Are there beaches in orlando

Known as a resort area lined with hotels, restaurants and shops finding parking at this beach is often difficult, unless you come early! Pete Beach! With 10 public beach walkways, St.

Pete beach has numerous areas to enter the beach from! From beach cabana rentals, to restaurants, bars, water sports St. Pete Beach is a full service beach. Kayaking and canoeing are popular or try speed boating, wind surfing, and parasailing for a true adrenaline rush! The water is beautiful turquoise color, and the pristine white sand make this one of the best beaches near Orlando. For those wanting seclusion head to Upham beach on the northern tip of St.

Pete Beach. From Orlando it is just a 1 hour 15 minute drive or 66 miles to reach this unspoiled and undeveloped area of coast line. If you are looking for one of the nearest beaches to Orlando that provides a place to reflect and unwind while exploring nature this is the place to head! You will find many Florida endangered species like sea turtles, manatees, alligators , and birds along with over 1, species of plants.

Walk the Scrub Ridge Trail, which borders wetlands and ponds, where gators are always peeking out before heading to the beach! There are many activities that you can do at this National Seashore. From strolling along the beach, to swimming in the calm and warm water, to fishing, you are sure to enjoy any time spent at this paradise.

You can either purchase a park pass at the Apollo Beach or Playalinda Beach entrance. More information on passes and fees are listed here. This is the perfect place to head for a weekend camping trip. Melbourne Beach is located about an 1 hour and 20 minutes or 76 miles southeast of Orlando. A visit here will transport you back to old Florida with a small town feel!

If looking for find undeveloped stretches of beach, good waves for surfing, and all the beach amenities you would expect this is one of the beaches near Orlando you should visit.

Situated on the barrier island just across the Indian River its a great option if also visiting Kennedy Space Center. The summer months are a great time to make the drive from Orlando as Melbourne beach is one second largest nesting grounds for sea turtles in the nation. Being on a barrier island makes the local ecosystem the perfect nesting ground!

Just make sure not to disturb sea turtle nests! If you park at Curtis Byrd Park, parking is free and you just walk onto the beach! Also, this area is great for horse riding.

While Anastasia State Park might not be one of the closest beaches to Orlando it is worth the drive! Located just over 1 hour and 40 minutes or miles northeast of Orlando you will find Anastasia Island located near St. One of the beaches on the over 42 miles of coastline.

Beaches , tidal marshes, and nature trails make up the grounds of this 16, acer preserve and is the perfect spot if looking to camp for the weekend!

You can enjoying the 4 miles of pristine white quartz sand beaches on the Matanzas Inlet. A visit here means tons of flexibility from enjoying the more calm beach inside the state park, to St. Augustine beach and several other options! If coming during the summer season of Memorial Day to Labor Day there is a life guard on duty! This is the perfect place if looking for one of the beaches closest to Orlando for shelling! All of the main beach access points have stores nearby where you can buy beach gear, but buying some gear in advance saves money and time, which leaves you more money for dinner and more time for the beach.

Most local shops have limited choices. Here's a list of some basic beach gear that's worth purchasing in advance:. State Road will take you straight from Orlando to Cocoa Beach in about an hour. It is ramrod straight for most of the way and is very easy driving, but it is a toll road, so bring quarters and dollar bills. Once you arrive in Cocoa Beach you'll find a very relaxed beach town with plenty of public accesses to the beach.

There are is also metered parking on many side roads close to the beach. Cocoa Beach has lots of hotels and condos on the beach, but they are not generally as tall as the ones on Daytona, and Cocoa has left plenty of dunes and vegetation between the hotels and the beach in most places.

I find Cocoa to be more relaxed and convenient than Daytona. Parking off-beach is MUCH easier although you can't drive out onto the beach and park. Plenty of inexpensive restaurants, and no shortage of access to Walgreens drug stores, grocery stores, etc. See my web pages about Cocoa Beach with lots of photos. The drive from Orlando to Clearwater Beach is a little more than miles and takes about 2 hours or so, depending on traffic conditions.

You'll take I-4 west out of Orlando for about 80 miles. I-4 terminates at I in downtown Tampa. Follow I south for several miles and take the State Road 60 exit toward Clearwater. Follow S. Clearwater Beach is a small island, but is packed full of restaurants, hotels, and shops, and has a busy marina with all kinds of tour boats and fishing boats. You must pay to park.

There is a pier and very nice public beach and you can walk to restaurants. The sand is brilliant white and soft. The water is generally calm and shallow. The public beach has lifeguards, restrooms, food concessions, and a play area with equipment for kids. The main difference you will find between Clearwater and the Atlantic beaches is the gleaming white powdery sand, and the relatively calmer waters.

I think the shells on Clearwater beach are better, too. Traffic can be congested on Clearwater Beach, but they've recently completely refurbished the beachfront and have re-routed much of the traffic away from the beach front. See my web page about Clearwater Beach. See map below:. If you haven't yet purchased a Guide to Walt Disney World have a look at some of the most popular.

The major guides are updated each year of course, but you might also consider some of the specialty guidebooks that reveal things not covered in the standard guides. For a more in-depth discussion and a complete list of the best beaches close to Orlando, grab a copy of my e-book, Best Beach Day Trips from Orlando and Central Florida.

It offers more than pages of details on all the beaches as well as many color photos. You'll be amazed at how many beaches are available within an hour or two of Orlando.

Find out what the pros and cons are of Gulf vs. Atlantic; Daytona vs. New Smyrna vs. Cocoa Beach; and much more. Pick the right beach for yourself and your family. Enjoy an array of watersports or fabulous fishing, or just kick back by the waves. Save some energy to discover its quirky shops and vibrant arts community. This utterly tranquil escape boasts the longest expanse of pristine shore in Florida.

Fish, swim, go hiking, or just unwind on the beach. For the quintessential Florida beach experience, escape to popular Cocoa Beach, just over an hour from Orlando. Explore its famed pier that extends feet into the ocean, a historical landmark boasting five restaurants, four bars, gift shops, fishing, and free live musical entertainment. Indulge in parasailing, windsurfing, kiteboarding, or learn to surf on its gentle waves. Save time to discover the Ron Jon Surf Shop. The small towns of Satellite Beach, Melbourne Beach and Indialantic feel like old-time Florida, devoid of crowds, T-shirt shops and pretention.

Nestled between the Banana River, the Indian River Lagoon and the Atlantic, these Space Coast destinations are brimming with nature, water sports and outdoor recreation of all kinds, never mind generous, mostly-empty beaches rich with cinnamon-hued sand.