Fodor's Expert Review Playa Flamingo

Hidden away to the southwest of the town, Flamingo Beach is picture-perfect, with almost-white sand sloping into a relatively calm sea, and buttonwood trees separating it from the road. This beach is great for swimming, with a fine-sand bottom and no strong currents, though there are a few submerged rocks in front of the Margaritaville Beach Resort, so you should swim a bit farther south. There's sometimes a bit of surf—if the waves are big, keep your eye on little paddlers. There is minimal shade along the beach's 1-km-long (½-mile-long) stretch, but Margaritaville's 5 O'Clock Somewhere Bar will deliver cocktails and serve food on the beach, or there is the Coco Loco restaurant on the south end. To find the beach, go straight as you enter town, and instead of going up the hill, turn left after the Margaritaville Beach Resort. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming; walking.