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10. Sebastian Inlet State Park, Melbourne Beach
Sebastian Inlet State Park at Melbourne Beach is located north of Vero Beach and is divided by a channel from the Atlantic Ocean and a bridge. Of the north and south beaches, the south is the least crowded. There are no restrooms or structures of any kind. Parking is at pull-offs along Highway A1A with no parking lots. I have been here a number of times and have never seen more than a handful of people on the beach. Access to the south beach is free.
11. Flagler Beach
Located on the Atlantic Coast, north of Daytona Beach, Flagler Beach isn’t all that remote, but few people use the beach here — mainly local residents. You park along the highway and there are plenty of dune crosswalks. The sand isn’t the prettiest, but there’s lots of it. There are restaurants and convenience stores along the road, but no public facilities or restrooms.
Bonus Beaches
It might not be fair to include these two bonus beaches, because they are not readily accessible. But their lack of access makes up for a lack of crowds.
Anclote Key State Park
Anclote Key is a small island offshore from Tarpon Springs, in the Gulf of Mexico. You can only get there by boat or kayak, and the kayak paddle is a long and arduous trip through open water. But once you get to the island, you are usually totally alone. There is a wild beach with lots of birds, and only occasionally will you run into other people.
Dry Tortugas National Park
Dry Tortugas National Park is one of the least visited parks in the National Park System that’s in the lower 48 states. Located 70 miles southwest of Key West, you only get there by boat or a chartered seaplane. Most people are day trippers who arrive by ferry from Key West. If you are one of the hearty souls who opt to camp out on the island, you will find yourself pretty much alone after the ferry leaves in the afternoon. The beaches are the only part of the attraction here. Visitors spend a lot of time touring historic Fort Jefferson, which was built in the mid-1800s.
Florida’s beaches are right up there with the best beaches in the world. Some get very crowded — like South Beach in Miami, Daytona Beach on the Atlantic Coast, and Clearwater Beach on the Gulf of Mexico. And even those places have smaller crowds on weekdays. But with a little adventure in your heart, you will find the beaches in this article are your best bet for getting away from the maddening crowds. Grab that beach chair, don’t forget the sun block, and find yourself a sandy piece of paradise.
