‘Ultimate beach destinations?’ Five places in Florida rank among the best in the US
If you’re seeking an ideal place to enjoy the sand and surf, you may be in luck.
That’s because Florida is home to five of the nation’s “ultimate beach destinations” for spring break travelers, a new report finds. Here’s where each place landed on the list:
- Saint Joe Beach at No. 4
- Vilano Beach at No. 5
- Pensacola Beach at No. 8
- Miramar Beach at No. 9
- Navarre Beach at No. 10
To determine the best beaches, vacation rental website HomeToGo waded through millions of property listings. It focused on those that received interest from people searching for trips from March to April 2025 and scored “hidden gem” destinations the highest, according to results shared with McClatchy News on Feb. 24.
Using data from travel review websites, the U.S. government and other sources, HomeToGo said it considered six other metrics: “the median nightly price for accommodation, average temperature, average days of rain, average visitor satisfaction, the number of nearby places to eat and drink, and the average distance traveled by vacationers to reach each destination.”
What makes the beaches special for spring break?
Of the Florida destinations that earned top 10 spots on the list, Saint Joe Beach ranked the highest at No. 4. The beach, located in the Panhandle, is a roughly 105-mile drive southwest from Tallahassee and “faces west for spectacular sunsets,” according to the Gulf County Tourist Development Council.
“Saint Joe Beach is a laid-back stretch of the Gulf Coast, offering sugar-white sand, shallow waters, and panoramic sunset views,” HomeToGo wrote in its report. “Free from high-rise development, it maintains an open, natural feel, with clear water ideal for swimming, paddleboarding, and spotting dolphins just offshore.”
The website focused its report on the top 35 beach destinations in the country. Among them, Saint Joe Beach made its mark as a top “hidden gem” and a fan favorite on Yelp, Tripadvisor and other review websites, results show.
Another high-scoring destination in the Sunshine State was Vilano Beach. The No. 5-ranked beach is a roughly 45-mile drive southeast from downtown Jacksonville, near the historic hot spot of St. Augustine.
“Vilano Beach combines a rugged shoreline with sweeping coastal views,” HomeToGo wrote. “Its slightly coarser sand and shifting sandbars make it unique among Florida’s Atlantic beaches. A scenic waterfront offers stunning sunset views over the Matanzas River.”
In addition to ranking high for visitor satisfaction, Vilano Beach was found to have several nearby restaurants. The area is also home to a pier and waterfront activities, according to the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau.
Rounding out the list of top 10 spring break beach destinations were Pensacola Beach, Miramar Beach and Navarre Beach, all located in the Florida Panhandle.
Travel website Tripadvisor named another Florida beach No. 1 in the country. Siesta Beach reigned supreme as it was praised for having “soft sand” covered in seashells.
In HomeToGo’s latest beach rankings, Siesta Beach ranked No. 29, joining 16 other Florida destinations in the top 35.
Nationwide, HomeToGo said the best destination was Avila Beach, California, a roughly 180-mile drive northwest from Los Angeles. Here are the places that rounded out the top five:
- Cherry Grove Beach, South Carolina, tied at No. 2
- Kure Beach, North Carolina, tied at No. 2
This story was originally published February 28, 2025 at 11:32 AM.
