different view and a break from the sand and ocean.
Sanibel also has some of the most incredible sunsets in Florida.
3. Panama City Beach
Panama City is on the Gulf of Mexico in the heart of the Florida Panhandle. PCB has more than 27 miles of coastline, so your options are open.
With an ample amount of beaches with powdery white sand, there is no wonder it’s such a popular place to visit.
Panama is super walkable. There is a shopping trail known as Décor by the Shore filled with boutiques, antique shops, and other fantastic stores.
There is also Pier Park, an outdoor shopping venue with over a million square feet of stores. It’s the place for window shopping, browsing, and shopping till you drop.
If you want to be able to head to the beach and then get some reprieve from the sun and heat by heading to the stores, this is the very best place to be.
4. Naples
Naples is known for its luxuries. It’s on the Gulf of Mexico in southwest Florida and has many high-end stores and golf courses.
The Naples Pier is the symbol of the city and is an excellent place for fishing and even spotting dolphins.
Naples is the perfect destination that mixes luxury with relaxation and a quiet, slow-paced lifestyle.
The beach town has many parks and trails running through the city, so there are great walking opportunities everywhere.
Naples Pier is as much of a nice place to hang out as it is to walk along and enjoy the blue views.
It is also a very popular place to retire, so it has an older community and isn’t as rowdy as other locations in Florida. This is a great option if you’re looking for a more relaxing vacation.
5. New Smyrna Beach
New Smyrna Beach, also called NSB, is just south of Daytona on the Atlantic coast. It’s a popular surf destination and a great beach town if you’re looking for ease.
Smyrna Dunes Park has amazing coastal views and is an excellent place to check out and walk around.
NSB is considered one of Florida’s most walkable cities in Florida.
New Smyrna is divided by the Indian River North, which goes through the city. On one side, you have the beach, and on the other side, you have the central part of town. You can walk along the Causeway Bridge, which will take you over the river.
It’s a beautiful walk with fantastic city, river, and ocean views all in one.
Visitors of NSB often take the bridge to the beach and then walk back along it to grab food, a drink, or shop.
6. Miami Beach
Everyone has heard of Miami. However, Miami Beach is on a barrier island and entirely separate from Miami.
The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Miami might be beach parties, but it’s also a very walkable beach town, believe it or not, it is so much more than a party scene.
Miami Beach is an island city that connects to mainland Miami through bridges.
The beaches in Miami Beach are vast and are lined with palm trees and not all are party beaches. You can even find remote beaches in Miami.
Miami Beach is very pedestrian friendly and one of the most wheelchair-accessible beaches in Florida.
Shopping, restaurants, and bars practically line the beaches, so there is no shortage of things to do.
As a result, it often feels like a condensed version of Miami.
The Beach Walk is a great paved walkway that stretches the entire island, making it easy for pedestrians, cyclists, rollerbladers, and more to enjoy a space along the water.
Walk the whole thing or just a few blocks; it’s up to you. It’s a gorgeous and very accessible walkway.
7. Destin
Located on the panhandle, Destin is a great place for walking along the coast. The Destin Harbor Boardwalk is awesome for getting in some exercise.
It’s almost a quarter of a mile long and there are also many nature trails along the coast. Destin was ‘destined’ to make the list. lols
Harborwalk Village is in the heart of Destin Harbor and is a lively area with entertainment along the water.
You can partake in all kinds of water sports or just relax on the beach. This area also has live music, events, shows, and more.
You’ll never be bored walking around Destin, making it a great option.
8. Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale is on the Atlantic coast and is very walkable along the beach and boat canals. The Strip is a promenade with outdoor restaurants, bars, and hotels which is a great area for walking around.
There is also a boardwalk, lined on one side by the ocean and the other by restaurants and bars.
If you stay by the beach, it’s a very walkable area.
You can rent motorized scooters to get around even just a little bit faster. There are boating canals just off the ocean that are more quiet and more peaceful which is nice for strolling around, especially if you enjoy gazing at nice boats.
9. Hollywood
Hollywood, Florida, not to be mistaken for star-studded Hollywood, California, is an awesome small beach town to check out. Not only is it a walkable beach town it is also one of the best small beach towns in Florida.
It’s located on Florida’s east coast along the Atlantic Ocean.
It’s known for its 2.5-mile beach boardwalk, which is lined with palm trees. The thriving town is nestled in between its larger neighbors, Miami and Fort Lauderdale. It is one of the most walkable cities in Florida, that you will absolutely love.
The beaches in Hollywood are pristine and not as congested as the nearby cities, making it a great place to visit.
With the extensive boardwalk and relaxed beaches, Hollywood is a no-brainer amazing beach town to consider for your next trip to Florida.
10. Jacksonville Beach
Located on the Atlantic coast of Florida, Jacksonville is the most populous city in the state. It’s also the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020.
For such a prominent place, it’s very walkable. Jacksonville offers so much to do other than visiting the beach, which makes it super attractive.
There are often festivals, events, and concerts that occur frequently, but there are also museums, lots of shopping, and restaurants.
The bulk of the city lies within about a mile of the beach, so it’s very walkable to most attractions near the city and beach.
You can relax in the sand, then grab lunch or a drink. If you need to cool down, go window shopping and find some air conditioning.
Jacksonville is family-friendly and super convenient, but more importantly, it is one of the best walkable cities Florida has to offer.
If you are a surfer you will also be happy to know, it is one of the best surf towns in Florida as well.
Conclusions
There are so many great walkable beach towns in Florida. With so many great coastal places to choose from, hopefully, this has helped you narrow down your list.
Walkable beach towns make it so much easier and more enjoyable to get around without having to worry about logistics or having to spend money on renting a car, public transportation, or Ubers.
These towns have tons of shops, restaurants, and bars all within walking distance, which is a great break from being on the beach.
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Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is a great walkable beach town! Panama City not so much.
I love Lauderdale-by-the-Sea… I will have to add it to the list.