The best beach spots near Gainesville
When deciding where to go to college, proximity to the beach was one of my top priorities. As someone from Colorado, my beach obsession grew exponentially as soon as I committed to UF. While our landlocked city is in no way a popular destination for beach lovers, there are still plenty of opportunities to enjoy Florida’s most famous features. Gainesville may be in the center of the state, but you only need an hour and a half to get to the coast – making day trips to the beach very accessible. These are 6 of the best beaches near Gainesville that you can get to in about 2 hours. Each is unique in its location, attractions, and looks, so you’ll be able to get your beach fix regardless of your preferences.
1. Butler Beach
Butler Beach is located about an hour and a half (about 66 miles) from Gainesville on the East coast. It is also only about eight miles from St. Augustine’s historic district, which is a must-see if you’re spending more time in the area. Butler Beach is one of the nicer beaches on this list with white sands and relatively clear water. It’s also a good spot for surfing; one of the CORE surf trips takes students who want to learn to surf there.
Butler Beach also has wide stretches of sand so you don’t have to worry too much about crowds, and it offers free parking, restrooms, showers, pavilions, and barbecue grills.
2. Crescent Beach
Crescent Beach is an hour and a half away from UF (74 miles) and just south of St. Augustine. The beach is named after the shape of the coastline, which boasts nice water and hard-packed sand that lends itself well to beach sports like volleyball and frisbee. This beach is also great for long beach walks. Crescent Beach is a natural wildlife refuge and is known for being one of the most beautifully preserved Florida beaches. Like Butler, Crescent is also a good place for beginner to intermediate surfers.
And if you’re bringing a surfboard or any other gear you don’t want to lug from the parking lot, you can drive on the beach, an extremely convenient perk to Crescent.
3. Jacksonville Beach
Jacksonville Beach is about 2 hours (94 miles) away. This is another one of the prettiest beaches on this list. With white sand, nice water, and gorgeous views from the pier, Jacksonville Beach is worth the trip. Jacksonville Beach is a coastal resort city, so expect to see lots of tourists and many tourist attractions. Jax has wide sand stretches with plenty of room to spread out, volleyball notes, and restaurants and beach shops lining the beach, so you could spend an entire day there. Atlantic Beach is not far down the road as well if you’re interested in beach-hopping.
4. Fort Island Gulf Coast Beach
At just under a hour and a half from Gainesville (73 miles), this beach is probably the closest. It’s located in Citrus County near Crystal River and is a hidden gem. While the beach itself is small and not overly spectacular, it still has white sand, pavilions, and great photo-shoot locations. What makes this beach so great is its pier and boardwalk paths through forests of palms. While Fort Island isn’t a great place to swim since the swim area is roped off from the rest of the ocean, it is a good spot for windsurfing.
5. Flagler Beach
Flagler Beach is an hour and forty minutes away (85 miles) and is located between Palm Coast and Daytona Beach. Flagler Beach has been described as a “retro town with salty style” and is known for its pretty beaches, coastal shops, and seaside restaurants. Its orange-tinted sand is probably its most identifiable characteristic, the orange being crushed coquina limestone, but Flagler is also popular for its pier and boardwalk. Like Jacksonville, Flagler is very touristy, so you can count on there being lots of activities to take advantage of.
6. Amelia Island State Park
Amelia Island, also known as the Isle of Eight Flags, is about two hours away. Here you can find pristine beaches, protected wildlife, resort hotels, spas, golf courses, and restaurants. Amelia Island is part of a collection of barrier islands extending from South Carolina to Florida, and it has virtually everything you could ever need for a beach day from horseback riding and kayaking to a lighthouse, derby events, and ice cream shops. Amelia Island looks very unique compared to some of the other beaches on this list, so it’s perfect if you’re interested in something a bit different.
With everything going on at school, a beach trip is a much-needed getaway from a hectic academic life. And you don’t have to go very far to escape. The great thing about Gainesville is that you can pick either East or West, drive straight for 2 hours or less, and hit the coast. So, weekend beach trips are very realistic and definitely worth it. If you’re debating which direction to go, keep in mind that the East coast is more popular and a bit nicer. The Gulf of Mexico is typically warmer than the Atlantic Ocean, but there are not as many options close to Gainesville. Either way, if you’re craving the beach, these 6 spots are worth checking out.