Are you trying to find Florida’s purest waters? You’ve arrived at the ideal location! You can locate all ten of the top locations with crystal-clear beaches and waterways in Florida on our KnowWake Charts, thanks to our colleagues at Lazy Locations.
Now let’s get started!
Clearest Water in Florida
1. The Florida Keys
With their crystal-clear waters, the Florida Keys are the ideal boating destination in the state. The Keys wouldn’t be the popular vacation spot they are now without it. Boaters can engage in a multitude of activities while creating the ideal “tropical paradise” that we all desire thanks to the exceptional water clarity.
The best places to go snorkeling and diving in The Florida Keys are along the water, and these areas are closest to Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, and Big Pine Key. The Islamorada Sandbar, Marvin Key, which is close to Key West, and the several islands and anchorages around Big Pine Key and the other Lower Keys are all equally well-liked destinations.
2. Jupiter
With its crystal-clear water, Jupiter is yet another fantastic boating location in Florida. With incoming tides, Jupiter’s water is very pure because it its closeness to the Gulf Stream. Jupiter is highly ranked on this list for good reason—it has three well-liked sandbars, excellent restaurants, and world-class offshore fishing.
3. Destin
It is not surprising that Destin is located in the center of “The Emerald Coast.” This area of Florida has amazing water. This section of coastline only has clear offshore water, in contrast to many other places on this list. In order to truly feel as though you’re in a tropical paradise, you’ll need to take advantage of incoming tides. The renowned “Crab Island” sandbar is the best illustration of this.
Boaters from all around the region come to Crab Island, a massive sandbar inside Destin Harbor. This sandbar is so large that it features a floating church chapel, a watersports park, and lots of concession stands! The gin-clear water acts as the glue holding everything together.
4. Panama City Beach
Similar to Destin’s “Crab Island,” “Shell Island” is located in Panama City Beach. But this isn’t a bar of sand. Instead, Shell Island is a barrier island that stretches seven miles and is empty, serving to guard St. Andrew Bay. Boaters often take advantage of Shell Island as the ideal boating venue to experience the crystal-clear waters of Florida.
5. Freshwater Springs
Though there are more than 600 freshwater springs in Florida, very few of them are reachable by boat. Silver Glen Run and The Rainbow River should be at the top of your list.
The stream that connects Lake George with Silver Glen Spring is called Silver Glen Run. This is a popular spot for boaters, especially on the weekends in the summer. At 72 degrees year-round, the water at Silver Glen Run is delightful and resembles a swimming pool.
Starting at Rainbow Springs State Park, the Rainbow River continues south until it converges with the Withlacoochee River, after which it empties into the Gulf of Mexico. Up to a specific point near the spring head, boaters are permitted on The Rainbow River. It becomes evident the farther upstream you go.
6. Miami
Miami is a gorgeous place to go boating on crystal-clear water, but it’s not as common as you might assume. The Haulover Sandbar and the several cuts and sandbars south of Key Biscayne are the greatest spots to take in this Florida gin-clear water.
7. Palm Beach
Beautiful Palm Beach is located in the middle of this length of Florida’s East Coast beachfront, which boasts some of the state’s purest water. Because of its offshore fishing, diving, and recreational boating spots, Palm Beach is a boater’s heaven. The most well-liked location is Peanut Island. Situated just within Palm Beach Inlet, Peanut Island offers some of Florida’s most tropical boating spots during an incoming tide. A visit is highly recommended!
8. Tampa
Boaters can also find Florida’s gin-clear water near Tampa. While there are many boating spots in Tampa, Egmont Key and Passage Key are two of the best for clean water. These two islands are well-liked boating destinations and are situated at the mouth of Tampa Bay. The white sand beach at Passage Key makes it one of the most tropical sandbars in all of Florida, and the beach along Egmont Key is fantastic and quite picturesque.
9. Sarasota
Sarasota is fast becoming one of Florida’s best destinations. One of the reasons is because of its beautiful water. Boaters love this area because they can explore the Florida gin-clear water while visiting one of the many sandbars or beaches in this area. Locations like Midnight Pass, Jewfish Key, and North Lido Beach top the list.
10. Boca Grande
As one of our favorite places in Florida, Boca Grande is located in the middle of boating paradise and at the northern end of Charlotte Harbor. This amazing boating location includes the incredible islands of Cayo Costa, Useppa, Cabbage Key and North Captiva, Little Gasparilla, and, of course, Boca Grande itself. The water here is stunning, especially, during the Spring.
