I’ve written before that northeast Florida is a great place for golfers to call home. But there are also lots of great options for boaters, kayakers and anyone that likes to get out on the water, as well.
With easy access to the St. Johns River, the Florida Intracoastal Waterway and, of course, the Atlantic Ocean, Jacksonville and St. Johns County are ideal for anyone who loves fishing, boating, surfing or just spending time at the beach.
When it comes to fishing, anglers in Duval and St. Johns Counties have their choice of salt water, fresh water and brackish water. Whether you’re a fan of inshore or offshore fishing, there are plenty of places to get your boat in the water.
See a map of area public boat ramps (search on Duval or St. Johns County)
Note that the map also has entries for kayak and freshwater access points. Also of note, the Nocatee community has it’s own kayak/paddle launch, just across the ICW from the Palm Valley Public Boat launch. This location is ideal for anyone interested in non-motorized water sports.
Check out the video from the Nocatee Kayak Launch Grand Opening.
If you’re just looking to get on the beach, or maybe do a little surfing, there are lots of opportunities to get in the water from Atlantic Beach on down through St. Augustine.
View a map of local beach access points.
Jacksonville Beach Pier area and Mickler’s Landing are two popular spots for beachgoers in the Jacksonville/Ponte Vedra area. But the beach areas along the Guana Tolomato Matanzas Preserve (look for the GTMNERR walkovers on the map) offer several areas of pristine beach free from major development/homesites.
Of course, if you’re really into being on the water, there are plenty of opportunities to actually live on the water in Duval and St. Johns Counties. You can find oceanfront condos in Ponte Vedra Beach, Jacksonville Beach and Atlantic Beach. You can find homes with access to the Intracoastal in Queens Harbour in Jacksonville, or Roscoe Blvd. in Ponte Vedra Beach. And there are plenty of true oceanfront homes along Florida A1A.
Florida’s beaches and waterways are a big part of the draw for people who live and work in St. Johns County and Jacksonville. So, if you’re a resident, I’d encourage you to support the work being done by area environmental groups working to preserve our rivers, estuaries and waterways. Here are just a few of those organizations:
St. Johns Riverkeeper
St. Johns River Alliance
GTM Research Reserve
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