The Jacksonville Beaches, known in the area as "The Beaches" or simply "The Beach", is the collective name for the towns and communities on the northern half of San Pablo Island island between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean on Florida's First Coast. The Jacksonville Beaches are located in Duval and northern St. Johns Counties, and make up part of Jacksonville's metropolitan area.

Three incorporated towns are included in the Jacksonville Beaches, they are Jacksonville Beach itself, Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach. All three maintain their own municipal governments, but have been part of the City of Jacksonville since the governments of Duval County and Jacksonville were consolidated in 1968. The communities range from Mayport, home of Mayport Naval Station, to the north of Atlantic Beach, to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida and Palm Valley, south of Jacksonville Beach in St. Johns County. Communities on San Pablo Island closer to St. Augustine are generally not included. Recently, neighborhoods on the west side of the Intracoastal have started calling themselves part of the Jacksonville Beaches, though Beaches residents have always maintained a distinct cultural identity and traditionally refer to any residents on the inland side of the intercoastal (a.k.a. The Ditch), including all of Jacksonville, as "townies."

The Beaches, one of Jacksonville's most popular attractions, are one of the most obvious centers of "beach" culture in Jacksonville. Various centers of restaurants, shops and bars along the Beaches form one of the primary recreation and cultural centers for all of Jacksonville.

The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (or Jacksonville Zoo) in Jacksonville, Florida, is the largest zoo between Atlanta, Georgia, and Orlando, Florida, on the eastern coast of the United States at the mouth of the Trout River. The zoo occupies approximately 110 acres (44.5 hectares; 0.45 square kilometers; 0.17 square miles) and has over 2,000 animals in its collection. The zoo has grown from its modest beginnings in Springfield to be considered one of the cities premiere attractions.

The zoo's marquee attraction is the Range of the Jaguar, which won the 2005 AZA Exhibit of the year award.The exhibits highlights animals native to Neotropical Rainforests. The zoo's other exhibits include the Plains of East Africa, highlighting African Savannah animals; Great Apes of the World, featuring 3 of the 4 Great Apes among other primates; the Australian Outback, including lorikeets, cassowarys, and kangaroos.

The zoo is active in animal conservation, participating in over 20 SSP (Species Survival Plans.) In 2004, the zoo reached an agreement with the nation of Guyana to help promote conservation in the country, particularly the Iwokrama Rainforest. Additionally, since 1999 the zoo has been home to a large breeding colony of woodstorks.