SerpApi.Org
Walk miles of untouched sand, search for seashells, and even bring your dog, too.
Just 20 miles south of Jacksonville Beach is a locally-loved stretch of the A1A that still stays off tourists' radar. With miles of untouched, undeveloped, and under-visited beachfront, it makes for a peaceful day spent on the sand.
If you’re looking for a beach with hardly another soul as far as the eye can see, then a visit to Guana Beach should be on your Florida to-do list. Here’s what to know before you go.
Where Is Guana Beach?
The Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTM Research Reserve) is a natural and undeveloped marine estuary, home to a diversity of plants, animals and sea creatures. The total reserve stretches from Ponte Vedra Beach to Marineland (visit the dreamy Washington Oaks State Park at its southernmost tip). The Reserve incorporates more than 76,000 acres of coastal ecosystems. But it’s the stretch of beach just south of Ponte Vedra that remains a local-favorite secret.
History of Guana Beach
This Atlantic peninsula of Florida was originally inhabited by the Timucua people for nearly 5,000 years. Remnants of shell middens (high mounds of shells accumulated from long term group settlement) can still be found within the reserve. The coastline was later occupied by Menorcan farmers who settled in St. Augustine as indentured workers in the late 1700s during the British occupation of Florida (1763–1784).
In the mid-1900s, a dam was constructed at the entrance to the reserve; still present today and one of the area’s most popular fishing spots. The dam created Guana Lake, now a waterfowl habitat. In 1984, the State of Florida purchased the Guana Peninsula, and it was designated a National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) in 1999.
In 2004, additional lands (Guana State Park) were transferred into the reserve, and the Visitor Education Center opened. Upon entering the Visitor's Center, guests are greeted by life-size models of North Atlantic right whales, dolphins, and manta rays, along with dioramas depicting marshes, sand dunes, and coastal habitats. It’s an interactive education in native Florida habitat.
What To Do
You won’t find cars driving on this beach, like in New Smyrna Beach. Nor will you find beach volleyball, lounge chairs, or plastic playgrounds. Here, it’s just a natural, undeveloped beachline, rich with washed up shark teeth and sea shells. Guana Beach is dog-friendly to leashed pets, too.
You can find several parking lots off of Ponte Vedra Boulevard (also known as Jimmy Buffet Memorial Highway or the A1A), and parking is just $3. Put these spots into your Map app to find beach access points.
- Guana Reserve Middle Beach
- North Beach Guana River Preserve
- South Ponte Vedra Beach Recreation Area
Visitors can hike the miles of trails within the greater reserve. For self-guided hikers, use the printable trail guides to help you navigate the estuary, including the flora and fauna scavenger hunt to help you spot native plants and animals. For a guided hike, plan your visit around the first Saturday of the month and meet at the GTM Research Reserve’s Trailhead Pavilion. In designated Fish and Wildlife areas you can even hunt at the GTM Reserve.
The Visitor Center hosts all kinds of free and public events, including guided seining sessions, where folks of all ages can learn how to throw and pull shallow-dwelling fish and crab with a seine net. If you’d like to embark on a guided paddle tour, book with operators like North Guana Outpost.
Where to Stay
There is no camping at the GTM preserve or overnight parking, however, there are nearby options to stay and enjoy the Reserve over the course of a few days.
- North Beach Camp Resort: More than 150 campsites and several cabins.
- Haley’s Court Boutique Motel: a newly renovated vintage Florida motel with modern amenities and a retro midcentury vibe.
- Ocean Sands Beach Boutique Inn: a pet-friendly beachfront inn.
- Beachcomber Cottages on Vilano: four stand-alone cottages overlooking the ocean.
- St. Augustine Beach House: another pet-friendly option right on Vilano beach.
About 10 miles north of GTM Reserve you can also find lodging in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Read the original article on Southern Living
