Two Bay Area Beaches Voted Best Small Beach Town

As we all know, there are endless of gorgeous beach towns in Florida. But locals know the smaller the beach the better the town. According to Southern Living these small beach towns have just as much to offer as the tourist hot spots like Clearwater or St. Pete Beach. Southern Living vetted towns with the most "beautiful shorelines, fun food scenes, and win-you-over-for-a-lifetime character." Towns that also had accommodating hotels and unique art around town and one of a kind breweries and restaurants.

The best part about most of these beach towns is they are the perfect getaway spot for staycation. If you're looking for a new relaxation paradise that's close to home, consider these quintessential Florida towns. A couple towns on the list may be closer than you think!

Check out the list to see which bay area beach towns made the count!

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If you plan on taking a trip to the Florida Keys anytime soon, consider stopping at this halfway point. If you're a beer lover, you can find the Florida Keys Brewing Co. and Islamorada Beer Company here.

Fernandina Beach is nestled d on the north end of Amelia Island. Much like Tampa Bay, the celebrate the pirate life here, so it's not uncommon to see people dressed similarly to Jack Sparrow just for fun. This island town is also the home of the Isle Of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival.

Anna Maria is the perfect beach town. Only an hour and a half outside of Tampa, you won't be overcrowded with tourists here as there are no big hotel chains or condominium towers here. Instead look into an AirBnB in this cute town for your next staycation.

Close enough to Miami where you can enjoy the city life, but far enough to melt away into the soft sands. Key Biscayne is commonly known to be the home of the historic Cape Florida Lighthouse.

Here you'll find everyone riding round in their golf carts. Here there are zero traffic lights on the island completing the chill vibe.

The perfect name for the perfect beach town. A colorful coastal town full of quirky restaurants and tropical homes. Locals and tourists flock to this town every year for the 30A Songwriters Festival, with live music performances at Seaside venues and other locales along scenic 30A Highway.

The go-to beach for our friends in Orlando. This is a hidden gem on the east coast of Florida. With miles of biking and hiking trails, there are ample opportunities for eco-friendly adventures.

Another east coast beauty. This is a beach heaven for art lovers. You'll find more than 20 galleries and iconic public art pieces in downtown and in the Pineapple Grove Arts District, home to Artist Alley.

St. Pete natives love Pass-A-Grille beach, it's the perfect getaway spot for families who don't want to deal with large crowds down towards north beach. Locals and tourists end their day outside of Paradise Grille to ring the sunset bell.

You think with Gasparilla in the name it would be closer to Tampa Bay, but you can find this island town just outside of Fort Myers. Fishermen are known to flock to the area for its prized tarpon fishing.

Last but not least (and would have been first on our list) is Dunedin. It's no shock why this small beach town that's close to our hearts made this list. Downtown Dunedin is full of amazing options for food and crafted brews. Honeymoon Island and Caladesi State Island is one of the best beaches voted in the country.