Vero Beach, Florida

Address:Vero Beach, Florida

Situated on Florida's eastern Treasure Chest in Indian River County, Vero Beach is one Florida's true gems. Towering green pines, ancient oaks, breezy palms, and radiant tropical flowers surround this tranquil ocean paradise. It is also known as the Gateway to the Tropics. Here you'll find rest and relaxation with powerful tides and quality surf in a tropical setting. The beach is part of the quaint and cultured town of Vero Beach, where the L.A. Dodger's baseball team has held their spring training since 1948, and is a 90 minute drive from Orlando and Disneyworld.

There is a whole string of gorgeous beaches and public parks that make up the Vero Beach area, which are fully serviced with changing rooms, restrooms, and showers. They are wheelchair accessible, and most have lifeguard services from 9am to 5pm.

Vero Beach's Jaycee Park is an eight-acre tract of oceanfront which families who come to Vero especially enjoy. It features a playground area, restaurant, a sprawling area for picnics, and a buoyed place for swimming. The sand is soft, and kids will love the hours they'll spend at the water's edge building sandcastles and decorating them with the pink shells that wash ashore. The boardwalk is 1,965 feet long, and is perfectly smooth for rollerblading and leisurely sunset strolls.

The only place not especially recommended for families with small children is Humiston Park. The waves here come in really close to the beach at high tide, and even at low tide the beach is only about 20 yards wide. It's 4 acres long, and fairly narrow, with an artificial reef 20 yards into the water and populated by prickly corals, but it's great for adults looking for a quiet time-out. There's good diving and snorkeling, and a nice open-air restaurant to satisfy that ravenous hunger that comes after a day spent at the beach. All throughout the year, Humiston is the site of craft shows and festivals, boasting local talent and flavor.

Vero's most popular beach is South Beach Park, just off Causeway Boulevard. Visitors come here for its soft, golden sands, its shimmering green waters, and relaxed environment. After walking about a quarter of a mile north, you'll find yourself in an area of unspoiled nature, and sometimes, if you're lucky, you'll have it completely to yourself.

Among the treasures found on the Vero beaches may be more than just starfish and seashells! The shore of Vero is the site of the wrecks of several Spanish ships laden with precious treasures which sank here during the 16th and 17th centuries. Most of the recovered loot is now on display at the McLarty Museum in Vero, which houses the area's local treasures, but you never know – there may still be some just waiting for you somewhere beneath the sand!

Vero Beaches have blessed with pretty consistently good weather. The temperature never goes lower than the 50s, and that's the winter low. It's never too hot, and never too cold, and there are plenty of accommodations along the beach, as well as in the charming town of Vero itself. The city of Vero has a nice mall, museums, theaters and cinemas, and so does the nearby town of Sebastion. Vero is definitely a great beach getaway for those looking to escape the craziness of everyday life, and to get a great tan while they're at it.