UPTOURIST

Florida is home to some of the world’s most stunning beaches. Traveling here any time of the year means you’ll enjoy breathtaking scenery along the coastline. For the most part, you can rest easy knowing your swimsuit, a cover-up, and a pair of flipflops will suffice when hitting the beaches and visiting nearby attractions.

Beaches Where Anything Goes

Florida beaches are tied together by a common factor — it’s hot. You’ll need to wear loose fitting clothing and sandals or flipflops to beat the heat. If you’re heading to South Beach, a bikini or swimming trunks paired with flipflops will be appropriate both on and off the sand. The same applies if you’re taking a day trip to Fort Meyers Beach or Panama City Beach.

Conservative Beaches

If you’re visiting beaches near Boca Raton or Naples, you’ll need to dress a bit more conservative. A cover-up is essential when going out to eat or walking back to the hotel. Fort Walton Beach along with Gulf Breeze and Fernandina Beach also tend to be much more conservative than other beaches in Florida. These areas are extremely family oriented, so waltzing around in a string bikini will definitely have you feeling out of place.

White Sand Beaches

Clearwater Beach, Fort Myers Beach, and St. Pete Beach are but a few of the areas where you’ll enjoy walking on soft white sand. You can toss the flipflops aside when walking down these beaches. And if you head down to the Southwest Gulf Coast Beach, you’ll find yourself walking on sand so soft that it feels like powder. Some parts of the beach even squeak when you walk across the sand because it is so fine-grained. Even better is that the sand here doesn’t get nearly as hot as on other beaches, giving you yet another reason to kick off your flipflops and feel the sand squish between your toes.

If you insist on wearing shoes when visiting any of Florida’s sandy beaches like those near Indian Rocks Beach, comfortable sandals are generally the best because they stay on your feet better than flipflops. For men, a good pair of boat shoes can be worn while walking down a sandy beach. Sandals and boat shoes are both ideal for keeping your feet comfortable when heading back to your nearby hotel.

Upscale Beaches

If you’re visiting Miami during the Mercedez-Benz Swim Fashion Week, you’ll find yourself surrounded by people dressed to the nines, so you’ll want to dress to impress. This is the time and place to pull out your bikini that comes with a matching coverup and shoes. When you hit the beach, designer sunglasses are a must, and after the sun goes down, you’ll need to slip into a fancy cocktail dress as you walk along the shore. Other upscale beaches in Florida include Palm Beach, Delray Beach, and Clearwater Beach.

Wearing appropriate attire will go a long way in making sure you enjoy Florida beaches. When planning a trip to a Florida beach, make sure to research local events and culture to help determine how to pack your suitcase and beach bag.