East Coast
For partying: South Beach is the best known part of Miami Beach. In daylight, the cognoscenti gravitate to Lummus Park, aka Glitter Beach, along Ocean Drive from Fifth to 14th streets. Watch for jaw-dropping models in photo shoots and A-list celebs enjoying the white sand and gentle surf. At night, just cross Ocean for chic/expensive restaurants with outdoor seating — and to see and be seen. Topless sunbathing is not legal but seldom policed, and the area is gay/lesbian friendly. The park/beach includes volleyball nets and paths busy with 'bladers and joggers.
For playing: Former resident Jimmy Buffett wasn't singing about Key West in "Margaritaville," but there is plenty of attitude changing available in the self-named Conch Republic. Before heading for the beach, get a rental bike or moped and cruise the residential streets (not touristy Duval). Visit Ernest Hemingway's home (hemingwayhome.com have a drink at Capt. Tony's Saloon (once frequented by Buffett, capttonyssaloon.com and eat at the iconic Blue Heaven (blueheavenkw.com. Then head to Smathers Beach for small waves, tanning, personal watercraft — or a just a view of hard bodies.
For families: Daytona Beach might seem counterintuitive as a family destination, especially if you've seen it at spring break, but the rest of the time, it rates high in visitor surveys as a great family destination. It draws about 8 million visitors annually to 23 miles of shoreline. At low tide, the drivable beach broadens to as wide as 500 feet. At the east end of Main Street sits the 1,000-foot-long pier, great for admiring the coastline, fishing the surf or relaxing with a drink. The adjacent boardwalk offers a games-filled arcade and quick beach food.
For singles: It's been more than half a century since "Where the Boys Are" introduced America to the collegiate spring break. And Fort Lauderdale, where the novel-turned-movie was set, has tamed the party-crowd image. Emphasis on the arts and upscale shopping near the waterfront has made Lauderdale attractive to the more-mature beachgoer. Nonetheless, you can still hoist one in the landmark Elbo Room, seen in the movie. The beach has earned a coveted Blue Wave Award for the cleanliness, as determined by an environmental coalition.
For peace and quiet: The name Canaveral National Seashore (nps.gov/cana/index.htm is familiar to many only because of the neighboring Kennedy Space Center. But the seashore is a step back into Florida as it was centuries ago. The 58,000-acre park is on a barrier island that provides a habitat for 14 species of animals considered either threatened or endangered. They coexist with day-trippers who come to swim, surf, hike backcountry trails or relax along the 24-mile coastline.
For fishing: You can surf-fish along most of Florida's coastline, all of which is public. But John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (pennekamppark.com was the nation's first underwater park. Located in Key Largo, Pennekamp is noted for bonefish, redfish and tarpon. Spearfishing in the park's 70 nautical square miles is forbidden. But rangers lead snorkeling and scuba tours, and you can even view the coral reefs from a glass-bottom boat.
West Coast
For partying: While Fort Lauderdale used to epitomize spring break, Panama City Beach has become popular for year-round merrymaking. Decades ago, MTV hyped the party scene here, which in turn increased the coastal community's popularity. Crowds now keep the 27 miles of area beaches — yes, they are clear of oil residue from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon blowout — hopping during the day and the shoreside bars throbbing at night. Also close at hand: amusement parks and top-notch golf courses.
For playing: Something to boast about after visiting St. George Island State Park: You climbed to the top of a lighthouse. It's a monthly event at the park, ranked No. 6 of all U.S. beaches in 2011 by marine ecologist Dr. Beach (drbeach.org. The park covers 1,962 acres, including 9 miles of undeveloped beaches. Besides its lighthouse and dunes, this barrier island offers coves and salt marshes, and trails thread through almost 4 miles of pines and oak forest. Canoes and kayaks can be rented, there's a catch-and-release fishing trip, plus 60 pet-friendly campsites.
For families: Clearwater Beach is a 3-mile stretch of soft white sand about 25 miles north of St. Petersburg. Beach volleyball is popular, concessionaires rent boats, captains run dolphin-watching cruises. Or you can see a real-life movie star: Winter, the dolphin whose tail was lost to fishing nets but who now has an artificial one, was featured in 2011's "Dolphin Tale." Winter lives in the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. A tradition: strolling Pier 60, especially to watch magnificent sunsets in the Gulf.
For singles: The powdery Siesta Key Beach, in the Sarasota area, is perfect for strolling, shell collecting, dolphin watching or paddling a rental kayak near them. Just off the sand, browse art galleries and studios, or scope out bars and restaurants to plan your evening. If you meet that special someone here, share a picnic at a shoreside table, or drive inland a few miles with your date to the acclaimed Ringling Museum of Art (ringling.org. And Siesta Key boasts many rental cottages in which to get cozy.
For peace and quiet: You can rent a bike, canoe or kayak to enjoy the nearly 2,000 acres of Grayton Beach State Park (floridastateparks.org/graytonbeach in the Panhandle. There's even a boat ramp into a 100-acre brackish lake, which allows for wildlife watching or fishing for both fresh- and saltwater species. But you also have a milelong beachfront to enjoy. A nature trail winds almost 5 miles through a coastal forest. In the Panhandle, Grayton Beach is halfway between Panama City Beach and Destin.
For fishing: Projecting into the Gulf from the community of Dunedin, Honeymoon Island State Park (floridastateparks.org/honeymoonisland is a sliver of land that offers superb fishing. The regular catch includes flounder, trout, redfish, snapper, whiting, sheepshead; occasionally, someone hooks a tarpon. Four miles of coastline include mangrove swamps, salt marshes and sand dunes. Watch the resident ospreys and shore birds to see where they're biting. There are also picnic pavilions, nature trails and bathhouses.
Robert N. Jenkins has spent more than half of his 43 years in Florida as a travel writer and editor. For this subjective list, he mixed his favorites with those of colleagues.
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