Florida has almost 700 miles of beautiful beaches and, although all are great, these are the best ones for crystal clear water.
Beautiful crystal clear water on the gulf coast of Florida
FIRST, WHY SO CLEAR?
There are scientific reasons why some water is clearer than others. For instance, sediments, upwelling and wave action all have an affect on water clarity however, in my experience, once you’re in an area in Florida that is capable of crystal clear water, it’s the wind, wave and rain run-off that affects water clarity the most.
WIND, WAVES AND RAIN
Successive days of light winds and smooth sea conditions tend to clarify the water. These conditions allow the sediment in the water to settle and eventually, dissipate, resulting in crystal-clear water. Rain can be a factor because many bays and rivers empty out the inlets and passes near our beaches. Rain runoff can darken the bay water and that water can affect the beaches during outgoing tides.
THE 5 MOST TROPICAL FLORIDA BEACHES
SPRING AND FALL
Another observation of mine that seems to hold true is that the water is most clear during the spring and fall. I’m not sure exactly why this happens but my theory is that when the water is cooler it has less nutrients or bacteria in it resulting in better clarity. I would say this is more pertinent to the water on the gulf coast vs. the east coast.
The Destin area has some of the clearest water in Florida. Photo courtesy of @hey30a
THE BEACHES
THE EMERALD COAST
The area that stretches from Panama City Beach to Navarre Beach is an amazing stretch of shoreline with arguably, the beaches with the clearest water in Florida. Here you’ll find amazing locations like
- Panama City Beach
- Rosemary Beach
- Seaside
- Topsail
- Miramar
- Destin
- Santa Rosa
- Navarre Beach
Siesta Key is definitely one of the best beaches in Florida for crystal clear water.
GULF COAST
The best place for crystal clear water on the Gulf Coast of Florida is from Tampa Bay to Captiva and includes the following beaches:
- Fort DeSoto
- Egmont Key
- Anna Maria Island
- Longboat Key
- Lido Key
- Siesta Key
- Manasota Key
- Englewood
- Palm Island
- Boca Grande
- Cayo Costa
- North Captiva Island
THE BEST DRIFTWOOD BEACHES IN FLORIDA
Jupiter is one of the best beaches in Florida for crystal clear water.
EAST COAST
The water on the East Coast of Florida gets nicer as you travel south. In my experience, the area from Stuart to Delray Beach is the best for crystal clear water. My theory on what makes these waters so special is the area’s proximity to the Gulf Stream ocean current. The Gulf Stream passes the closest to the coast in this area of Florida. The beaches include:
- Jupiter Island
- Jupiter
- Juno Beach
- Singer Island
- Palm Beach
- Delray Beach
THESE WATER FLOATS ARE IDEAL FOR CRYSTAL CLEAR WATER
Bahia Honda State Park beach is one of the best beaches in Florida for crystal clear water
Photo Courtesy of escapetomarathon on Instagram.
THE FLORIDA KEYS?
The Florida Keys have the clearest water in all of Florida, however, they don’t have many beaches. The best ones are Sombrero Beach, Bahia Honda and Smathers Beach. However, only Bahia Honda seems to hold crystal-clear water.
