Tierra Verde

Head south—all the way south—and you’ll reach the boating community of Tierra Verde. The highlight of Tierra Verde is Fort De Soto Park—1,136 acres of award-winning Gulf Coast beaches set on five islands. In 2011, Parents magazine named it America's best family beach, and it was proclaimed the nation's best beach by TripAdvisor in 2009, among other accolades throughout the years. The list of activities here is long: a historic fort, three miles of beach, two fishing piers (one on the bay, one on the Gulf), a dog beach, a 6.8-mile-long paved recreational trail, a large camping area, and bike, kayak and canoe rentals.