St. Johns River
The mighty St. Johns River is an integral part of the Jacksonville landscape with rich history and opportunities for both recreation and transportation needs.
Beaches & Waterways
With 1,100 miles of navigable water, Jax has more shoreline than any other city in the nation.
Just a few minutes from Downtown, Jacksonville's white sand beaches await you. Spend a day unwinding by the ocean and enjoy the nearby shops, restaurants, attractions, and nightlife.
Bring your flip-flops and pack that sunscreen, Jacksonville has 22 miles of wide, uncrowded, white-sandy beaches that offer visitors majestic sunrises and star filled nights. Visitors will find plenty to do and a variety of water activities. Casual fun restaurants, nightlife hotspots, souvenir shops, and oceanfront hotels blend into the scene without crowding the views of the shorelines in Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, and Mayport.
We are home to 40 miles of the Intracoastal Waterway, 50 public boat ramps, and the longest stretch of the St. Johns River in the state of Florida. Jacksonville is the birthplace of the Salt Life movement and Florida’s best water sports getaway! Read more on How to Experience Jacksonville's Local Waters.
22 Miles of Beaches
These are not your grandparents’ beaches. Come surf, kayak, paddleboard, swim, dive, boat, fish and explore Jacksonville’s unique coastal shores. The city’s main beaches are Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Mayport Beach and Atlantic Beach. They are public, and pet friendly, plus they are home to surf shops, fresh seafood restaurants, quaint beach boutiques, and parks like Hanna Park and Dutton Island Preserve. In the city’s Northside, unspoiled barrier islands offer must-see beaches like Blackrock Beach, Boneyard Beach, Little Talbot Island, and Huguenot Park. All accessible by taking a short ferry ride from the beaches or driving down the picturesque Heckscher Drive from Downtown. Jacksonville also has a very active diving scene, with more than 30 offshore reefs off our Atlantic coast. Try out some of these unique water sports like kayaking and diving in Jacksonville.
Jacksonville Beach
Located 17 miles from Downtown Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach offers visitors a family-friendly beach vacation with outdoor activities, a variety of hotels for all budgets and if you’re into nightlife, we’ve got plenty of that too.
Neptune Beach
Nestled between Atlantic Beach and Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach presents visitors with a relaxed, beach atmosphere alongside plenty of local dining and shopping opportunities.
Atlantic Beach
The farthest north in Jacksonville’s beaches community, Atlantic Beach has a rich history of being an esteemed vacation destination dating back to the early 1900s.
Black Rock Beach in Jacksonville, Florida
Black Rock Beach at Big Talbot Island, is not only beautiful, but also a geological wonder. Discover this Found #onlyinjax spot!
The St. Johns River
This mighty Florida river is one of the largest recreational sports in Jacksonville. The St. Johns’ is one of fewer than 30 rivers in the United States that flow northward. Most of the river in our area is part seawater, making it a unique ecosystem where dolphins, manatees and even sharks swim freely. The St. Johns River is ideal for boating and fishing, with fish such as mullet, flounder, shad, and blue crabs migrating from the ocean to freshwater springs upriver to spawn. In Downtown Jacksonville, the river provides tons of attractions opportunities including the Riverwalk, and sporting events like the P1 Powerboats and kayaking excursions. There are dozens of public water access ramps along the St. Johns River.
The Intracoastal Waterways
This natural body of water flows along the East Coast and divides Jacksonville’s Southside from the beaches area. Fisherman and boating enthusiast enjoy the more than 40 miles of ICW’s canals, marshes and channels in Jacksonville every day. Public access ramps make it easier to enjoy a paddleboard adventure, or a leisure kayak trip. The mouths of the larger creeks on the ICW are where the fish run hard. Spotted seatrout, flounder, black drum and redfish call this brackish tributary home.
Beach Itineraries
Fun on the Water
Water Sports
With a strong surfing culture and a wide range of paddling experiences Jacksonville has some of the best water sports action in Florida.
Surfing
Surf's up! With some of the best surfing in Florida, Jacksonville is the perfect place for first-timers to seasoned veterans. Take a lesson on a long board, watch the surfers catch waves…
Kayaking
Ocean, river, and creek kayaking are some the best ways to see Jacksonville and its abundant wildlife. Bring the kayak or rent one here! Guided kayak tours offer a variety of options…
Paddleboarding
Paddle Your Way to Fitness and Fun in Jax! There’s no better way to get in your daily workout than taking in all the beauty of Jacksonville’s waterways on a paddleboard…
Jacksonville’s Diving & Fishing Reefs
It’s probably not one of the first things you think about when you think of Jacksonville, but it should be!
Fishing
Get ready to reel in a big one! Fish Jacksonville’s more than 1,110 miles of interior shorelines.