The beaches

The beaches near Tidewater

Three stretches of sand within a short drive, and one of them is a bike ride. Distances are by road from our front gate, so you can plan a Tuesday evening, not just a weekend.

Atlantic Beach, the main access

The public access with the most parking is at the end of Atlantic Boulevard, 2.3 miles from Tidewater. Street-end access points run the length of Ocean Boulevard north of it, most with a few spaces or none, so the Atlantic Boulevard end is the one to aim for if you are driving. On a bike it is the whole beach.

Dogs are allowed on the sand in Atlantic Beach on a leash. The city sets the hours, leash length and licensing rules and changes them from time to time, so read the current rules on coab.us before the first walk rather than taking ours.

A dune crossover onto the sand at Atlantic Beach, Florida — Atlantic Beach. Photo: Olga Ernst, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Hanna Park, the oceanfront park

Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park is 2.1 miles north. The City of Jacksonville lists 1.5 miles of beach, a 60-acre freshwater lake, campsites and trails through the coastal hammock. There is an entry fee per vehicle and a smaller one for walkers and cyclists; the city publishes the current rates and hours and we do not restate them here because they change.

If the park is the reason you are looking at this end of town, there is a page for that.

Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach

Neptune Beach begins immediately south of Atlantic Beach Town Center, 2.1 miles from here, and Jacksonville Beach continues south of that with the pier and the larger oceanfront strip. The three towns share one continuous beach; the difference is how busy the sand and the parking are. Which beach town is which explains the geography.

Living a bike ride from the beach

The practical difference between living here and living inland is not the drive. It is that the beach stops being a plan. Rinse off at home, where every apartment has a full-size washer and dryer for the towels. One bedrooms are 660 square feet from $1,329 a month and two bedroom, two bath homes are 880 square feet from $1,459, both with quartz counters, wood-look flooring and a full-size washer and dryer in the home. Live pricing is on the availability page.

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Questions people ask

How far is Tidewater from the beach?

The public access at the end of Atlantic Boulevard is 2.3 miles by road. Hanna Park's beach is 2.1 miles north. Both measured from our address with OpenStreetMap.

Can you walk to the beach from Tidewater?

It is 2.3 miles by road to the Atlantic Boulevard access, so most residents bike or drive. It is an easy ride; walking is a long one.

Are dogs allowed on the beach in Atlantic Beach?

Yes, on a leash. The City of Atlantic Beach sets the hours, leash and licensing rules and changes them, so check coab.us for the current rules.

Which beach has the most parking?

The Atlantic Boulevard access, 2.3 miles away, and Hanna Park, 2.1 miles away, which charges an entry fee per vehicle set by the City of Jacksonville.

Distances measured by road from our address using OpenStreetMap, September 2026. Beach rules and park fees are set by the City of Atlantic Beach and the City of Jacksonville and may change.