Florida beaches: Atlantic or Gulf Coast (America, bigger, parks, south)

[silverct9a]

Thanks for answering that - I figured it was Clearwater Beach. And yes I do agree it gets busy there.

I can compare their metro populations and make inferences. Tampa MSA: 3.24 Million. Orlando MSA: 2.63 Million. Even if I combine those two metros it’s still less than Miami’s 6.17 million vs 5.87 million.

This is all BEFORE I add in the visitors the Miami Metro sees from both domestic and international. Florida’s west coast beaches are hardly known outside of the U.S. and consists of entirely domestic travel. Miami is a true destination city that sees way more domestic and international tourists on its beaches.

Why this is so difficult to accept is odd.

Originally Posted by FL_Expert

Yes, Clearwater Beach is the busiest. It’s probably a little more crowded than Ft. Lauderdale Beach.

You can’t really compare the Tampa and Miami metro populations to determine how crowded the beaches are. Orlando residents will often times make the journey west to visit Tampa Bay Area beaches so more people come here than you might assume.



While South Florida is obviously more popular with celebrities and affluent individuals you’re not quite giving the west coast enough credit. Naples and, to a lessor extent, Sarasota do attract quite a bit of wealth.

[FL_Expert]

Originally Posted by silverct9a

Thanks for answering that - I figured it was Clearwater Beach. And yes I do agree it gets busy there.

I can compare their metro populations and make inferences. Tampa MSA: 3.24 Million. Orlando MSA: 2.63 Million. Even if I combine those two metros it’s still less than Miami’s 6.17 million vs 5.87 million.

Yep, Orlando + Tampa might be more accurate and makes it a lot closer.

Originally Posted by silverct9a

Florida’s west coast beaches are hardly known outside of the U.S. and consists of entirely domestic travel. Miami is a true destination city that sees way more domestic and international tourists on its beaches.

Why this is so difficult to accept is odd.

I’m a realist and mostly agree with you actually. The west coast doesn’t have anywhere comparable to South Beach. Moreover, earlier in the thread I stated Miami-Dade beaches are actually my favorite in Florida.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by silverct9a

Thanks for answering that - I figured it was Clearwater Beach. And yes I do agree it gets busy there.

I can compare their metro populations and make inferences. Tampa MSA: 3.24 Million. Orlando MSA: 2.63 Million. Even if I combine those two metros it’s still less than Miami’s 6.17 million vs 5.87 million.

This is all BEFORE I add in the visitors the Miami Metro sees from both domestic and international. Florida’s west coast beaches are hardly known outside of the U.S. and consists of entirely domestic travel. Miami is a true destination city that sees way more domestic and international tourists on its beaches.

Why this is so difficult to accept is odd.

Accept what, exactly? I believe most of us are agreeing with you? Miami's beaches are a different vibe, primarily due to the size of Miami Beach (vs Clearwater Beach's one road, narrow strip of land) and international vibe, nightlife, etc. But really, they're both VERY busy, and that's typically not a good thing, as they are extremely congested and unpleasant to navigate around. I don't think this is a good indicator of "best beaches" in Florida.

To be fair, locals here AVOID Clearwater Beach because it's too congested. People don't move to the Gulf Coast hoping for a South Florida vibe. They move there to get avoid it. I wouldn't quite say it has to do with budget, though.

Miami beaches see more international tourism, by far, that I can agree with.

[silverct9a]

Agreed...Essentially this.

Apparently "Best" beach is subjective - My idea of a great beach isn't some isolated, excessively warm body of water with little to no waves surrounded by retirees or frumpy midwesterners old enough to be my grandparents (no offense to anyone, but if you've ever been to that side of Florida, it's difficult to disprove these observations).

If you're under 60 years old, I don't see how this is even a debate.

Originally Posted by masssachoicetts

Gulf is nicer.

Atlantic is more fun.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by silverct9a

Agreed...Essentially this.

Apparently "Best" beach is subjective - My idea of a great beach isn't some isolated, excessively warm body of water with little to no waves surrounded by retirees or frumpy midwesterners old enough to be my grandparents (no offense to anyone, but if you've ever been to that side of Florida, it's difficult to disprove this).

If you're under 60 years old, I don't see how this is even a debate.

I’m in my mid-30s and I have two sons. Our go-to beach is Honeymoon Island Beach. Yes, it’s full of retirees lol… BUT, we have tons of space to set up beach chairs, play soccer, build sand castles, with little to no interruption. Can’t really do that in a place like Miami Beach, or even Daytona for that matter.

When I want to escape with the gf, I go down to Sanibel/Captiva. Again, retirees (and European tourists,) but it’s a quiet, relaxing vibe.

South Florida beaches are fun if I want to party like an animal, I guess, but that’s just not my vibe. To each their own.

[Monello]

The beaches in the redneck riviera portion are horrible. Never go there. They have flying alligators that only eat tourists. Their mosquitos carry ebola, VD and consumption. The locals emit a pheromone that lets them find each other. ANyone not emitting this scent is charged triple what something normally costs. That crystal blue water is actually full of radium. Avoid this area at all costs.

[silverct9a]

Good post and in your case I totally understand. I too am a mid 30s father of a 3 year old son - this is why I said the Gulf is more kid/toddler friendly. I feel more at ease with him playing alone (somewhat) in Clearwater than say Singer Island or Las Olas where the more active waves could wash him away in an instant.

Clearwater, Shepards, Pass-a-Grille are all decent. I'm not throwing shade, just giving out a different perspective from someone on the other coast who visits regularly.

Originally Posted by Arcenal813

I’m in my mid-30s and I have two sons. Our go-to beach is Honeymoon Island Beach. Yes, it’s full of retirees lol… BUT, we have tons of space to set up beach chairs, play soccer, build sand castles, with little to no interruption. Can’t really do that in a place like Miami Beach, or even Daytona for that matter.

When I want to escape with the gf, I go down to Sanibel/Captiva. Again, retirees (and European tourists,) but it’s a quiet, relaxing vibe.

South Florida beaches are fun if I want to party like an animal, I guess, but that’s just not my vibe. To each their own.

[JMatl]

Originally Posted by silverct9a

Thanks for answering that - I figured it was Clearwater Beach. And yes I do agree it gets busy there.

I can compare their metro populations and make inferences. Tampa MSA: 3.24 Million. Orlando MSA: 2.63 Million. Even if I combine those two metros it’s still less than Miami’s 6.17 million vs 5.87 million.

This is all BEFORE I add in the visitors the Miami Metro sees from both domestic and international. Florida’s west coast beaches are hardly known outside of the U.S. and consists of entirely domestic travel.Miami is a true destination city that sees way more domestic and international tourists on its beaches.

Why this is so difficult to accept is odd.

This is absolutely not true. Canadians, Brits & Germans especially flock to the beaches from Clearwater to Naples. I always run into people from the UK on the beaches in South Pinellas, particularly in St. Pete Beach. I've stayed at 2 hotels there where nearly half the guests were from the UK. The point of sale for British Airways' Tampa flights are almost exclusively on the London end. The Germans are in love with the Fort Myers/Marco Island/Naples area, and likewise pack flights from Frankfurt to Fort Myers every winter. The Canadians are all over the place, and many have 2nd homes in St. Petersburg.

This swath of the State has some of the most beautiful beaches on the Continent, and people outside of the U.S. are very aware of them. The Eurotrash flocks to Miami Beach, the cool, laid back folks head to the Gulf Coast.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by JMatl

This is absolutely not true. Canadians, Brits & Germans especially flock to the beaches from Clearwater to Naples. I always run into people from the UK on the beaches in South Pinellas, particularly in St. Pete Beach. I've stayed at 2 hotels there where nearly half the guests were from the UK. The point of sale for British Airways' Tampa flights are almost exclusively on the London end. The Germans are in love with the Fort Myers/Marco Island/Naples area, and likewise pack flights from Frankfurt to Fort Myers every winter. The Canadians are all over the place, and many have 2nd homes in St. Petersburg.

This is true... Sarasota/Bradenton in particular a flocked with Canadians and people from the UK, and of course, North Pinellas is filled with Greek visitors.

However...

That poster is correct, however, in that South Florida/Miami's beaches are better-known overall from an international standpoint, and I largely attribute this to media and entertainment, which promotes and showcases the loud, boisterous, party lifestyle of the area.
For instance, everyone knows Will Smith's "Welcome to Miami." The song would not have gained anywhere near the notoriety it has had it been named "Welcome to Clearwater."

Originally Posted by JMatl

This swath of the State has some of the most beautiful beaches on the Continent, and people outside of the U.S. are very aware of them. The Eurotrash flocks to Miami Beach, the cool, laid back folks head to the Gulf Coast.

Sums it up pretty well.

[elchevere]

Actually, it was domestic trash—including out of state visitors from other Southern and Eastern states staying here on the government stimulus checks when Miami was one of the very first major cities that declared itself “open” during Covid—that caused most of the recent havoc in Miami Beach last winter and spring, such as starting brawls inside restaurants and then fleeing to get out of paying their bills or dancing on police cars.

Euro trash is more likely to attend a cultural event such as the recently concluded Art Basel or Ultra Music Fest and/or stiff a waiter unknowingly if a service charge is not included—but not the restaurant bill—since tips are built into their tabs back home. Mixed bag between those drinking at a dive bar and those dropping serious coin for bottle service at a club—without dancing on police cars afterwards. Then again, how trashy can one be to afford to pay $1000/night+++ at a decent oceanfront hotel on SoBe these days??

Fortunately, Miami Beach commissioners adopted a 2AM curfew in targeted touristy areas where the most civil misconduct incidents occurred in an attempt to curtail similar future activities. In this regard, Gulf and Atlantic beaches north of Miami Dade/Broward are more family friendly/oriented and highly unlikely to attract as rowdy a crowd during certain times of the year. Even so, most of this “activity” is confined to a certain stretch of Miami Beach, not its entirety.