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| ~ Daytona, Florida - Beach Map: Click to Enlarge ~ |
~ Beaches near Orlando, Florida
~
If you feel a bit tired of
visiting these numerous theme parks, take a day off, drive to the ocean coast. Florida is home to many famous beaches
where you can enjoy sun, sand, waves and the ocean air. The beaches listed below can be reached from Orlando, Florida.
Beach access is free for byciclists and pedestrians, but in the most cases you have to pay for car parking.
~ Canaveral National Seashore
~
A perfect spot to catch
a peek of wildlife...
Situated between bold Daytona Beach and crowded Cocoa, one of Florida's last stretches of undeveloped beachfront lingers. Canaveral
National Seashore - a barrier island studded with dunes, lagoons, salt marshes and pine flatlands - extends for a glorious
25 miles along the Space Coast. With hardly any crowds, this serene beach offers calmer surf than
neighboring stretches, as well as world-class bird-watching. Originally planned as a buffer zone
for the Kennedy Space Center, the area was named a national seashore in 1975. Today, three government
agencies collaborate to ensure a balance between the highly technical space program, wildlife management and public recreation.
Access the beautiful Apollo and Playalinda beaches from public parking lots, but trek to Klondike Beach
for a more remote setting.
Amenities: The landscape here is untarnished; the only amenities are wheelchair-accessible restrooms near the Apollo and
Playalinda beach parking lots and one shower at the north end of the Apollo parking lot.
Added Attractions:
The park provides backcountry camping permits. Hiking trails lead to the still-intact
Timacuan Mounds offering evidence of aboriginal Native Americans, the area's original inhabitants. A
one-eighth mile sand trail leads to the Eldora State House Museum and the fishing deck. Go kayaking
or windsurfing out on the water.
Admission and Parking: The
park is open 6AM-6PM during the winter and 6AM-8PM during the summer. Admission is $5 per vehicle
and $3 for pedestrians and cyclists.
Lifeguard on Duty: Memorial
Day to Labor Day, 10AM-5:45PM daily.
The park acts as home to 310 classes of birds,
including several rare species. For the best bird-watching, look in shallow marshes along the border between the water and
upland areas during the early morning and late afternoon hours.
~ Cocoa Beach ~
Beach town of all beach towns on
the Space Coast
It's been called
the quintessential beach town, and Cocoa Beach, an hour's drive east of Orlando, offers everything that the sun, surf and
sand have to offer. From oceanfront dive bars with weekend bikini contests to family-oriented beach parks and a couple
of the state's best surf breaks, the stretch from Cape Canaveral to Patrick's Air Force Base crams in eager vacationers.
Paddle further south near the air force base for the best surf spot. Stretch out on the fine sand off the pier on the
north end of town and soak up the rays. Cocoa boasts four beachfront areas - Alan Shepard Park, Sidney Fischer Park,
Lori Wilson Park and Robert P. Murske Memorial Park, all of which offer ample parking and all the amenities.
Amenities: Visitors have access to picnic pavilions, tables,
grills, showers and a bathhouse. Restroom facilities are within walking distance of the Atlantic Ocean.
Attractions: The Cocoa Beach Pier juts out 840 feet over the ocean and offers four restaurants,
souvenir shops and live entertainment. Beach volleyball players frequent the Lori Wilson Park, which also maintains
a boardwalk and a playground for the little ones.
Admission and Parking: Parking
fee is $3 for cars, $5 for recreational vehicles and $10 for buses for Alan Shepard and Sidney Fischer Parks. Parking
is $1 at Lori Wilson Park. Parking is free at Robert P. Murske Memorial Park.
Lifeguard
on Duty: March 15-April 30: Sat.-Sun. 9:30AM-5:30PM
May 1-Aug. 31: Daily 9:30 AM -5:30PM
Sept. 1-Oct. 31:
Sat.-Sun. 9:30 AM -5:30PM
Insider Info: A favorite local surf spot is at 13th Street S. near the former neighborhood of
Cocoa Beach native-turned-surfing-legend Kelly Slater.
A favorite local surf spot is at 13th Street S. near the former neighborhood
of Cocoa Beach native-turned-surfing-legend Kelly Slater.
~ Daytona Beach ~
Spring Break Capital proves fun year-round
Aside from its
twin reputations as one of the world's most famous beaches and the spring break capital of the world, Daytona Beach offers
24 miles of sparkling white sand, lively surf and more activities than you can shake a long board at. Water
sport enthusiasts can choose from sail boarding, jet skiing, parasailing, scuba diving and of course, surfing.
Browse boardwalk boutiques overflowing with kitschy souvenirs and beach gear, or enjoy a refreshing cocktail
and live music at an oceanside hotel bar. Only an hour's trip from Orlando, Daytona's biggest
draw may be that driving on the beach is permitted.
Amenities:
Restrooms and shower facilities are scattered along the beachfront. Concessions and picnic tables are plentiful.
Attractions: Apart from the restaurants, bait shops and souvenir concessions,
the famous Main Street Pier also includes a skyway that runs the entire length of the pier and a 180-foot tall Space Needle.
The oceanside boardwalk provides a host of bars, restaurants and amusements. Rent
boogie boards and beach cycles on the beach.
Admission and Parking: Taking
your car onto the beach will cost you $5. There's no fee for cyclists and pedestrians.
Free parking is available along Ocean Avenue.
Lifeguard on Duty: 10AM-6PM
daily. Beach patrols occur 24 hours a day.
If you're hitting the beach with small children,
stick to the family-friendly, vehicle-free area from International Speedway Boulevard to Seabreeze Boulevard.
~ Flagler Beach ~
Home to one of the states best beachfront
parks
Positioned between rowdy Daytona Beach and charming St. Augustine, quaint Flagler Beach houses
one of Florida's most popular state parks. The Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation
Area boasts some of the most desirable camping sites in the state, and serves as a major nesting area for loggerhead, green
and rare leatherback turtles. If fishing's your thing, note that the waters around here
teem with snook, blues, whiting, redfish and snapper. Flagler's residents are passionate
about environmental conservation.
Amenities: Gamble
Rogers offers a bathhouse, showers, picnic tables, grills and restrooms. Various points
on the beach, including Jungle Hut Road Park, Malacompra County Park, Old Salt Road Park, Varn Park and the River to Sea Preserve
provide restrooms and shower facilities.
Attractions: The Flagler
Beach Municipal Pier stretches 844 feet over the Atlantic, an ideal place to watch the sunrise and a great spot for fishing.
A bike path runs along the coast. The boardwalk travels all
the way down to Seventh Street.
Admission and Parking: Free
parking. Walking out to the pier costs $1; fishing is $3. Campsites with electricity go for $20.67 per day and
sites without electricity are $18.53 per day. No cars are allowed on the beach.
Lifeguard
on Duty: 9:30AM-5:30PM daily.
Plan camping trips January through March - in warmer
months, a lack of shade at the campsites will turn your tent into a sauna
~ New Smyrna Beach ~
None of the glitz, all of the charm
New Smyrna Beach
is a real local hangout, and a true-blue Florida beach town. As a reward for passing lanes
of traffic to get to the ocean from your beach towel, you can look forward to clear, shallow, warm waters year-round.
The south end of the beach is a no-drive zone with intact dunes and conservation areas.
New Smyrna's 13 miles of wide, packed-sand beaches have been the site of several minor shark
attacks in recent years, but the beaches are patrolled and are still considered very safe. Six
parks line the sandy shores but Smyrna Dunes Park (at the north end of the beach) is a great spot for surfing, with swells
consistently reaching two feet higher than elsewhere. The local population includes a heavy
dose of retirees, thanks to the ideal weather and the plethora of golf courses.
Amenities:
Buena Vista Park, 27th Avenue Park, Flagler Boardwalk, Bethune Beach Park and Smyrna Dunes Park all have restrooms
and showers.
Attractions: Smyrna Dunes Park has three miles
of elevated boardwalks winding through a coastal nature preserve and out to the ocean. The
observation tower is a great place to take in the surroundings. 27th Avenue Park offers racquetball and basketball courts,
as well as picnic pavilions, a children's playground and a promenade. Kids will enjoy the
Manatee Playground at Riverside Park, which is on the east side of Canal Street on the Indian River.
Admission and Parking: Smyrna Dunes charges $3.50 per vehicle, but no driving is allowed
on the beach. There is a $5 fee to park vehicles on drivable beach areas.
Lifeguard on Duty: 9:30AM to 5:30PM daily. The beach is
patrolled 24 hours a day
~ Satellite Beach ~
"Spin on down the Space Coast"
Just south of
Patrick's Air Force Base, as you head down A1A from Cocoa Beach, sits the small enclave of Satellite Beach. It's the largest beachside community in South Brevard, but in these parts beach towns meld into one another
so quickly that you hardly even notice. The beaches are less crowded than nearby Cocoa,
and somehow even the water itself seems just a tad more turquoise than it does at points further north. The
line of low-rise condos along the beachfront are broken by Pelican Beach Park, which attracts crowds of sun-seekers, especially
on weekends. The beach is patrolled in the summer, and shallow waters make it that much
safer for children
Amenities:
Most of Satellite Beach's parks have outdoor showers and restrooms, including Hightower Beach Park, Pelican Beach
Park and Seagull Park.
Attractions: Pelican Beach Park has
sand volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, covered pavilions and a playground. Samson's Island Nature Park has nature trails,
camping and fishing. Surf fishers should head over to Seagull Park.
Admission
and Parking: Free parking and admission. There is ample parking in five separate parking lots along the
beach.
Lifeguard on Duty: March 15-April 30: Sat.-Sun. only 9:30AM-5:30PM
May
1-Aug. 31: Seven days a week, 9:30 AM -5:30 PM
Sept. 1-Oct. 31: Sat.-Sun. only 9:30 AM -5:30 PM
Pet
owners rejoice! You can finally take your pooch to the recently opened dog park, minutes from the beach at the Satellite Beach
Sports & Recreation Park. $2 admits two people and three dogs
~ Ponce Inlet ~
"Home to a famous lighthouse and good
surf"
Tracing its
roots to Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon's 1513 discovery, the small town of Ponce Inlet on the north side of New Smyrna Beach
offers vacationers a getaway from busy Daytona Beach. Surfers flock here for consistently
good breaks off the two jetties. The central village area serves as home to a few small
shops and eateries, but to indulge in some history, head for Lighthouse Point Park on the north side of the inlet. During the late 1800s, the lighthouse was the only navigational aid between St. Augustine and Cape
Canaveral; its flash could reach 19 miles out at sea. Today the lighthouse remains operational
and open to the public.
Amenities: Wheelchair-accessible restrooms,
showers and picnic tables are located within the inlet.
Attractions: Surf
fishing is a popular Ponce pastime, but try taking a deep-sea fishing trip - charters leave from the local marina daily.
It's worth the strenuous climb up the lighthouse's 203 steps for a rewarding view that takes
in miles of coastline and dunes. Guided nature walks through the park let you in on some local history
and offer a chance to see area wildlife such as armadillos and birds of prey. Take advantage
of the volleyball nets set up in several areas of the beach.
Admission and Parking:
Free for cyclists and pedestrians. It costs $5 to park your car on the beach. There is a $3.50 per vehicle fee
to get into Lighthouse Point Park.
Lifeguard on Duty: March 15-April 30: Sat.-Sun.
9:30AM-5:30PM
May 1-Aug. 31: Daily 9:30AM-5:30PM
Sept. 1-Oct. 31: Sat.-Sun., 9:30AM-5:30PM
Take
the long, rocky walk to the end of the jetty to view some of Ponce's more notorious inhabitants from a safe distance. It's
common to spot small sharks circling in the waters, not to mention graceful porpoises
~ Daytona Beach Shores ~
Though not exactly
a deserted paradise, Daytona Beach Shores is certainly a step removed from raucous Daytona Beach. This
small community to the south is home to 4,300 year-round residents Driving is permitted
in most areas on the beach itself, so if you dislike the thought of crossing a traffic lane to reach the water you're better
off heading to northern Ormond Beach to swim.
Amenities: Two parks with restroom and shower
facilities offer public access to the wide, packed-sand beaches. Frank Rendon Park by the
Hilton has the best picnic facilities and outdoor showers. In general, restrooms, changing
facilities and showers appear about every half-mile along A1A. Free beach wheelchairs are
also available for the physically challenged.
Attractions: The
Sunglow Pier (on South Atlantic Avenue) is a popular haunt for fishermen, as well as those looking to get a good view of the
condos lining the beach to the north. Check out the auto racing memorabilia inside the
Hilton Oceanfront Resort and the Legends Walk of Fame, featuring bricks dedicated to famous race-car drivers.
Admission and Parking: Free for cyclists and pedestrians. $5 to park
your car on the beach.
Lifeguard on Duty: March 15-April 30: Sat.-Sun. only
9:30AM-5:30PM
May 1-Aug. 31: Seven days a week, 9:30AM-5:30PM
Sept. 1-Oct. 31: Sat.-Sun. only 9:30AM-5:30PM
If you want to be near all the action in Daytona Beach but not smack dab in
the middle, Daytona Beach Shores is a good place to seek accommodation
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