The Villages is known for being “Florida’s friendliest retirement hometown.” The villages for adults 55 and over offer their residents an active lifestyle with sports, shopping, restaurants, and recreational activities.
Best and nearest beaches to the Villages, Florida: There are some great beaches that can be enjoyed by residents of The Villages. Here are the 8 best and nearest:
1. Eaton’s Beach
2. Hunter Springs Park
3. Rainbow Springs State Park
4. Crystal Springs State Park
5. Cocoa Beach
6. Clearwater
7. St. Augustine
8. Daytona Beach
The Villages is a great community with many activities for active adults to participate in, but some people rather spend a nice relaxing day at the beach. This is a good opportunity to take a break from your daily tasks and enjoy a different environment. Here is a list of the 7 best beaches to check out.
Don’t forget to bring a beach chair and cooler to make your day more enjoyable. Click the Amazon link to get the most current price.
- Eaton’s Beach
Eaton’s Beach is a 20-minute drive from the Villages and is a stretch of sandy shoreline located on Lake Weir.
Eaton’s Beach Sandbar & Grill 15790 SE 134th Ave Weirsdale, FL
There are many things to do on Lake Weir’s 5,700 acres like:
- Fishing
- Boating
- Swimming
- Hiking
Eaton’s Beach Sandbar and Grill is located on Weir’s Beachside and has day-long activities for you to enjoy.
They have jet skis, pontoon boats, and seaplane tours.
- Hunter Springs Park
Hunter Springs Park is a one hour drive from the Villages, Florida.
18 NE 2nd St, Crystal River, FL 34429
This 2.27-acre park features a white sandy beach, kayak launch, playground, pavilions, and bathrooms.
If you enjoy kayaking, they have a kayaking company that will allow you to rent a kayak and use their accessible kayak launch to get out on the water and enjoy your day.
There is a $5 parking fee for the whole day or $2 for two hours.
Hunter Springs Kayaks Guided Tour
You can book a guided tour with Hunter Springs Kayaks that will take you on a 3-hour journey to experience beautiful springs, islands, caves, and wildlife.
Guided tours locations include:
- Three Sisters springs
- Halls river
- Casshowitzka river
The King’s Bay is known for its manatees, The Crack is a remote salt spring, and the Seven Sisters is an underwater salt-fed cave.
You can book a guided tour here for $65 per adult.
- Rainbow Springs State Park
Rainbow Springs State Park is a 45-minute drive from the Villages and a very beautiful park with its gardens, manmade waterfalls, and sapphire-blue waters.
19158 SW 81st Place Rd
They are open 365 days a year from 8 am to sunset and the fee is $2 per person.
There are many amazing activities and amenities to choose from at the Rainbow Springs State Park. They include:
- Birding – Witness woodpeckers, wading birds, hawks, songbirds, and owls
- Paddling – Canoe and kayaking rentals
- Gardens – Entire headsprings area are bursting with pinks, purples, and whites from azalea blooms
- Concession – Sandwiches, snacks, ice cream, and soft drinks
- Geo-seeking – Use location coordinates to find caches
- Hiking – Take a stroll through the gardens and waterfalls with benches located along the path
- Swimming – Swimming area is 5-18 feet deep with a water temperature of 72℉
- Crystal Springs State Park
It is a one hour drive from The Villages, Florida, to the Crystal Springs State Park.
Parking is between $1 and $5, depending on your length of stay.
The Crystal River Park is the most accessible spring on King’s Bay. The park features a natural shoreline and beach, bathrooms, changing rooms, a kayak launch, and a boardwalk that is perfect for viewing manatees.
Each winter, hundreds of manatees will return to the springs for their warmth and shelter form the colder waters.
- Cocoa Beach
Cocoa beach is about two hours away from The Villages and it is a beach that is well worth the trip.
If you are driving into Florida, you’ll want to find your way to I-95 and head south. Get off I-95 at Exit 205A — Route 528 (Beachline) East. Once you cross the IntraCoastal Waterways, you’ll reach Port Canaveral. The Beachline then turns into A1A, leading you right into the heart of Cocoa Beach.
Cocoa Beach has six miles of ocean beaches with three oceanfront parks with restrooms, showers, and picnic tables.
Activities include:
- 27-hole golf course on Banana river
- Tennis complex with lighted courts
- Wide range of dining choices
- Tours of Banana River Lagoon by boat or kayak
Cocoa Beach has four parks with beach access, parking, and restrooms. The four parks and fees are:
- Alan Shepard Park – $15
- Sidney Fisher Park – $15
- Lori Wilson Park – No fees
- Robert P Murkshe Memorial Park – No fees
- Clearwater
It is about a two-hour drive from The Villages to reach Clearwater Beach, home of white sand beaches and clear Gulf waters.
CLEARWATER BEACH HOTEL
504 S Gulf View Blvd
Clearwater Beach, FL 33767
There are many different recreational activities you can participate in.
- Motorboat rental
- Deep-sea fishing
- Dolphin tours
- Spa
Clearwater Beach has a trolley service that can transport you through the beach
- St. Augustine
St. Augustine is a two-hour drive from The Villages. St. Augustine is located on Anastasia Island, known for its 42 miles of ocean-facing beaches.
A1A Beach Blvd. 11th st. on on Anastasia Island.
Along with beaches, St. Augustine has many attractions you can check out, some attractions are:
- Military forts
- Stately castles
- A spiraling lighthouse
- Nature trails
There are several different beaches you can visit in St. Augustine:
- Anastasia State Park
- Crescent Beach
- Frank B. Butler County Park
- GTM Guana River South Beach
- Island Beach Shop and Grill
- Mickler’s Landing Beachfront Park
- North Beach
- South Ponte Vedra Beach
- St Johns County Ocean Pier
- Vilano Beach
St. Augustine has many different activities to participate in:
- Fishing
- Surfing
- Kayaking
- Sailing
- Nature walking
- Boogie boarding
- Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach is an hour and a half drive from The Villages.
250 N Beach St – Daytona Beach FL
There are countless activities to choose from while visiting Daytona Beach’s 23-miles of sand, like golfing, shopping, arts, and sports. Daytona Beach also offers beach wheelchairs for people needing assistance, which makes this a good beach for people with wheelchairs to enjoy.
Daytona Beach has dozens of beachfront parks that allow you to explore and enjoy the outdoors.
The Beach Club At The Villages
The Beach Club at The Villages is a group of beach lovers who plan days out at the beach. A few popular beaches they have visited are:
- Clearwater Beach
- Madeira Beach
- Anna Maria Island
- New Smyrna Beach
- Nokomis Beach
They plan a full day to travel by bus to the beaches where they can relax, enjoy food and drinks, and enjoy time with friends.
The fee covers transportation, tip, and water and a snack on the bus. The fee is $49.
Things To Bring
When traveling away from your home, you will want to make sure to pack all your beach essentials for the day to help prevent dehydration and sunburn. Those essentials include:
- Sunscreen – To prevent sunburn. This should be applied multiple times
- Hat – Give you some extra shade
- Sunglasses – To protect your eyes
- Water – You should always stay hydrated in the heat
- Snacks – Being in the sun and swimming can make you hungry
- Towels – To sit on or after swimming
- Umbrella – This will help give you shade whenever you need a break
It is a good idea to have a waterproof phone case to carry your phone in case of dropping it near the water. If you have a camera, keep it in the camera case to prevent sand from getting on it.
Along with waterproof cases, having float straps for your devices can come in handy in case your device gets dropped into the water. These float straps will help prevent your devices from floating down to where you may not be able to see it.
A large beach bag is great to carry around all your supplies rather than trying to juggle all or things in smaller bags.
Having a beach coverup or a light long sleeve shirt can come in handy for extra protection from the sun.
