Beach Adventures in Florida: Horseback Riding, Hiking & Flying

Want to watch dolphins frolic in the waves as you're horseback riding on the beach in Florida? Explore trails that wind along the surf? Soar above vast stretches of sugar-sand in a nimble plane? You can experience all these beach adventures and more in Florida.

Horseback Riding on the Beach in Florida

Horseback riding on the beach is a pleasure for all the senses. You can tangle your fingers through your mount’s mane, breathe in the air’s salty perfume and watch for dolphins arcing from the waves – all at the same time.  You can enjoy this adventure on:

• Cape San Blas with Two-bit Stables or Broke-a-Toe

• Amelia Island with Kelly Seahorse Ranch or Amelia Island Horseback Riding

• Fort Pierce with Beach Tours on Horseback.

If you have your own horse, you can also enjoy horseback riding on the beach in Florida at:

• Canaveral National Seashore, the longest undeveloped beach on Florida’s East Coast.
• St. Augustine, Ponte Verde, and St. John’s County beaches, which offer 30 miles of horse-friendly coastline.

Hiking Trails Everywhere

The rhythm of the surf, the sky stretching above in an endless canvas, and the simple joy of walking combine for the perfect potion to soothe your soul. Florida’s spectacular beach hikes include:

• Blackrock Beach in Big Talbot Island State Park in Jacksonville, a unique Atlantic shoreline heaped with dark rocks and the enormous bleached skeletons of live oaks.
• The trails of St. Joseph Peninsula State Park on Cape San Blas, a pristine wilderness featuring towering snow-white dunes.
• Dunedin’s Caladesi Island State Park, a remote paradise accessible by ferry, that offers virgin pine forests, dunes and an award-winning beach.
• The trails of Blowing Rocks Preserve, a sanctuary perched atop a dramatic rocky shoreline in Hobe Sound.
• The path to the old bridge at Bahia Honda State Park in the Florida Keys, where you’ll be rewarded with a gasp-inducing-view of the broken bridge as well as a splendorous one of the entire island.
• Lovers Key State Park in Fort Myers Beach, where sun-dappled trails a maritime hammock and a shell-strewn beach await visitors.

Beach Adventure Vacations: Take Flight

Nothing can make you feel more alive than experiencing beach adventure vacations from the sky. View immense sweeps of sand, water and sky, and the heavenly palate where they meet. Check out these Florida beaches where you can taste the toe-tingling exhilaration of soaring above it all.

• Explore Florida’s Space Coast in an authentic WWII-era open cockpit biplane with Merritt Island’s Florida Biplanes. The plane accommodates two passengers per flight so you can experience this hair-rippling adventure with a friend or family.
• Panhandle Helicopter, located in Panama City Beach and Destin, offers you the opportunity to snag a bird’s eye view of dolphins, stingrays and sea turtles on the Miracle Strip Tour; or experience the wonder of Panama City Beach on the Shell Island Tour. Make sure to bring your camera if you opt for the Shark Run Tour, where you’ll shiver at the numerous sharks swimming below its crystal-clear turquoise waters.
• Spot sharks, dolphin, turtles and even shipwrecks in an unforgettable low altitude flight with Key West Seaplane Adventures. You’ll fly from Key West to Dry Tortugas National Park, where you’ll circle Fort Jefferson before gliding to a smooth landing on the water. After beaching the airplane you’ll enjoy the delights of the remote island.
• Marvel at the beauty of Miami’s coastline, complete with tropical islands, skyscrapers and waterfront mansions. Miami Seaplane Tours offers a broad gamut of scenic flight air tours so you’ll be sure to find one that will tickle your rudders. They can even whisk you away to the island of your choice on your own time. 
• Naples Air offers you unprecedented views of pristine beaches, sea life and awe-inspiring houses as well as the Everglades and the 10,000 Islands. Choose a wind-in-your-face flight in their open cockpit biplane or a comfortable one in their Cherokee 6, complete with lots of windows. For the ultimate romantic date, indulge in a sunset champagne flight.