Florida Suncoast
The Florida Suncoast (or Florida Sun Coast) is a marketing name for the west-central peninsular Florida coastal area, also sometimes known as Florida's Beach communities. The region contains nearly 150 miles (240 km) of Gulf of Mexico beaches and the warm, sunny winter climate attracts tourists from across the US, Canada, and Europe. The name comes from the coast receiving the most days of sunshine per year.[1]
Cities and counties
[edit]Visit Florida, the state's official tourism marketing corporation, defines the Suncoast region as the 20 barrier islands in the Clearwater/St. Petersburg area of central west Florida.[2] The Suncoast region includes the Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Lee, and Collier counties.
Pinellas County includes the cities St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo, and Dunedin. Its main beach is Clearwater Beach. Pinellas County maintains the regional beach parks Fort De Soto, Sand Key Park, and Fred Howard Park along the Gulf Coast.[3] Other beaches include St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, and Indian Rocks Beach.
Hillsborough County includes the cities and communities Tarpon Springs, Tampa, Brandon and Ruskin. Its main beach is Ben T. Davis Beach, with the others being Cypress Point Park, Davis Islands Seaplane Basin, and Picnic Island Park.[4]
Manatee County includes Bradenton and Palmetto. Manatee County limits contain several barrier islands, most notably Anna Maria Island. Its main beaches are Manatee Public Beach and Coquina Beach. Other beaches include Cortez Beach and Bean Point Beach.[5]
Sarasota County includes the city of the same name, Sarasota. Sarasota County limits contain several barrier islands, including Lido Key, St. Armands Key, Bird Key, and the northern portion of Siesta Key. Its main beaches are Siesta Beach, Lido Beach, Turtle Beach, and Cresent Beach. Other beaches include Caspersen Beach, Nokomis Beach, Manasota Beach, and Blind Pass Beach.[6]
Lee County includes the cities Fort Myers and Cape Coral. Lee County limits contain several barrier islands, including Estero Island, Sanibel Island, and Captiva Island. The town of Fort Myers Beach maintains 29 public beach accesses on Estero Island, including Newton Beach Park and Seven Seas Cottage.[7] The main beaches include Lover’s Key State Park, San Carlos Bay, and Turner Beach Park.
Collier County includes the city Naples. Its main beaches are Barefoot Beach Preserve, Clam Pass Park, Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Vanderbilt Beach, and Lowdermilk Park. It has 35 additional beaches.[8]
See also
[edit]
- Tampa Bay area
- Central Florida
- Southwest Florida
- Nature Coast – to the north
- Florida Heartland – to the east
- Everglades – to the southeast
References
[edit]- ^ Kenyon, Maureen (October 15, 2019). "From the First Coast to the Emerald Coast: Here's how each Florida 'coast' got its name". Treasure Coast Newspapers. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
- ^ "Glossary of Terms for International Visitors". Visit Florida. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- ^ "Pinellas County Beaches and Beach Access". Pinellas County. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ "Beaches | City of Tampa". www.tampa.gov. July 8, 2014. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ "Check Beach Conditions". www.mymanatee.org. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ "Current Beach Conditions | Visit Sarasota County". www.visitsarasota.com. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ "Beaches | Town of Fort Myers Beach, FL - Official Website". www.fortmyersbeachfl.gov. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ "Beaches | Florida Department of Health in Collier". collier.floridahealth.gov. Retrieved November 24, 2025.