Regional Guide · 56 beaches
Gulf of Mexico Beaches
Gulf coverage spans the white-quartz panhandle beaches (Destin, Panama City, Pensacola, St. George Island) east through the Forgotten Coast, down Florida's west coast (Clearwater, St. Pete, Siesta Key, Naples), and west along Alabama (Gulf Shores, Orange Beach), Mississippi (Biloxi, Gulf Shores), and Texas (Galveston, Port Aransas, South Padre). The Gulf is a different sea than the Atlantic — warmer, calmer, shallower, with sugar-white sand on the eastern third and progressively browner sand moving west.
Current Conditions
Average water temperature: 78°F
Across 56 monitored stations on the Gulf of Mexico.
When to Go
March through November for warm water (high 70s to upper 80s). Peak season is June–August; spring break (March) is the loudest stretch. Hurricane season (June through November) brings the risk of beach closures and red-tide events.
Watch Out For
Karenia brevis red-tide blooms can cause respiratory irritation and fish kills along Florida's west coast July through November — check the daily FWC red-tide map. Rip currents are present even on calm-looking days; respect lifeguard flags. Box jellyfish and Portuguese man-of-war wash up after onshore winds.
Florida · 32
All Florida beaches →Vanderbilt Beach Park
Ideal for swimming.
Naples Beach
Ideal for swimming.
Fort Myers Beach (Lynn Hall Memorial Park)
Ideal for swimming.
Lovers Key State Park
Ideal for swimming.
Bonita Beach (incl. Bonita Beach Dog Beach)
Ideal for swimming.
Lido Beach
Ideal for swimming.
Siesta Key Beach
Ideal for swimming.
Captiva Island Beach (Alison Hagerup Beach Park)
Ideal for swimming.
Marco Island Beach
Ideal for swimming.
Perdido Key State Park
Ideal for swimming.
Destin Beach
Ideal for swimming.
Henderson Beach State Park
Ideal for swimming.
Pensacola Beach
Ideal for swimming.
Manatee Public Beach (Anna Maria Island)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Clearwater Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Sanibel Island Beach
Ideal for swimming.
Panama City Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
St. George Island
Ideal for a beach walk.
Caladesi Island State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
St. Pete Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Navarre Beach
Ideal for swimming.
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Seaside Beach (30A)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Rosemary Beach (30A)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Grayton Beach State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Honeymoon Island State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Coquina Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Longboat Key Beach (Bayfront Park Access)
Great day for a beach walk.
Miramar Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Mexico Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Cape San Blas (Salinas Park)
Great day for a beach walk.
T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Texas · 14
All Texas beaches →Stewart Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Galveston Seawall
Great day for a beach walk.
Jamaica Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
East Beach (Galveston)
Great day for a beach walk.
Padre Island National Seashore
Great day for a beach walk.
Surfside Beach (TX)
Great day for a beach walk.
Pirates Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Crystal Beach (Bolivar Peninsula)
Great day for a beach walk.
Matagorda Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Port Aransas Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
South Padre Island Beach
Great day for swimming.
Mustang Island State Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Sea Rim State Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Boca Chica Beach
Decent day for photography.
Mississippi · 5
All Mississippi beaches →Biloxi Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Pass Christian Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Gulfport Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
West Ship Island
Great day for a beach walk.
Bay St. Louis Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Alabama · 4
All Alabama beaches →Gulf Shores Public Beach
Ideal for swimming.
Orange Beach
Ideal for swimming.
Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
Ideal for swimming.
Dauphin Island Public Beach
Ideal for swimming.