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Flagler Beach
offers visitors a myriad of attractions from outdoor recreation to an old-fashioned farmer’s market and wildlife viewing. Six miles of pristine beach invites you to swim, surf, sun or engage in sandcastle building or searching for the perfect shell. Lifeguards are on duty at the beach Memorial Day to Labor Day. Other recreational sports available in the area include kayaking, snorkeling, golf and tennis. Nineteen miles of bicycling trails are available along scenic A1A, which meander along the Atlantic Ocean and through oak-lined hammocks. Flagler Beach has also always been a popular place to fish. You can cast off from the 804-foot municipal pier or surf at the ocean’s edge. Try your luck at catching flounder, redfish, snapper, snook, sheepshead, tarpon and other species. There is a boat launch at the county boat dock and at the nearby State Park. In Flagler Beach, you can walk west from downtown over a new high-rise bridge that crosses the Intracoastal Waterway for a great view of the wetlands, ocean and village. Eco-tours are available from Wickline Park to Flagship Harbor Park. The Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area is a fascinating place where sea turtles come to lay their eggs May through September, and many species of songbirds can be spotted during the fall migration period. Bulow Plantation is another favorite spot for bird watchers, where a scenic walking trail leads visitors to the ruins of an old sugar mill. In addition to all of this, Flagler Beach has two public tennis courts and a 9-hole golf course, with several other 18-hole courses located within the county.
Outdoor sports are not the only attraction in Flagler Beach. Many visitors come here just for the peaceful ambiance and the charming shops and restaurants. This is definitely a town for walking, where everything is within easy reach. Amble about the outdoor cafes and pubs, gift shops and surf shops. Flagler Beach is host to an old-fashioned farmer’s market held in the center of town. The farmer's market is open every Friday and Saturday year round from sunrise until mid afternoon. Local artists sell everything from pottery, etched glass, natural soap and body products, handcrafted designer fabric bags and clothes. Other vendors sell restaurant quality crab cakes and coconut shrimp, dips and salad dressings,soy organic candles, fresh grown organic produce, Amish bakery items, pies, meats, cheeses and butter. The Princess Place Preserve is a unique historical attraction in Flagler Beach that contains the oldest standing homesite in the county. A Russian Prince and his wife once occupied this “lodge” in the late 19th century. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail East Florida Section. Marineland of Florida, the world’s first Oceanarium is also located in Flagler Beach. It contains an aquatic area for performing dolphins, a motion picture studio and a renowned research laboratory. Other eco-tourism spots include Pellicer Creek Aquatic Preserve Corridor, the River to Sea Preserve (located right next to Marineland,) and Graham’s Swamp Conservation Area, which contains over two miles of hiking trails and bicycling trails, bird watching, nature study, bank fishing and camping.
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