My goal was to explore the eastern Florida coast. I decided to start by travelling down the scenic A1A. This 338 miles (545 km) is a major north-south highway along the Atlantic coast starting in Fernandina Beach and ending in Miami. I was told the beaches are beautiful along this coast but the beaches on the western side are even more beautiful, I decided I had to test this out for myself.
I arrived in Florida in late November and was hit hard by the high humidity. Nothing like I had felt before! Even my van was sweating. It was hard to keep the windows from fogging up when driving in the evening and every morning I had to wipe down the interior of my windshield so I could see to drive. Despite the humidity I really loved the wonderful tropical smells, which I was told was a mixture of orange blossoms and jasmine. This beautiful smell is memorable.
Florida does not have any BLM (Bureau of Land Management) lands but there are other options for boondocking, such as national forests, wildlife management areas, and water management districts. There are 5 water management districts in Florida which I learned about and decided to check out the free camping options.
Finding free camping
I spent my days touring, discovering beaches and then finding a place to stay for the night. As a solo female traveller I am always careful where I choose to stay for the night. Cracker Barrel, Planet Fitness and Walmart parking lots were available and safe in most of the larger tourist areas. I also stayed at 1 Florida water management free campsites, 1 harvest host spot, and paid for overnight parking in Key West.
North Eastern Florida Coast
Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island is the northernmost city on the Florida Atlantic coast and was my first stop. I drove through the historic downtown but unfortunately chose a day where a big Christmas event was happening so could not find any parking. It had a beautiful small town feel but I did not stop to explore it more.
Continued down the eastern Florida coast to St. Augustine, which is the oldest city in the U.S. I stopped off at St. Augustine Beach, Crescent beach and then continued down the A1A scenic highway taking in even more stunning views of the open ocean. There was an abundance of state parks and the beaches were pristine along the northern Atlantic coast.
An hour further south along the coast I stopped off in Ormond for the night. The next morning I had my morning coffee and breakfast parked at beautiful Ormond Beach. I gazed out toward the big Atlantic Ocean, listening to the crashing waves and watching the cranes.
As I continued down the coast I viewed lots of damage from Hurricane Ian, especially near Daytona Beach. I enjoyed more stunning views along this beautiful scenic coastal drive.
Central Eastern Florida
Wanting to save money and needing a rest from daily driving I reserved a week at Dupuis Campground. I found this free campsite in the southwest Florida water management district near Indiantown. There were around a dozen camp sites, a camp host, flush toilets and free showers. The cell service was okay so it was a great spot to relax.
The only mishap I had during my stay was an ant infestation. After some YouTube research I bought ant traps and thankfully a few days later I had them under control. I learned to watch where I walked as there were tiny ant hills in the grassy area which I had not been aware of.
After my week of resting and working I headed to Jupiter Beach and Juno Beach park. Beautiful boardwalk and beaches. Hearing Jupiter Island was one of the wealthiest areas in the USA so I had to take a look. I drove around but I could not see any of the massive homes I heard about. Every property was gated and the house views were protected by huge green foliage. I would have loved to have a view of these properties from the water, but alas not an option.
South Eastern Florida
After enjoying several more beaches along the eastern Florida coast, I arrived at Surfside, a funky touristy area with retails shops, restaurants, and coffee shops just north of Miami Beach. The traffic was crazy busy even early in the morning. The north Miami Beach area was all huge high-rises and large mansions crowding the waterfront.
I reached the end of the A1A scenic drive at South Miami Beach. Again so populated with high-rises along the waterfront there were not a lot of water views. I decided not to stop to see the beach as the parking was expensive and it was really busy, neither being my vibe. I loved the skyline view of Miami, the second most populated city in Florida, Jacksonville being the first, as I drove further south.
I happened upon Pinecrest a suburb of Miami as I continued along the coast. I visited Pinecrest Gardens and their beautiful library. I learned this area is only about eight square miles and known as one of the most beautiful residential areas in South Florida. I saw some stunning homes and properties along my quiet drive through this neighbourhood.
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a string of tropical islands about 180 miles long and is the southernmost part of the continental United States. This region has 800 keys in total and there are 42 bridges connecting all the Florida Keys islands. The longest bridge is Seven Mile Bridge. I had fun exploring this area.
I spend 3 days and 2 nights exploring the Keys. First stop was at the tourist office in Key Largo to get a map and to get ideas of what to see. On the first day I enjoyed John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo as well as touring around Islamorda. The next day I headed to Key West crossing the Seven Mile Bridge, the longest bridge along the Keys.
Key West
In Key West I paid for a 24 hour parking spot for $30 USD ($41 CAN) as there was no free parking available. I then bought a ticket for the hop on hop off bus to see this small island, which is four miles long and about two miles wide at its widest.
I walked Duval street checking out the many restaurants, shops and bars. Visited the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, took a picture of the southern most point in the USA and ended my day watching a spectacular sunset at Mallory Square with thousands of other people.
The next morning I biked along the boardwalk and took in the beautiful sunrise. What I found most disappointing was that the beautiful white sandy beaches were manmade. Due to the coral reef surrounding Key West there is no natural sand so it is regularly trucked in from Miami.
On my way back to the mainland
My favourite spot driving back was at Veteran’s Beach on the south side of the Seven Mile Bridge. A small parking lot right on the beach where I stopped and took a swim in the warm turquoise water. Fabulous.
On the north side of Seven Mile Bridge I took a bike ride along the old bridge. A very scenic ride looking over the turquoise water and blue sky. I enjoyed my few days exploring the Keys.
What did I think of Florida so far?
I loved my time exploring the eastern coastal areas of Florida and would recommend any traveller to visit this beautiful state. The eastern beaches that I walked had a wildness I truly enjoyed.
Very happy I drove to Key West, however it and the Miami area were much too touristy for me. I prefer a bit more space and remoteness which I found along the eastern coast beaches.
I used ioverlander to find my night spots and always felt safe, however I had to move each morning. The Florida water management area offered me free camping where I could put down roots for a week or so, which was great.
The big question, of whether or not the western beaches were more beautiful will get answered in my next post. Come with me on my travels through the western coast of Florida.
Where I stayed in Eastern Florida
- Nov 25 – Ormond Cracker Barrel
- Nov 26 – Melbourne Cracker Barrel
- Nov 27 – Dec 4 Dupuis free campground near Indiantown
- Dec 5 – Dania Beach Casino
- Dec 6 – Homestead Home Depot
- Dec 7 – Islamorada – Blue Water Church Harvest Host
- Dec 8 – Key West 24 hour paid parking lot
- Dec 9 – Florida Town Planet Fitness