The city's four main beaches are Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Mayport Beach, and Atlantic Beach. The beaches are just a short drive from downtown Jacksonville, and each beach offers a unique personality and community. In Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, and Mayport, casual dining, nightlife, souvenir shops, and oceanfront hotels blend into the scene without cluttering up coastal views of Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach and Mayport. The Johns River is an integral part of the Jacksonville landscape, with a rich history and opportunities for both recreational and transportation needs.
With a strong surf culture and a wide range of paddling experiences, Jacksonville has some of the best water sports in Florida. Fishing and boating enthusiasts enjoy the more than 40 miles of canals, swamps and canals at the ICW in Jacksonville every day. The 400-foot-high Jacksonville Pier is a good place to watch locals while they dine; the 1.5 km waterfront is a good place to walk or watch people go by, and the Sea Walk Pavilion hosts many concerts and events. Main Beach, the largest public park on the island, is located on Trout Street and has showers and bathrooms.
Located on Amelia Island, approximately five miles south of Fernandina Beach, this historic site is a stop on Florida's Black Heritage Trail. Abraham Lincoln Lewis, co-founder and president of the Afro-American Life Insurance Company, founded American Beach in 1935, when there were few beaches in the area for blacks to enjoy. Located 27 miles from downtown Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach offers visitors an ideal beach vacation for the whole family with outdoor activities, a variety of hotels to suit every budget, and if you like nightlife, we've got plenty of that, too. Nestled between Atlantic Beach and Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach offers visitors a relaxed beach atmosphere, plus a wide variety of local restaurants and shops. Ocean, river and stream kayaking are some of the best ways to see Jacksonville and its abundant wildlife.
Bring your flip flops and pack that sunscreen. Jacksonville has 22 miles of wide, uncrowded beaches and white sand that offer visitors majestic sunrises and star-filled nights. On the north side of the city, unspoiled barrier islands offer must-see beaches, such as Blackrock Beach, Boneyard Beach, Little Talbot Island and Huguenot Park. Fishing is popular at the mile-long George Crady Bridge State Fishing Pier, which crosses the Nassau Strait, and you can even take a horseback ride on the beach from a nearby stable.
In addition to being a good place to swim or relax, the beach is ideal for shell hunting and wildlife watching. Made up of 13 miles of coastline bordered by dunes dotted 40 feet high with sea oats, Amelia Island is a paradise for beach lovers.
