The gorgeous city of Gainesville is located in Florida’s northernmost district. It is a delightful city that provides you and your companions with many exciting things to see and do and a ton of nearby breathtaking beaches.

Looking to take a much-needed vacation where you can spend the day lounging on a stunning shoreline and engaging in various water sports? Well, nothing compares to the beaches close to Gainesville.

So please don’t wait any longer and check out this top list of the best beaches nearby Gainesville, Florida, that I hand-picked, particularly for you. Then get ready for a memorable getaway.

1. Crescent Beach — St. Augustine

In the vicinity of Gainesville, Crescent Beach is one of the prettiest beaches. It features hard-packed sand, luscious greenery, and mesmerizing ocean views.

Why We Recommend This Beach

Your next day trip should take you to Crescent Beach.

Why? Because on this beach, you can enjoy various activities while making new memories with your traveling crew, like boogie boarding, surfing, taking a bike ride along the ocean, playing sand volleyball, tossing around a frisbee, boating, sunbathing, and much more.

Along with these great features, it also has lifeguards on duty during peak periods, picnic tables where you can enjoy meals away from the sand, and easily accessible showers and restrooms.

Expert Tip

You can indulge in horseback riding and beach driving in Crescent Beach.

However, you must obtain a permit and then pay a fee.

2. Jacksonville Beach — Jacksonville Beach

Jacksonville Beach is a stunning beach stretching for miles.

Due to its many family-friendly amenities, close-by attractions, and clean shorelines, it is a family favorite.

Why We Recommend This Beach

Gainesville may not have many beaches where you can take your loved ones, but it is surrounded by many coastlines, including Jacksonville Beach, which makes it one of the ideal getaways.

You can do numerous relaxing activities at this beach close to Gainesville.

For example, sunbathing, taking a leisurely swim, grilling juicy hamburgers or hot dogs, teaching your kids how to fish at the pier, assisting your young children in creating sand sculptures, and so many other activities.

Expert Tip

Jacksonville Beach offers beach wheelchairs for rent if you are traveling with someone physically disabled.

Ask the lifeguards for assistance.

3. Neptune Beach — Neptune Beach

Along the North Atlantic Ocean’s coastline is Neptune Beach.

It provides you with one of the best beach vacations from Gainesville, thanks to its fine white sand, azure water, and various entertainment options.

Why We Recommend This Beach

Neptune Beach is a superb choice if you’re looking for beautiful beaches where you can connect with your friends and enjoy spending time together.

Have a blast together while engaging in various activities like surfing, collecting pretty seashells, burying each other into the sand, and tanning.

It is also more serene and quiet than other coastlines in the region because it does not draw huge crowds.

It is perfect for swimming because it hardly ever experiences large waves, has a large number of attentive lifeguards on duty at all times, and is clear and not murky.

Expert Tip

Visit Adventure Landing for a more fun vacation before returning home.

On this 9-minute drive away tourist hotspot, enjoy various attractions, such as an arcade, a laser tag arena, a go-kart track, a miniature golf course, and more.

4. Amelia Island State Park Beach — Jacksonville Beach

Amelia Island State Park Beach is charming, providing a tranquil setting where you can enjoy the cool sea breeze and the natural world’s sounds.

Why We Recommend This Beach

While there aren’t many lake beaches close to Gainesville, there are plenty of incredible coastlines where you can have the vacation of a lifetime, like Amelia Island State Park Beach.

Located in a 200-acre park, Amelia Island State Park Beach offers miles of undeveloped shoreline where you can engage in various recreational pursuits like shelling, fishing, beach driving, watching sea turtles come ashore, and more.

Numerous facilities are available along this breathtaking stretch of coastline, including plenty of outdoor showers, a bait and tackle shop, and ADA-accessible facilities.

You can rent equipment like kayaks and canoes from its rental facility for a small fee.

Expert Tip

Within Amelia Island State Park Beach, Kelly Seahorse Ranch is a well-known attraction where you can reserve horse-guided beach tours for a more memorable experience.

5. Flagler Beach — Flagler Beach 

Flagler Beach is a little more than a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Gainesville. This sun-kissed coastline is one of the best beaches near Gainesville, FL, offering the ideal balance of sun, sand, and sea.

Why We Recommend This Beach

Enjoy the most magnificent quick beach getaways from Gainesville at Flagler Beach.

This beach stretches for miles, features powdery, soft sand, and is also relatively flat. No small rocks can hurt your children’s feet when playing on the beach.

It is the safest beach for kids because the local officials carefully monitor the water conditions, and many professionally trained lifeguards patrol the area.

Enjoy much-needed quality time with your family and friends as you sit back and unwind. Together, you can enjoy various activities such as sitting by a bonfire, swimming in the glistening water, building sandcastles that are several stories high, fishing, and much more.

Expert Tip

If you forgot to buy something by chance, there is a store right by the Flagler Beach Fishing Pier that sells and rents a variety of items, including bait, beach toys, chairs, food, drinks, umbrellas, and souvenirs.