Southwest Florida’s Secret Escape! Experience Less Crowds And White Sand Beaches

Well…Google Maps and Apple Maps caved, so it looks like we’re here to talk about the “Gulf of America”.

Politics aside, “the Gulf”, as it’s most commonly known, has long been an iffy go-to for vacationers who typically opt for California’s Pacific blue paradises and Florida’s Atlantic turquoise whenever they can, rather than the usual brackish waters spreading from Texas to most of Alabama.

Near the Floribama line is where we begin to see conditions more reminiscent of the Caribbean, a far cry from Galveston and Biloxi.

The experts at World Atlas recently revealed the ‘Most Underrated Towns In Gulf Coast’ for 2025 with one unheard-of white-sand hideaway we here at Travel Off Path were ooh-ing and ahh-ing over, wondering to ourselves how we’ve never managed to vacation here.

It’s time to put the Gulf’s fugly stereotypes in the rear-view. Florida’s Gulf side is a white-sand wonder teeming with renowned beach towns, yet under-hyped Redington Beach has somehow slipped through the cracks.

So Long, Siesta Key! A New ‘Key’ Awaits

Located on the barrier island of Sand Key, Redington Beach is one of Southwest Florida’s last remaining hidden gems.

Last year, we revealed Nokomis in the same light, but now it’s Redington’s time to shine.

Say goodbye to fighting for space, grabbing a barstool at a sandy tiki shack, and witnessing way too many retirees’ past-their-prime swimwear.

Unlike Siesta Key and Clearwater, Redington is the type of place only locals flock to escape, such places that tourists flock to year after year, and who can blame them?

Siesta Key and Clearwater find themselves in an annual duel in a battle to be crowned the best beach, but you’re not sacrificing all that much by flipping the script to Redington this summer.

Southwest Florida’s White-Sand Hideaway

As someone who has visited Siesta Key, I was blown away from the moment my group scored a front row parking spot in what looked like a stunning shoreline straight out of the Bahamas.

But once you lug a cooler from the parking lot through soft white sand and discover you’re going to be eavesdropping on the talk of the town at the retirement home, whether you like it or not, it had me questioning if Siesta Key (and Clearwater) are the only pristine beaches in the area.

Circling back to Nokomis, the answer is no — but Siesta Key without a doubt deserves the accolades.

It also begs the question of why places like Redington Beach are not household names.

Hate to break it to you, but I don’t have an answer because everything I’m seeing is nothing but positive:

How rare is it to find Florida shores where you don’t have to get up way too early just to score a parking space and a front row seat overlooking vibrant emerald waters?

Redington Beach is just one square mile in size, but that’s ample space to enjoy extra elbow room.

In particular, Archibald Beach Park holds an impressive 4.7 Google rating in a world of whiners, so you know it has to be top notch!

Just 2 days ago, a beachgoer raved about the park’s ‘powdery sand beaches!’, and stated the beach has ‘more shells than you would know what to do with’.

Reaching Redington Beach

Despite being unknown to most, Redington is actually really easy to reach, deepening the mystery of why it’s remained under the radar.

According to Travel Math, there are 4 airports within 100 miles of Redington Beach:

• Saint Petersburg, FL (PIE / KPIE) – 16 miles away
• Tampa, FL (TPA / KTPA) – 27 miles away
• Sarasota, FL (SRQ / KSRQ) – 43 miles
• Punta Gorda, FL (PGD / KPGD) – 102 miles (Okay, I may have stretched the truth a little…)

Despite being the most connected of the bunch, it’s said that Tampa is one of America’s most unreliable airports. The other 4 might be your best bet.

Don’t believe me?

Read our feature on Punta Gorda as Southwest Florida’s new travel hotspot.