Florida Gulf Coast beaches are very special and I have listed a few that I have visited on our vacations. Two of our favourites are Anna Maria Island and Caladesi Island. You have two options head south or north, Anna Marie Island is South of Tampa and Caladesi is North of Tampa.

 Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island near the city of Dunedin. Both Islands are state parks and provide a quiet getaway from the hustle & bustle of the parks. We took the ferry from Honeymoon to Caladesi and rented a kayak, we did some fishing. Honeymoon Island in particular has a nice selection of shells. Caladesi Island was voted beach of the year in 2008.

Clearwater Beach is the closest beach to my villa and is a major tourist destination for those looking for lots to see and do especially at weekends.  Sand Key, a long, narrow barrier island in Pinellas County is a well-developed barrier island with many miles of white beaches. Sand key park is great for picnics, has plenty of parking and a large white sand beach. It is also a great surf spot, when the waves are up.

Treasure Island is heavily developed and a very busy island  with the widest beaches on the Gulf coast.  
Fort Desoto Park is a huge county park with no homes or businesses. It is a must for guests looking for nature. Egmont Key and Shell Key are two undeveloped islands that can only be reached by boat. Each island makes a lovely day trip. In this beautiful island park you can rent bikes or kayaks, camp right on the water at a shady campsite, walk or roller-blade on the several miles of sidewalks throughout the park, go fishing on either of two great piers, or just hang out at the beach and relax.

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge, spans Tampa Bay and leads to the southern beaches, starting with beautiful Anna Maria Island. Compared to Pinellas County beaches, the southern islands and beaches are much less developed  The lesser developed islands generally have little or no nightlife, and fewer "attractions." It takes me two hour to reach these southern beaches.

Longboat Key is very exclusive and upscale with large beachfront resorts, it is a long island with an equally long sidewalk for bikers and hikers.

Siesta Key is where  the town of Sarasota goes to the beach.  They have something for everyone and are close to the night life, restaurants, and cultural attractions for which Sarasota is famous.  

Life slows to a crawl on the Venice beaches, Manasota Key, and Casey Key. It gets even slower on Palm Island (Little Gasparilla) with boat-only access.

Gasparilla (Boca Grande) is famous for its Tarpon fishing, its fishing history.  It is a beautiful island and is well worth an extended stay. The beaches are small, but beautiful and quiet. Visit the lighthouse and museum on the southern tip of the island and enjoy the view of Cayo Costa Island across Boca Pass.
Atlantic Beaches
The closest beaches to Orlando are Daytona Beach and Cocoa Beach. Each is about the same driving distance from our villa. Daytona Beach is about an hour to the northeast, and Cocoa Beach is about an hour to the southeast, just below Cape Canaveral. The water on the East coast is much wilder and colder than the Gulf Coast. The sand is also not so white or fine. Good for making sand castles!
Similar to Daytona, Cocoa Beach has lots of hotels and condos on the beach, but Cocoa has left plenty of dunes and vegetation between the hotels and the beach in most places. we find Cocoa to be more relaxed and convenient than Daytona.
Try this idea - I did it once! See the sunrise on Cocoa beach then drive over to Clearwater on the Gulf Coast for the sunset! It only takes about 3 hours to drive across the state, and you can stop halfway back at the villa.