Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Recreation Area
Southern tip of Key Biscayne

A beach that ranks among Miami-Dade's most pristine is in many ways better than ever. The lush canopy has been replaced by lower-growing, less shady natives but now it's truly a natural Florida landscape. This sandy shoreline remains one of Southeast Florida's least corrupted with only the historic lighthouse as a sign of nonnative civilization. For a long, lonely walk, this beach can't be beat. That's on weekdays. Weekends, watch your step.

Fees: $1 toll at Rickenbacker Causeway plus $4 to park all day.
Food: Nice concession.
Facilities: Hurricane Andrew's gift: Superb restrooms.
Lifeguards: Hours vary but generally midmorning to sunset.
Access: 5 Recreation: 2 Nature: 5 Amenities: 3 Ambience: 5

Village of Key Biscayne
Between Cape Florida and Crandon Park

A very nice beach for everyone who lives there. Otherwise, if you want to feel the silky sand between your toes, you have to either stay at one of the fine hotels or walk in from parks at either end on the part legally accessible to the public the strip between the high-tide line and the ocean's edge.

Parking: $1 toll at the Rickenbacker Causeway; no parking for the public.
Food: Fine, but expensive cuisine.
Facilities: Hotels but intended for use by guests.
Lifeguards: None. Only at hotels and condominiums.
Access: 0 Recreation: 3 Nature: 2 Amenities: 1 Ambience: 3

Crandon Park
Off Rickenbacker Causeway on Key Biscayne

A great expanse of soft sand, picnic spots under the palms and lots of room for the sport of your choice -- family paradise. Shallow waters perfect for wading or sand-castle construction. All this and not a T-shirt shop for miles. Minor quibbles: Bathrooms and concessions too few. Calm waters occasionally smell a bit rank. On a busy weekend the Rickenbacker Causeway traffic can make driving a chore.

Fees: $1 toll at Rickenbacker plus $3.50 to park all day.
Food: Some concessions but best as a picnic place.
Facilities: It's time to add more bathrooms. Ever sat in a port-a-potty on a hot summer day? You'll only do it once.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Access: 5 Recreation: 5 Nature: 3 Amenities: 3 Ambiance: 5

Virginia Key
Off Rickenbacker Causeway, on Virginia Key

The city of Miami shut this beach down because of its budget crisis ­ yet another sign of the sorry state of civic affairs. No loss really. Once a jewel, the beach had become rockier than a quarry but not as pretty. Plentiful parking and lovely view across the water couldn't overcome urban ugliness and neglect: Rusty barbecue pits, a sewage pump house, small electric substation and a drive past public works yards made it everything a beach shouldn't be.

Fees: Nada because you can't get in.
Food: None.
Facilities: They were OK, but you can't use them.
Lifeguards: Canned.
Access: 0 Recreation: 0 Nature: 0 Amenities: 0 Ambiance: 1

Fisher Island
Seven minutes by ferry from MacArthur Causeway

The only shoreline in South Florida built of white sand imported from the Bahamas. It's soft, almost sugary stuff -- closer to marvelous Panhandle beaches. But you can't get there without a boat -- and then you'd be trespassing. Residents and their guests get to the island on a ferry. The downside: Fisher's million-dollar condos share the island with large oil storage tanks and sit upwind from the sewage treatment plant on Virginia Key.

Parking: None.
Food: Not on the beach.
Facilities: None.
Lifeguards: Not on the beach.
Access: 0 Recreation: 0 Nature: 1 Amenities: 0 Ambiance: 5

South Beach
Government Cut to 22nd Street

Lots of well-built, good-looking people along with the rest of us gawking at them. Even without the several football fields of sand -- rather coarse stuff slurped from the ocean floor -- it'd be a great place to go. Great food served in 27 languages. Art Deco. Tons of room to play or skate or people-watch. Funkiest lifeguard shacks on the globe. Intrusion of chain restaurants and shops has Ocean Drive's cutting edge character, but the denizens still think they're cooler than you. Beach at the end of each street can have its own character -- 12th Street is especially popular with gays. There's a section nearby where young women routinely remove their tops, too, but we're not going to tell you which way you have to walk. But trust us, they're there. Beachside chic fades somewhat south of Fifth Street; some stretches toward the north can be a bit filthy.

Parking: Ridiculously hard to find metered parking at $1 per hour and private lots are a huge rip. Look for affordable public parking garages and walk ­ people watching is what you're here for anyway.
Food: You name it. Hot dog at beach stands, frijoles negros y cerveza at walk-up counters, mineral water and mango quiche at sidewalk cafes, snapper and Chardonnay at trendy bistros.
Facilities: Public restrooms OK but far too few.
Lifeguards: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.
Access: 2 Recreation: 5 Nature: 1 Amenities: 5 Ambiance: 5

Miami Beach Central
22nd Street to 46th Street

And away we go . . . but where? The spirit of Jackie Gleason still haunts America's erstwhile sun and fun capital. But this stretch of sand, dominated by aging hotels, lacks the contemporary panache of South Beach. Not so bad if you're a conventioneer. But for pure beach-going, it lacks. Long boardwalk makes for an inviting stroll, but there are sections near less successful hotels where urban reality intrudes in the form of graffiti and citizens clutching brown paper bags. The beach is often rocky and thin.

Parking: Outside of hotels, there are several lots along A1A; beachside, $1 per hour; off-beach parking runs 50 cents an hour.
Food: Hot dog at beach bar cost $3 plus. Burp!
Facilities: Public restrooms at some parking areas, but it's a far stroll between them.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Access: 2 Recreation: 2 Nature: 1 Amenities: 2 Ambiance: 2

Miami Beach North
46th Street to 87th Street

A fast-evolving, eclectic string of neighborhood bars, shops, restaurants and hotels with some well-worn pockets. But it's obvious big-buck polish is on the way. Developers are filling rare gaps in the oceanfront concrete with -- you guessed it -- more concrete. Consider beachfront Ocean Terrace between 73rd and 75th streets. Coming soon to a spot where you can now get a room for as little as $19 is a high-rise condo starting at $145,000. Beaching it can be pleasant -- except for boulders bigger than footballs in the sand -- but getting there requires parking in public lots that are often filthy and crowded.

Parking: Entrance fee is $1.
Food: Abundant in some places, like in the merchant district between 66th and 75th streets, available only in hotels elsewhere.
Facilities: Restrooms and showers -- but pretty dirty.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
Access: 3 Recreation: 3 Nature: 1 Amenities: 3 Ambiance: 3

North Shore Park
A1A and 72nd Street

Thick sea grape forest, healthy dunes, nice sand -- what more could a beachgoer want? Park has plenty of picnic tables and covered areas. There's space to play on grass and sand. Exercise trail, playground. Just stroll the walkways and enjoy the scenery. Everything is immaculate. Great place for kids or a picnic. Parking along street is limited but more plentiful in lots a short walk across A1A. One of Dade's least appreciated jewels.

Parking: $2 entrance fee (honor system) does not include parking; on-street meters $1 per hour but limited; lots have more room at 50 cents per hour.
Food: None, but you want to picnic here anyway.
Facilities: Neat and numerous restrooms.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
Access: 5 Recreation: 3 Nature: 4 Amenities: 2 Ambiance: 5

Surfside
87th Terrace to 96th Street

Low key but not low rent. There are no models, no noisy cafes, no ticky tacky. There's a comfortable walking path along the sand dunes and plenty of room to put down a blanket. For a small area, lots of parking spaces jammed in but still tight because you compete with shoppers in busy merchant district. For $3, nonresidents can use community center at 93rd Street and its good-sized pool, shower and bathrooms and concessions.

Parking: 75 cents per hour on meters.
Food: Beachside Community Center has concession.
Facilities: Restrooms and showers in community center.
Lifeguards: At community center, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Access: 3 Recreation: 2 Nature: 2 Amenities: 2 Ambiance: 3

Bal Harbour
96th Street to Haulover Inlet

Surprise! Forbiddingly concrete from road but almost tropical from beach. Towers don't dominate the vista but hunker way back, buffered by dunes and a winding hard sand path amid lush palms. No beach lover likes condos, but this is a delightful little stretch, perhaps the cleanest in South Florida.

Parking: Limited just five dozen spaces under Haulover Inlet bridge at $1 per hour.
Food: Restaurants for hotel guests, but you can pretend. Or bring your own.
Facilities: Again, gotta be a guest.
Lifeguards: None.
Access: 1 Recreation: 3 Nature: 2 Amenities: 1 Ambiance: 4

Haulover Beach Park
Haulover Inlet to Bayview Court

From nudists to tiny shore birds, there's room for everyone and everything on this gigantic strand. There's also room for about 5,000 cars. The faint of heart might be a little uncomfortable with abundant graffiti, broken bottles in the tunnels from beach to lots, and soda machines locked in steel cages. But none of this deters families from jamming picnic tables.

Parking: $3.50.
Food: Concessions at the pier at south end, vendor at north and marina on west side of A1A.
Facilities: Could be cleaner, but plentiful.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Access: 5 Recreation: 3 Nature: 3 Amenities: 2 Ambiance: 3

Sunny Isles
Bayview Court to 194th Street

This stretch has recently become a city and added the word "beach'' to its official name but is now pondering another name, Aventura Beach. It's an effort to move in the same upscale direction as the towering condos replacing the cheap tourist hotels that for decades gave the place its uh, charm -- if you enjoyed concrete camels and garish signs, which did have a certain declasse character. This will be an area in transition for several years, drawing European visitors to the cut-rate hotels while busily erecting million-buck sky palaces. Public access areas tend to be uninviting and littered but that'll change.

Parking: Limited but free.
Food: Newport Pier has concessions.
Facilities: Bathrooms in the pier were locked.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily at pier.
Access: 1 Recreation: 1 Nature: 0 Amenities: 2 Ambiance: 0

Golden Beach
194th Street to Haulover Park

Retirees from Hallandale use the soggy strip of sand at the water's edge as a walking path, but this wide, sandy beach is private -- as the signs quickly remind you. The exclusive community used to charge nonresidents $1,000 a year for a parking permit, but in the spirit of openness, they've done away with that and put in parking spaces at Tweedle Park, a small recreation area at the southern edge. Four whole spaces!

Parking: $1.25 per hour if you score one of the four spots.
Food: None.
Facilities: None. Lifeguards: None.
Access: 0 Recreation: 0 Nature: 1 Amenities: 0 Ambiance: 3
Fort Lauderdale Beaches

Hallandale
Dade County line to Hallandale Beach Boulevard

Concrete walls, armed guards and security cameras hog an eroding beach where the sun sets in midafternoon behind mountainous condos. There's relief about 300 yards short of the northern limit of this mile-long stretch, where concrete yields to picnic tables, volleyball and what must be South Florida's only beachside bocce court.

Parking: Meters.
Food: Behind the condos, pack it; north of condos, you can buy it.
Facilities: One bathroom at north end; none south by condos. Get the feeling they don't want you by the condos?
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Access: 3 Recreation: 2 Nature: 1 Amenities: 2 Ambiance: 2

Hollywood Beach
Hallandale Beach Boulevard to Sheridan Street

Honky-tonk heaven. Guzzle beer at an outdoor tavern, hear Jimmy Buffett sung in French Canadian and watch humanity parade on asphalt Broadwalk. Strollers come in all shapes, sizes and attitudes -- young punks in black leather to little old ladies in pink polyester. The carnival can almost make you forget the wide, beautiful sandy beach. South of Oceanwalk complex, you'll find something different: A relatively uncrowded beach with a small sand dune buffer from highway. This is a great place for kids to play, but picnic areas are sparse.

Parking: 75 cents per hour; south area, 25 cents for 20 minutes.
Food: Smorgasbord of ethnic offerings along Broadwalk; south, bring a cooler.
Facilities: Lots.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Access: 4 Recreation: 3 Nature: 1 Amenities: 5 Ambiance: 5

North Hollywood
Sheridan Street to Dania Beach Boulevard

Sea grape, sea oats, sand dunes, sea birds -- a slice of surprisingly unspoiled sand. At North Beach Park, you find concessions and bathrooms. North of the county park, side streets off A1A lead to an even more isolated beach. The natural atmosphere vanishes far north, where homes and apartments jut onto beach.

Parking: $3 weekdays; $5 weekends and holidays, unless you arrive after 2 p.m., then it's $2 and $3.
Food: Concession stand in park.
Facilities: Nice bathroom and showers at the south end.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Access: 5 Recreation: 2 Nature: 4 Amenities: 3 Ambiance: 4

Dania Beach
Dania Beach Boulevard to north of Dania Pier.

Ample parking, a concession stand and a rebuilt fishing pier serve this tiny, improving beach. The ghost of the failed SeaFair mall is finally being renovated as a university marine science center, which will add a touch of smarts and class to the city. A curtain of sea grapes and little chickee huts dress up super soft sands.

Fee: $1 per hour at meter is way too much.
Food: Concessions and SeaFair restaurant.
Facilities: Yes, but the public ones stink -- literally. Try SeaFair.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Access: 3 Recreation: 3 Nature: 3 Amenities: 3 Ambiance: 3

John U. Lloyd State Recreation Area
North of Dania Beach Boulevard

Space, restrooms, parking, shade aplenty. Condo-free seascape. Canoe trail in mangroves. But paradise is lost to littered trails, shores chewed by erosion, sand that stubs toes and reeking dumpsters amid picnic tables. At north end, the beach is littered with concrete rubble and a small Navy station takes over the high ground with a nasty fence.

Parking: $1 for up to two in a car; $4 for two to eight.
Food: Amply stocked general store; concession stands.
Facilities: Numerous nice and well-ventilated bathrooms -- skylights even!
Lifeguards: None.
Access: 5 Recreation: 3 Nature: 3 Amenities: 4 Ambiance: 2

Harbor Beach
North of Port Everglades Inlet to 17th Street Causeway

Sprawling desert studded with "no trespassing" signs and cabanas. So huge is this beach that people trudge across boardwalks as long as football fields just so they can get a glimpse of the surf. This paradise is controlled by condos and private beach clubs, and over the last few years they've removed the scant few free parking spaces. But you can still walk or bike there ­ just to irk 'em ­ and enter through a marked public access gate at Southeast 20th Street.

Parking: None.
Food: Ask the condo dwellers for some Grey Poupon to go with the ham sandwich you'll have to pack.
Facilities: No.
Lifeguards: No.
Access: 1 Recreation: 2 Nature: 1 Amenities: 0 Ambiance: 5

Fort Lauderdale South
17th Street Causeway to Sunrise Boulevard

Bury that seedy spring break image -- this beach is back. Skaters dodge pink tourists. New bistros brim in the evening. Extensive face lift -- a tad theme-parkish, sort of yuppified South Beach -- gives open, inviting feel to hotel row. South end boasts beachside basketball court, endless picnic tables and barbecue pits, volleyball areas. Superb sand everywhere: deep, soft.

Parking: $5 in beachside lot, which fills quickly; $1 per hour in metered areas just west of A1A; $1 per huge lot on Intra-coastal just north of the Las Olas Avenue bridge.
Food: Fast-food on tourist row; cook your own at south end.
Facilities: South end has plenty of public bathrooms; elsewhere, it's bars or hotels.
Lifeguards: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Access: 4 Recreation: 5 Nature: 2 Amenities: 4 Ambiance: 4

Fort Lauderdale North
Sunrise Boulevard to Oakland Park Boulevard

North of hotel strip, locals rule. The beach is narrow and without frills such as restrooms and concessions, but you can surf here in section just north of Sunrise.

Parking: Free along A1A, 25 cents per hour in tiny beachfront parks north of 19th Street. Pay $3.25 to park all day at Hugh Taylor Birch State Recreation Area on Sunrise Boulevard, and you can also use the park's restrooms across A1A from the beach.
Food: Use tunnel to Birch park or walk south to hotels, pizza joints. Farther north, some hotels boast beach bars, restaurants.
Facilities: No -- unless you use tunnel to Birch Park.
Lifeguards: Nada.
Access: 3 Recreation: 3 Nature: 2 Amenities: 0 Ambiance: 3

Galt Ocean Mile
Oakland Park Boulevard to Flamingo Drive

Unless you live there or check in, why go? Sand is fine; condos aren't. Concrete completely overwhelms. Take the Plaza South's three stories of windowless tan-tone plaster at beach level. Yuck. Hotels rent some stuff like wave runners and sailboards, but it's meant for guests.

Parking: Non-existent.
Food: Visit a hotel or bring your own.
Facilities: It's hotel it or hold it.
Lifeguards: None.
Access: 0 Recreation: 3 Nature: 1 Amenities: 1 Ambiance: 1

Laurderdale by the Sea
Flamingo Drive to Pine Avenue

Amid line of oceanfront concrete, though mostly the low-rise kind, is a funky fishing pier and assortment of seafood restaurants and shops peddling T-shirts and seashell ticky-tacky. This is Florida from the 1950s. Great hand-packed milkshakes at Anglin's Pier cafe.

Parking: $1 per hour at meters close to beach; 50 cents per hour off-beach.
Food: Restaurants and concessions.
Facilities: In places to eat, but where are the public heads?
Lifeguards: None.
Access: 3 Recreation: 2 Nature: 1 Amenities: 3 Ambiance: 4

Sea Ranch Lakes
Pine Avenue to Atlantic Boulevard

This stretch includes small, exclusive town of Sea Ranch Lakes as well as Broward County beachfront. There is marked public access off A1A, but nearest parking spots are more than a mile in either direction. Oh, but the bus stop is just 100 yards away. Know what? It's not worth the walk. Sand is decent and beach uncrowded but otherwise not much.

Parking: No fee, no parking either.
Food: None.
Facilities: None.
Lifeguards: None.
Access: 1 Recreation: 1 Nature: 1 Amenities: 0 Ambiance: 1

Pompano Beach
Atlantic Boulevard to Northeast 16th Street

Big beach with parking, picnic tables, barbecue grills and volleyball courts. But shabby restrooms and the two police cruisers watching the parking lot in midafternoon might make visitors a little nervous. The city, however, is finally planning to build some new ones.

Parking: Meters at 50 cents per hour. Quarters only.
Food: Concessions and restaurants.
Facilities: Creepy.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Access: 4 Recreation: 3 Nature: 2 Amenities: 3 Ambiance: 2

Wahoo Lagoon
Northeast 16th Street to Hillsboro Inlet

Enter on a wooden walkway over a clear mangrove lagoon and stroll wide, golden sand stretching toward rocky jetty watched over by Hillsboro lighthouse -- the prettiest view in Broward. Despite nearby homes, there's an isolated feel, reminiscent of New England coast.

Parking: Just 22 spaces at $1 per hour (It's hard to find: Turn east on Marine Drive off AIA. If you cross the Hillsboro Inlet, you've gone too far). If full, drive south to North Ocean Park east of A1A at Northeast 16th Street.
Food: Bring your own.
Lifeguards: None.
Facilities: Lagoon entrance has shower only; North Ocean Park has showers and bathrooms.
Access: 2 Recreation: 3 Nature: 3 Amenities: 2 Ambiance: 5

Hillsboro Beach
Hillsboro Inlet to Southeast 10th Street

There's no public access to the surf in this wealthy enclave, but you're not missing anything. Beyond the nice little sandy beach at The Hillsboro Club just north of the Hillsboro Inlet, the shoreline withers. It's marked by piles of large rocks -- the legacy of failed erosion programs.

Parking: None.
Food: None.
Facilities: None.
Lifeguards: None.
Access: 0 Recreation: 0 Nature: 1 Amenities: 0 Ambiance: 0

Derrfield Beach
Southeast 10th Street to Palm Beach County line

The parking lot here is better landscaped than many city beaches. Everything is built to scale -- hotels and condos blend in rather than overwhelm. Stroll wide pleasant seaside walkway. Sit under the palms on the cool grassy berm. Drop a hook off the well-scrubbed pier.

Parking: $1 per hour at meters.
Food: Concessions and restaurants.
Facilities: Clean if not quite numerous enough.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Access: 5 Recreation: 3 Nature: 2 Amenities: 3 Ambiance: 4

South Inlet Park
Just south of the Boca Raton Inlet

A very good thing in a small package. Frolic in soft buttery sand, constantly replenished from the inlet. Munch burgers at picnic tables in the shade of towering trees, even if they are Australian pines. Stroll a boardwalk over dunes or gaze out to sea from the lovely Mediterranean-style pavilion available for lease, which may be the finest beachside wedding spot in South Florida. This often overlooked spot has the feel of a small private club, perhaps because it was owned by a resort before the county purchased it. It's also a bargain compared to other Boca beaches but be warned, the exclusive feel extends to the parking lot. With only 88 spaces, be early.

Parking: $2 weekdays; $4 weekends, holidays.
Food: Only the kind you bring in a picnic basket.
Facilities: Very clean in a nice Art Deco pink design.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Access: 3 Recreation: 2 Nature: 3 Amenities: 3 Ambiance: 5

South Beach Park
Palmetto Park Road and A1A

Because it's Boca's sparest park as far as amenities ­ with yucky bathrooms to boot ­ it's also the least crowded. And once you get to the sand, it's as good as the rest of the city's other oceanfront offerings ­ a nice, if narrow, strip backed by a huge natural dune and dense sea grape forest. Stroll to the pavilion at the south end, a favorite with surfers, for a hawk's eye view of the ocean. If you're lucky enough to score one of the handful of free parking spots at the pavilion, mind the time. You've got exactly one hour before the friendly parking lady slaps a $25 ticket on the windshield. And not a second more.

Parking: Expensive parking at $7 weekdays; $9 weekends, holidays; 1-hour free at pavilion at south end and rare free spots on Palmetto Park Road if you don't mind a walk.
Food: At south end, there's an upscale convenience store-sandwich shop across A1A.
Facilities: This is Boca? Main park has dreary concrete bunkers; paint peels from rotting wood at pavilion's seedy bathrooms.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Access: 2 Recreation: 2 Nature: 4 Amenities: 2 Ambiance: 3

Red Reef Park
Just south of Palmetto Park Road

Three things stand out: One, an actual fish and coral reef like bottom, with something besides sand, within snorkeling distance of just about anyone. Two, the parking lot is open until 10 p.m., for those seeking a moonlight walk. Three, fore! Meaning golf at the oceanside Red Reef executive course ($18.66 for nonresidents with a cart). There's a bit of everything here, in fact, including a children's play area with rocking ponies, tons of picnic tables, a boardwalk and ­ oh, yeah ­ a beach.

Parking: Tied with Spanish River for most expensive parking in three counties at $8 weekdays, $10 weekends and holidays ­ although a day shelling quarters in meters at other places might top it.
Food: For the price of parking, how about a free bag of chips? Nope. Nada.
Facilities: Hey, here's an idea that should catch on ­ screen doors on rest rooms! Nice.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Access: 2 Recreation: 5 Nature: 4 Amenities: 4 Ambiance: 4

Spanish River Park
Just south of Spanish River Boulevard

Planning a beach bash for 10, 100, maybe 1,000? This is the place. A sprawling park divided by A1A. To the west, one of the biggest parking and picnic areas in Palm Beach County ­ endless picnic tables, multiple pavilions linked by nature trails through thick, mostly native plants, and an observation tower overlooking the Intracoastal. You can't see the beach from this side, though, and it can be killer hot in summer despite the shade because the breeze has to fight through the trees. Head east through underground tunnels to a wide, wide beach made mostly of that hard, gray, gritty stuff they pump from offshore. At the water's edge, however, things soften considerably.

Parking: See Red River for high rates -- though there are a precious 20 free spaces along Spanish River Boulevard.
Facilities: Plenty and clean -- though it's a loooong hike from the beach to the bathroom, particularly for kids.
Food: BYOF.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Access: 2 Recreation: 4 Nature: 4 Amenities: 5 Ambiance: 4

Delray Beach
Atlantic Avenue and Ocean Boulevard

Miles and miles of private condo-mansion sands in Highland Beach and South Delray emerge to this nascent funky-lite scene. The trendy bistros and bars bringing life to downtown Delray have spread to the beachfront as well. Not exactly SoBe -- it takes like two minutes to walk the strip -- but who wants all that attitude down south anyway, eh? The sand itself is pleasant but the city hasn't done much to dress up the place. Picket fences to keep folks off the dunes look cheap. This is another kid-unfriendly beach as well. Sure, there's ice cream ­ but the single bathroom is a trek from most spots and unmarked.

Parking: Five cents buy 20 minutes in oceanside meters; same at lots west of A1A.
Facilities: C'mon, just one set of unmarked dingy restrooms behind a small police-tourist station? Cool people gotta go, too.
Food: Near Atlantic Avenue, a few inviting cafes offer everything from humble burgers to upscale entrees.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Access: 4 Recreation: 3 Nature: 2 Amenities: 2 Ambiance: 3

Boynton Beach
Just north of Ocean Avenue at A1A

Details, details, details and delightful. From beach to bath- rooms, this little spot is as well maintained as any beach in South Florida. The spiffy boardwalk offers a stroll under swaying palms. The snack bar is affordable. You can rent umbrellas. Colorful recycling bins are abundant. Kids can find play areas off the beach. There's even parking for bike riders. It lacks natural or rustic charm ­ it's downright Disneylike in cleanliness, in fact ­ but after touring a few too many gross bathrooms, there is something to be said for a sanitized appeal. It oughta be a model for small town beaches.

Parking: May 1 to Nov. 15, $5; Nov. 16 to April 30, $10.
Food: $2 hot dogs at the decent snack bar.
Facilities: Top-notch restrooms ­ clean, tiled, well-ventilated.
Lifeguards: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Access: 3 Recreation: 3 Nature: 3 Amenities: 4 Ambiance: 5

Ocean Ridge Hammock
A few miles north of Boynton Beach on A1A

So off the beaten path there's not even a boardwalk ­ rare in a dune-conscious county. From the small parking lot, follow opening in trees up shady, bug-infested trail through a sea grape forest over the dune to a beach that would be nicer if the sand were as soft as it is wide. But this spot, very popular with surfers, still has the feel of a secret escape from the crowds.

Parking: Free, but just 25 spots.
Food: Not for miles.
Facilities: Ditto.
Lifeguards: Double ditto.
Access: 3 Recreation: 1 Nature: 4 Amenities: 0 Ambiance: 4

Ocean Inlet
South Lake Worth Inlet

A long jetty is the draw here for anglers, but this county-run spot tries to pack a lot in. There are grills, picnic areas, an observation tower and pavilion Intracoastal side ­ and easy access to calmer waters. Pipes and rust on the jetty lend it an industrial look, but the boats and anglers also are something different to look at for kids who might get bored. The sand isn't as inviting as other inlet parks ­ more gray than cold.

Parking: Free!
Food: Marina sells bait and burgers, etc.
Facilities: Decent ­ but again, west of A1A so going means going for a walk.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Access: 5 Recreation: 4 Nature: 2 Amenities: 3 Ambiance: 3

Lantana
East Ocean Avenue and A1A

In the shadow of the high-lux Ritz-Carlton is a humble city beach with the unexpected asset of a full-service restaurant just off the sands, the casual and quaint Dune Deck Cafe, where you can breakfast on stuffed French toast for $5.95. Other than that, a pleasant if unremarkable bit of everything ­ from volleyball courts to swingsets for kiddies off the beach. There's also a designated surfing area ­ the part with the head-busting rocky bottom.

Parking: 75 cents per hour at meters.
Food: One of the better beachside cafes.
Facilities: If only the cans were as attractive as the cafe. Gross.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Access: 3 Recreation: 3 Nature: 2 Amenities: 3 Ambiance: 3

Lake Worth
Lake Worth Road off A1A

Tattooed teens cruise in cars or chat each other up by the aging T-shirt shops. Surfers ride the waves. It's busy and fun but not a hot spot for tourists ­ unless they want to drop a line off the fishing pier, which is a deal at $2 to fish for adults. If you're sick of salt water, take a dip ($2 adults; $1 kids) at the Lake Worth Municipal Pool ­ a huge facility that gets a little hectic on busy weekends. Pop science quiz: Which is louder, a jet on takeoff or one hundred kids screaming at a pool? Barton Park, just to the north, is a smidge less urbanized.

Parking: $1 per hour for the meters in plentiful lots; Barton Park's meters are a quarter cheaper per hour.
Food: Fishing pier has a café-bar and some beachside shops sell snacks.
Facilities: Adequate adjacent to the swimming pool.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Access: 3 Recreation: 3 Nature: 1 Amenities: 2 Ambiance: 2

Phipps Ocean Park
South end of Palm Beach

For a town with so many millionaires occupying vast acres of beachfront, Palm Beach is might stingy with sand for regular folks. This place, one of two public spots, is humdrum. Aging picnic tables are scattered about, overgrown vegetation blocks the ocean view from shabby chickee huts. One spot ­ admittedly off the beach ­ serves as a dump site for debris collected from the beach. Ugh. The sand is awfully nice ­ but the rock bottom will discourage many swimmers.

Parking: A quarter for a quarter-hour.
Food: Nope.
Facilities: Marginal.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Access: 3 Recreation: 2 Nature: 2 Amenities: 2 Ambiance: 1

Palm Beach
Between Royal Palm Way and Gulf Stream Road

Drive south from Boynton past miles and miles of the most ridiculously expensive mansions money can buy and generally occupied only for the winter season and you will spy a pretty wall with wave-shaped top that marks the official promenade devoted to people who do not drive Bentleys. That's it. No shops. No scene. No ascots ­ though a prominent investment firm has a nice building just off the beach. Jumbled rocks on the beach make it unappealing for swimming, and unless you're prepared for a half-day hike north or south, it's not like you can walk the sands of the rich. Yawn. Scouring Palm Beach proper did, however, reveal a secret spot amid modestly upscale homes. Take North Ocean Boulevard, a decent drive with a sporadic ocean view, to Atlantic Avenue, drive west several blocks and you will find six whole spots where you can park for two hours, then hoof it back to the beach.

Parking: $1 per hour at meters on A1A.
Food: They might let you eat cake, but you'll have to bring it.
Facilities: Nearest public john is at a Mobil station several blocks west.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Access: 2 Recreation: 0 Nature: 1 Amenities: 0 Ambiance: 2

Riviera Beach
North Ocean Drive off A1A

Bills itself as 'Florida's Finest beach,' which isn't quite right, but it is lots of fun and family friendly. The beach itself is huge and wide with gorgeous golden sand. Shacks rent umbrellas, chairs, beach toys. Permanent volleyball courts almost always have a game going and sprawling colorful playground equipment crawls with happy toddlers. Add un-pretentious, friendly Ocean Mall, with everything from bikini shops to health food store to fast-food, and can find whatever you need. Just don't go here if you're looking for shade and barbecue pits.

Parking: Beachside, $1 per hour. Behind the mall, a short walk away, free.
Food: Subway sandwiches to fruit smoothies.
Facilities: Aside from a little graffiti, fine.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Access: 4 Recreation: 5 Nature: 2 Amenities: 4 Ambiance: 5

John D. MacArthur Beach State Park
A1A in North Palm Beach

One of the longest stretches of unspoiled sand in South Florida, this preserve covers 255 acres of barrier island. The beach itself is pristine, a site for nesting sea turtles and attractive for snorklers who can reach several nearshore coral communities. To get to it, you walk (or ride a tram) across a 1,600-foot boardwalk over a mangrove-lined lagoon full of leaping mullet as well as kayaks and canoes. There's also a nature center and trails (watch out for the spiders!) as well as plentiful picnic areas. The big appeal here is emotional. It's good for the soul to escape concrete.

Parking: $3.25 per car.
Food: None.
Facilities: Modern, spic and span rest rooms at nature center and beachside.
Lifeguards: Budget cuts mean none at last check.
Access: 4 Recreation: 4 Nature: 5 Amenities: 3 Ambiance: 5

Ocean Reef Park
A1A in Juno Beach

Love these clean, covered picnic areas! Mayo and sun just don't mix. The rest of the offerings are decent as well and you can't beat the price ­ free. Rock mounds on beach make for a different seascape if you're bored with all that sand.

Parking: Free.
Food: None.
Facilities: Clean, the lights work, the floors are tile and there's even a skylight.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Access: 5 Recreation: 3 Nature: 3 Amenities: 3 Ambiance: 3

Jupiter
The whole town along A1A

Hands down, the best beach attitude and variety in South Florida. Unlike the rest of Palm Beach County, Jupiter almost begs you to come to the beach. For one thing, parking is free everywhere and there's plenty of it. Large sections are even dog-friendly and the town includes disposal plastic poop bags in holders at boardwalk entries. Outside the city parks, you won't find rest rooms or restaurants but more importantly you also won't find hassles or 'no trespassing' signs. Here, life is truly a beach.

Parking: Free.
Food: Depends where you are but generally, no.
Facilities: At parks, yes; elsewhere, no.
Lifeguards: Posted mainly at parks.
Access: 5 Recreation: 3 Nature: 3 Amenities: 3 Ambiance: 5

Carlin Park
A1A in South Jupiter

An old-fashioned cracker style building housing the Lazy Loggerhead Café is painted a sunny happy yellow, the perfect color for this sprawling but attractive county site. In addition to the typical picnic pavilions -- some near the beach, some in a woodsy section across A1A -- there's a Par course, baseball diamonds, football fields and tennis courts. It is literally a park on the beach.

Parking: Free.
Food: Breakfast and lunch at the café.
Facilities: Fine.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Access: 5 Recreation: 5 Nature: 4 Amenities: 4 Ambiance: 4

Jupiter Beach Park
Jupiter Beach Road south of Jupiter Inlet

Great place to just wander around, though don't expect peace and quiet ­ this is a rollicking, people-packed place. The sand is soft and inviting and in the inlet jetty creates a peaceful lagoon children love. Anglers line the jetty wall. Boats cruise the inlet. Jet skis buzz off the beach. Across the inlet a little to the west, you can see the old lighthouse. Walk that way and you'll find shallow creeks leading to the Intracoastal. Off the beach, there are picnic tables and pavilions but, like the parking, it's not enough on busy weekends.

Parking: Free ­ but it fills fast near the jetty.
Food: None.
Facilities: Decent rest rooms in one section of park but only grungy porta potties near the popular jetty.
Lifeguards: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Access: 5 Recreation: 4 Nature: 3 Amenities: 3 Ambiance: 4