Tampa Bay, Florida

This beach, once inhabited by Tocobanga Indians and Spanish settlers, has been voted by TripAdvisor as “America’s Top Beach.” Fort De Soto has the ideal blend of wide stretches of soft sand, clear water and a casual vibe. North Beach is a local favorite. Though it is packed on the weekends during high season, the crowds leave during the week. Rent canoes or kayaks here and don’t forget to tour the fort which has the only four 12-inch seacoast rifled mortars in the United States. Also check out the two 6-inch Armstrong rapid-fire rifled guns.

Once called Hog Island by settlers, it became Honeymoon Island in 1939 when a developer built 50 palm thatched bungalows for honeymooners. Today, it is considered one of the most well-preserved beaches in Florida. Shorebirds, osprey nests, mangrove swamps and slash pine tree forests are some of the sites to behold.

Accessible only by boat or ferry, this is one of the few completely natural islands along the Gulf Coast. Beachgoers can swim, collect shells and work on their tan. Observe wildlife while hiking the three-mile nature trail or kayaking through the mangroves.