There’s nothing quite like a family beach day- salty air, sandy toes, and laughter that leads to lifetime memories. Whether you’re planning a family getaway with the kids, or a multi-generational vacation with family you haven’t seen in years, we’re here to help you find the best beach for your stay!
In this blog post, we’re sharing some of the best beaches for families, planning tips, local favorites, and helpful hacks to make your trip smooth and memorable. We’ll cover the Gulf Coast in depth, highlight a few East Coast favorites, and even toss in some off-season ideas. Let’s get into it!
Discovering the Best Family-Friendly Beaches
Every family is different, but these features usually make for a winning beach day for all invited:
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- Walkable towns with easy access to grocery stores, local restaurants, and restrooms
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- Calm, shallow water for safe swimming and splash time
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- Nearby activities like parks, playgrounds, boat rentals, and nature trails
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- Family-friendly amenities (think shade, picnic areas, lifeguards, and shelling spots)
Family Beach Vacation Destinations on the East Coast
Looking for options beyond the Emerald Coast? From New Hampshire to Biscayne Bay, there are plenty of good spots on the Atlantic Seaboard. Here’s a list of the best East Coast vacation spots for families:
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- Hampton Beach, NH: Ice cream parlors, nostalgic boardwalk fun, and live music make this a must-visit spot.
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- Kennebunkport, ME: Gooch’s Beach is peaceful, family-friendly, and pet-friendly.
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- Outer Banks, NC: This area is ideal for a resort-style getaway with stunning coastal scenery.
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- Rehoboth Beach, DE: This walkable, retro-style beach town is your go-to for classic beach town vibes, and the kids will love it!
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- Tybee Island, GA: This North Beach area is ideal for larger families and is close to downtown Savannah, Georgia, the perfect spot to enjoy the beach and explore a cute town.
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- Amelia Island, FL: This beach is all about family fun and is appropriately nicknamed “The Family Zone”.
Budget Tip: Most of these towns have public access beaches, so you can enjoy the experience without paying to enter.
Tips for Planning a Family Beach Trip Everyone Will Enjoy
Try a Backwards Beach Day
Start your day with something easy (like the pool or a museum), break for lunch while restaurants are quiet, and head to the beach mid-afternoon. Finish with a picnic dinner as the sun sets to enjoy fewer crowds and lower UV levels. This might be the best beach hack yet!
Look Into Food Options
Check Google or Yelp for restaurant reviews. If the choices are limited or picky-eater-approved options are scarce, book a vacation rental with a spacious kitchen and cook some of your family’s favorites with a beach view in the background.
Pick Beaches With the Fun Already Included
Shelling, bike rentals, pontoon rides, nature walks, playgrounds – these extras go a long way in keeping kids entertained.
Review Beach Safety Rules Together
Some beaches don’t have lifeguards, so it’s helpful to review local flag systems and talk through safety expectations with the kids before heading out.
Exploring Gulf Coast Family Vacation Spots
Now let’s explore the best beaches for families in the warm and tropical climate of our favorite Sunshine State, Florida!
St. Andrews State Park, Panama City Beach
27 miles of shoreline and nearly 100 access points make PCB easy to explore. St. Andrews State Park stands out for its calm waters and outdoor adventures like kayaking, canoeing, camping, and wildlife watching. This is the perfect spot to roll out your sleeping bags under the stars.
If the kids get the itch for a competitive adventure, check out Coconut Creek Family Fun Park and the Panhandle Shipwreck Trail while you’re here.
Bayview and Laguna’s, Pensacola Beach
If your crew includes a four-legged family member, Pensacola is a dream. Bayview Dog Beach is full of leash-free fun, offering 40 miles of stunning resort community and two designated dog areas. Laguna’s offers zip rails, go-karts, live music, and beachside eats for everyone else. Don’t forget to take your kids to see the Pensacola Futuro (UFO) House after a long day at the beach.
Grayton Beach State Park, Santa Rosa Beach
Located between Destin and PCB, this park is perfect for nature-loving families. Miles of trails, interpretive exhibits, and white sand make it feel like a wild adventure, but with close access to town. If you’re traveling across the county, this is a great stop, as the park has a nice campground.
South Marco Beach, Marco Island
Looking for a luxurious and family-friendly beach vacation? South Marco Beach delivers with shelling, bike rides, and sunsets you’ll never forget. Resorts like JW Marriott offer golf, arcade games, and day camps for kids.
Upham Beach, St. Pete Beach
Calm, emerald waters and a laid-back atmosphere make this beach your go-to spot for a slow, sun-soaked afternoon. Pack a picnic, grab a bite at Paradise Grille, and let the kids build sandcastles while you relax. When you get done at the beach, hop on over to town and check out the eateries, galleries, fishing piers, and playgrounds to tire out the kiddos before heading home.
Hidden Gulf Coast Gems for Families
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- Shell Island (PCB) is a 7-mile undeveloped barrier island and a must-visit for seashell lovers. You’ll want to bring your own supplies, as there are no bathrooms or food stands!
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- Tigertail Beach (Marco Island) is a tranquil lagoon with full amenities on one side, and wilder, natural shores across the shallow channel, which means miles of shelling opportunities! .
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- Clam Pass Park (Naples) is also worth a visit! Walk the mile-long trail to get your steps in or take the tram down a shaded boardwalk to this peaceful beach framed by mangroves.
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- Keewaydin Island (between Marco & Naples) is reachable only by boat. This remote island offers 8 miles of low-key, uncrowded beaches. It feels like you booked a private resort!
Gulf Coast Beach Activities for Kids of All Ages
Whether you’re chasing toddlers or wrangling teens, you’ll want to look for beaches with playgrounds, bike rentals, or snorkeling gear to keep them entertained.
You could also bring the fun to the beach and create a beach scavenger hunt with seagulls, shells, driftwood, sandcastles, etc. There are typically plenty of nearby spots that offer horseback riding, mini golf, or waterparks, as well.
Florida’s Best Beaches for Families
You will find the best white sandy beaches in Northwest Florida. Destin is known for sugar-white sand and clear emerald waters, but Fort Walton, Pensacola, and Navarre are great options to consider. These three beaches are calm, peaceful, family-friendly spots to sit back and relax with the family.
If you are visiting South Florida, Fort Myers Beach is a great choice. This beach is great for sandcastle-building thanks to its fine-grain sand. Have your kids embark on a sandcastle-building contest so the adults get a break and enjoy soaking up the sun.
Best Beach in Destin for Families
Many of Destin’s public access points are family-friendly. However, if we had to pick the best spot for families with young kids, we’d go with O’Steen Beach. It’s the best place to teach your kids to snorkel. If you want to take it easy and enjoy a relaxing, hassle-free beach day, check out James Lee Beach or June White Decker Park.
Clearwater vs. Naples
Clearwater has more historical sites, but hiking options are better in Naples. That said, both destinations are fun and equally family-friendly, so you can’t go wrong with either.
Best Beach Vacations in December for Families
Looking to escape the cold? Head south! If you’re open to international travel, Anguilla and the Galápagos are incredible winter-time getaways for your family.
Within the States, your top winter travel locations are:
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- Hawaii: Poipu, Hoona, and Polo beaches
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- California: Avila Beach and Morro Bay in SLO CAL
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- Florida: The Keys, Fort Lauderdale, Marco Island, Naples, and Miami
The further south you travel in Florida, the warmer the water is, so you may get to go for a swim in December.
Safe Tropical Family Vacations
The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Aruba, and Turks & Caicos are all popular destinations for tropical vacations for families. If you want to make sure your holiday is as safe as it is fun, check out these tips:
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- If possible, avoid hurricane season. If not, at least get travel insurance.
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- Spring breaks and festivals draw the crowds. You will probably want to avoid the main streets if you’re traveling with little kids.
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- Teach your kids basic sentences in the local language since not everyone at your destination will speak English.
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- Look up the common scams in the area (like imposters posing as police officers) and educate your family members, especially the elders, to ensure everyone stays aware of their surroundings.
Safe Tropical Family Vacations and Tips
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- The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Aruba, and Turks & Caicos are all family-friendly options.
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- Book during the off-season to avoid spring break crowds.
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- Teach the kids a few words in the local language.
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- Look up area-specific scams to stay alert.
Quiet and Secluded Beaches for Families
Secluded Family Beach Destinations on the East Coast
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- Holden Beach, NC, is a quiet, walkable, and luxurious getaway.
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- Ocracoke, NC, is filled with unspoiled beaches, bonfires, museums, and music that the whole family will enjoy.
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- Kill Devil Hills, NC, is a great family-friendly beach with plenty of space to relax.
Peaceful Gulf Coast Beaches for a Low-Key Vacation
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- Nokomis, FL, is an adorable, laid-back town with access to animal habitats and calm waters.
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- Anna Maria Island is perfect for lovers of volleyball, book reading, and sunset walks.
Vacation Spots for Big Families
Need space for everyone? For some families, crowded cities and tourist spots can be stressful. Here’s how to plan for relaxing family beach vacations from the country’s East Coast to Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Secluded Family Beach Destinations on the East Coast
About 50 minutes from Wilmington, NC, is the town of Holden Beach. It’s quaint, luxurious, and mostly made of single-family homes.
If you want to visit the Outer Banks, the unspoiled Ocracoke is a great place to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of everyday life while still giving your kids some light entertainment options (live music, museum tours, bonfires, and pickleball).
You will also find quiet family beaches in the mellow Outer Banks town of Kill Devil Hills.
Peaceful Gulf Coast Beaches for a Low-Key Vacation
Anyone searching for a quaint Gulf Coast town must check out Nokomis. This town between Sarasota and Venice offers a laid-back atmosphere. Kids will have a blast in Nokomis, thanks to the nearby attractions like the Big Cat Habitat and the waterway ride-and-paddle experiences.
Anna Maria Island is another Gulf Coast pick for those looking for a slow-paced family vacation. During the day, the kids can enjoy a beach read or play volleyball. Later on, the whole family can check out the Cortez historic fishing village.
Top Vacation Spots for Big Families
Are you planning a vacation with your extended, multi-generational family?
Vacation Spots for Big Families
A big family, especially one on a tight budget, might enjoy vacationing in “a second city,” which won’t be as crowded or expensive as the major cities. This way, it’ll be easier to rent a spacious beach house and find activities the whole family will love!
With this in mind, consider a trip to Myrtle Beach or Destin. Even Branson, Missouri (with its Moonshine Beach on Table Rock Lake) can make a great destination for a large family. Of course, if you’re looking for a vacation in Florida, you can check out our available rentals.
Spacious Rentals for Large Family Groups
Renting a large home in a coastal second city works well for those looking for a beach vacation. Another idea would be to rent an oversized cabin for a mountain vacation. In this case, Blue Ridge, Banner Elk, and Gatlinburg would be great picks, as there are plenty of indoor and outdoor activities for all ages.
Why Choose Gulf Style Rentals for Your Family Beach Trip
We’re not just another rental company; we’re a small, local team that genuinely cares about your stay. Whether it’s your first family beach trip or your tenth, we want it to be unforgettable (for all the right reasons).
Using our property search tool, finding the perfect rental near the top family-friendly beaches in Florida won’t be a challenge.
Family-Friendly Accommodations for Every Need
We’ve served thousands of guests over the years, and we understand that no two families have the same vacationing needs, which is why our support team is happy to hear your requirements and dreams for your next beach vacation. Our goal is to help you find the best match for your family so that ya’ll can kick back and relax, with a hassle-free beach vacation.
Booking Through Gulf Style Rentals
When you trust Gulf Style Rentals with your family vacation, you’re choosing a transparent booking site with competitive prices and a friendly support team that’s working hard to give you the best accommodations to fit your family’s needs.
If you have any questions before booking, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us!
We’d love to host you and your family soon!
