The next best beach in Florida for family vacations is Jacksonville. Jacksonville is a large, modern city in northeast Florida, a business and cultural hub. But, there is another reason to visit Jacksonville: its other, The has 22 miles of fine sandy beach that are never lazy any day or any of the activities. You can take the kids to the Shipwreck Island Waterpark, say hello to giraffes at the Jacksonville Zoo& Gardens or Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary, the Timucuan Ecological& Historic Preserve, and hike through 46,000 salt marshes, coastal wetlands, and hardwood.