Florida ... beautiful sand beaches and a gentle climate, and history dating back to the earliest explorations of the New World. In Florida, lighthouses are difficult to build (soft sand, insects, heat) and difficult to maintain (hurricanes). But unlike the austere rocky locales of many northern lights, Florida's towers stand in lush tropical splendor.

Florida's first light, St. Augustine Lighthouse, still proudly shines across the shallow harbor that was first settled by the Spanish in 1565. North of St. Augustine near the Georgia border, Amelia Island Lighthouse, today is a quiet light in a residential neighborhood.

Other Florida lights are the towering Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse just south of Daytona Beach, and the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse, which is of course overshadowed by its famous surroundings. Further south is Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, and just north of Miami is Hillsboro Inlet As far south as you can go in the continental U.S. is the unique Key West Lighthouse.

Florida's Gulf Coast has white sand beaches, clear blue water, and several lights to visit. St. Marks Light stands in a gorgeous wildlife refuge. Just west of Apalachicola is Cape San Blas Light, and over on the western border is the towering Pensacola Lighthouse.

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