It really is easier to visit Jacksonville

With the ease of travel to our city via plane or car, along with the lowest hotel rates in the state, vacationing in Jax is a breeze!

The summer vacation season is kicking into high gear and soon enough your phone will start ringing with calls from relatives and friends across the nation asking (sometimes even begging) to visit so they can spend time with you on our relaxing Florida beaches.

When you host loved ones, you know the expectations that come with the gig — show them a great time and keep them entertained! That can be a daunting task if you are not used to enjoying all of the great things to do that Jacksonville has to offer. So, let us help you plan the perfect family visit to Jax and give you some city pride along with it!

The beaches

Yes, of course we have beaches — 22 miles of them to be exact. But did you know our beaches are more than just shells and dunes? Head to Big Talbot Island State Park and enjoy one of the most unique beaches in the world. A $3 park fee lets you enjoy Boneyard Beach with its fallen tree skeletons on the sand, and Black Rock Beach, with its unique rock formation. Only 4 percent of the land in the entire world has the same kind of unique organic soil formations as Black Rock beach — it is a geologic wonder.

Other unique beaches in our area include Little Talbot (spacious and natural), Huguenot Park (drive on the sand), Hanna Park (great surfing, camping and biking) and the more popular Atlantic, Neptune and Jacksonville Beaches. Each one has a different personality.

Have college-aged visitors? Jax Beach.

Have young children? Neptune Beach.

Want to take your furry babies for a stroll? Atlantic Beach.

Then hit up the Beaches Town Center for great restaurants and late-night music.

The parks

No matter where you are in the city, you are never more than 15 minutes away from an eco-adventure. Hike, bike, kayak, and take in the natural sites the city has to offer. Jax has the largest urban park system in the nation with 400 city parks, seven state parks and two national parks.

If you are thinking summer is just too hot to be outside, then find a park with tons of shade like Riverside Park, Stockton Park, the Jacksonville Arboretum or Boone Park. Even better, visit one with beach or water access — Hanna Park, Castaway Island Preserve and Dutton Island give you access to dozens of water activities.

Need rentals? We have those, too. From Downtown to the Beaches, many locations offer rental for surfboard, paddleboard, kayak, bike and other adventures.

The fun

There are so many attractions and fun times to be enjoyed in Jax.

Here are just a few options: The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, Cattyshack, MOSH, MOCA, The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, The Riverside Arts Market, The Autobahn Indoor Speedway (now including axe throwing), Fort Caroline, Kingsley Plantation, The Ritz Theatre, The Alhambra Theatre and Dining, Kayak Amelia, Go Tuk’n Tours, The Atlantic Beach Art Market, The Beaches Museum & History Park, The Jax Ale Trail, The Edge Rock Gym, iFLY Jacksonville and Topgolf.

Were you aware that we have 18-hole disc golf courses in Springfield, Arlington and on the Westside?

Next time your friends and family call asking to visit, share these wonderful ideas with them or have your own adventure in Jax!

For more vacation and activity ideas, visit www.visitjacksonville.com. Or download the new Visit Jacksonville app.

Patty Winters is communications manager for Visit Jacksonville.