For just one season a year, America’s beaches come alive. Here’s a list of the best to help you choose a destination for a bit of a sunny respite.

Best Natural Wonder Beaches

John Pennekamp Coral Reef Beach, Key Largo, Fla.
Location: 52 miles south of Miami

While the beaches here are nice, it’s the coral reef that’s worth the trip. Home to more than 600 marine species, the reef is so vivid and colorful it’s been called an underwater rainforest. Diving lessons are available, as are glass-bottom boat tours for the kids.