Beach for a Day

[jayerose]

Would like to spend a few hours at a nice, family-friendly beach for a few hours and have a nice lunch...any suggestions (not too much of a drive)?

[dewilson58]

Port Orange.

Less crowded and family friendly.

We enjoy eating at Boondocks Restaurant.

:eclipsee_gold_cup:

[jayerose]

Perfect! Thank you!!

[baustgen]

New Smyrna. Drive on the beach. Do not have to carry anything. Check the tide charts.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

I’m not trying to be snarky here , but what does a family friendly beach look like , I’ve spent a lot of time on a lot of beaches and don’t think I could distinguish between a family friendly beach and one that isn’t .

[justjim]

Beautiful Cocoa Beach and less than a two hour drive. Lots of good restaurants too.

[shut the front door]

I’m not trying to be snarky here , but what does a family friendly beach look like , I’ve spent a lot of time on a lot of beaches and don’t think I could distinguish between a family friendly beach and one that isn’t .

A beach where a family can enjoy their space with hearing eardrum damaging rap music blaring from vehicles driving by on the beach with fat women in bikinis hanging out of vehicles and twerking for the crowds. Which can be the experience on many beaches on a weekend.
Best advice is go during the week.

[eweissenbach]

We prefer the gulf beaches. Clearwater beach eat at Frenchys. Madeira beach eat at John’s Pass. Anna Maria Island beach eat at the concession area. Siesta Key. All are family friendly except during spring break.

[tophcfa]

We like Playalinda Beach on the Canaveral National Seashore.

[Lyarham]

Would like to spend a few hours at a nice, family-friendly beach for a few hours and have a nice lunch...any suggestions (not too much of a drive)?

New Smyrna beach

[markusb741]

Would like to spend a few hours at a nice, family-friendly beach for a few hours and have a nice lunch...any suggestions (not too much of a drive)?

We go to Andy Romano Park on Ormand Beach. It's an easy 1 1/4 hour drive on roads with no traffic, you can park on the beach (kinda cool), miles of beach to walk, rental chairs/umbrellas available for rent, nice changing area, a snack bar, never to crowded and on the way home we stop at The Essex Seafood Restaurant for an excellent seafood dinner (rivals New England).
We use to go to New Smyrna Beach, shark capital of the world, google it.

[CSB1228]

Eaton's Beach on Lake Weir. Close to northern part of The Villages. Beach, restaurant and boat rentals all together.

[Get real]

We like Playalinda Beach on the Canaveral National Seashore.

13? :loco:

[me4vt]

Eaton's Beach on Lake Weir. Close to northern part of The Villages. Beach, restaurant and boat rentals all together.
Alligator friendly too!

[midiwiz]

Would like to spend a few hours at a nice, family-friendly beach for a few hours and have a nice lunch...any suggestions (not too much of a drive)?

You are inbetween both coasts, rough estimate on straight line, you're probably able to get to the gulf a tad quicker. however the question is about a beach, so I'll tell you what I know from experience.

East -

Flagler - beautiful beach, quiet, good waves and one of the cleanest on the east coast
Cocoa Beach - to many tourists, filthy, and places to eat are over priced and slow
Daytona/Ormond beach - step above Cocoa Beach, can be difficult in certain areas to run for food. currently closed to motor vehicles on most days otherwise watch out.
St Augustine Beach - very nice like Flagler and surrounded by eateries.

West -

Cedar key - small, but nice, only a couple places to eat of which only one is actually real good.
Clearwater - hit or miss on the crowd, getting over the bridge can be a parking lot depending on timing, and for most things high priced.
Random spots (i find these on roaming days) between clearwater and cedar key they aren't all that easy to find.
Terra Verde - at the bottom of the island is a great park/beach. very nice

also note a lot of folks also hang out on the causeways.

[nn0wheremann]

Would like to spend a few hours at a nice, family-friendly beach for a few hours and have a nice lunch...any suggestions (not too much of a drive)?
Honeymoon beach < https://www.floridastateparks.org/honeymoonisland> on the Gulf.

[B-flat]

on the way home we stop at The Essex Seafood Restaurant for an excellent seafood dinner (rivals New England).


And that's because the owners are from Essex, Massachusetts where they also own a seafood restaurant..........can you say whole belly clams, shrimp and deep fried scallops! Don't miss stopping there to eat. It's nothing fancy but the food is great.

A few years ago Guy Fieri featured the Mass. restaurant on "Diners, Drive-thrus and Dives."

[kkingston57]

I’m not trying to be snarky here , but what does a family friendly beach look like , I’ve spent a lot of time on a lot of beaches and don’t think I could distinguish between a family friendly beach and one that isn’t .

Great ? To someone a family friendly beach would not have signs "clothing optional"

[Cupcake57]

Would like to spend a few hours at a nice, family-friendly beach for a few hours and have a nice lunch...any suggestions (not too much of a drive)?

For the Cousin Eddie of beaches, Fort Island on the gulf. Prolly the closest place to sit on the sand and take a nice dip. Not fancy and ignore the power plant. Public parking, stainless steel toilets; wasn't crowded when we went at 10am but was picking up by 1pm. Eat in Crystal River on your way home.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

a beach where a family can enjoy their space with hearing eardrum damaging rap music blaring from vehicles driving by on the beach with fat women in bikinis hanging out of vehicles and twerking for the crowds. Which can be the experience on many beaches on a weekend.
Best advice is go during the week. do you live alone ????

[Rich42]

If you are open to a two hour driving window, then I would definitely recommend checking out Fort De Soto state park. I am surprised no one has mentioned it already as I have lived all over this country and it is one of the nicest state parks I have ever seen. It sits on the point of land where Tampa Bay joins the Gulf of Mexico. You can Google it and easily see all the facilities it has to offer, but I can tell tell you, I have been there dozens of times and it has a fantastic beach that stretches for miles. It has all kinds of activities, including an old fort, kayaking, bicycle rentals, fishing pier, camping facilities, boat launch, cooking facilities, plenty of food and restrooms, etc. If you strictly want the beach, I would recommend going to what is called North Beach, which is pretty much away from all the other activities is a nice quiet beach, where you can relax, swim, shell, whatever your heart desires. Last time I was there a little over a year ago, the entrance fee was $5 per car. You won’t be sorry, it is a nice place. Plus, there are several motels and restaurants just a few miles outside the park if you want to make it more than a day trip.

[Marcie]

Would like to spend a few hours at a nice, family-friendly beach for a few hours and have a nice lunch...any suggestions (not too much of a drive)?

Google Eatons Beach in Marion County

[La lamy]

I like Eaton’s Beach. Very close to TV, beautiful lake, beach, food, drinks and water craft rentals. But if you want to drive Clearwater beach is wonderful on the Gulf side

[Sharon5]

New Smyrna. Drive on the beach. Do not have to carry anything. Check the tide charts.

New Smyrna Beach is most dangerous beach for shark attacks. Why New Smyrna Beach has so many shark attacks (https://www.wesh.com/amp/article/new-smyrna-beach-sharks/40502912)

[shut the front door]

do you live alone ????

No, and I'm not interested in someone who doesn't know the definition of family friendly.

What does family-friendly mean?
adjective. /ˌfæməli ˈfrendli/ /ˌfæməli ˈfrendli/ ​suitable for or aimed at families with children.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

So you tell me what beaches you think are not family friendly , and then we can see if all those beaches have no families on them , your trying to judge beaches on your own standards ,most likely one where the woman wear a Hijab , people are forbidden to talk and no running for kids , family friendly for me means whatever those families enjoy and that includes nude beaches where you can see plenty of families here and especially in Europe

[Switter]

I'm new to the villages and Florida and I went to Flagler Beach and loved it! I was there on a Saturday between 11 AM and 2 PM and I don't think I had anybody within 50 feet of me but yet there was still people there, many were families with kids. The water was also good for swimming. You park on the road right alongside the beach. I liked it so much I don't know if I would even bother checking any other beach, lol. I'd get there a little early though so you can park close to where you are on the beach, maybe before 10 a.m. I parked by the golden lion café. The only thing I'm not sure about is public restrooms. I didn't see any but I wasn't looking for them either. It was about an hour and 45 minute drive from the villages.