Fort De Soto Park

This beach, once inhabited by Tocobanga Indians and Spanish settlers, has been voted by TripAdvisor as “America’s Top Beach.” Fort De Soto has the ideal blend of wide stretches of soft sand, clear water and a casual vibe. North Beach is a local favorite. Though it is packed on the weekends during high season, the crowds leave during the week. Rent canoes or kayaks here and don’t forget to tour the fort which has the only four 12-inch seacoast rifled mortars in the United States. Also check out the two 6-inch Armstrong rapid-fire rifled guns.