What are the best beaches near Orlando?

Orlando sits in the middle of the state, with the ocean well out of walking distance on both sides. The upside is that the Atlantic and the Gulf are both a morning’s drive from Kissimmee and Davenport, so you can spend the day on the sand and still be back at the vacation home for dinner.

Does Orlando have a beach? What about Kissimmee?

No. Neither Orlando nor Kissimmee has an ocean beach. The area has lakes, pools and water parks, but the closest saltwater is at least 1 hour 20 minutes away without traffic. That is one of the reasons having a car in Orlando matters for this kind of trip.

What is the closest beach to Orlando?

From Kissimmee, the closest are Cocoa Beach and Jetty Park on the Atlantic, about 62 miles away. From Davenport the Gulf is just as competitive: Clearwater is only a few miles farther than Cocoa Beach.

Beach	Coast	From Kissimmee	From Davenport	Parking (October 2026)
Cocoa Beach	Atlantic	62 mi, 1 h 20	76 mi, 1 h 35	$6 per hour or $25 per day at city spaces
Jetty Park	Atlantic	61 mi, 1 h 20	75 mi, 1 h 35	day pass bought online in advance
Canaveral National Seashore (Playalinda)	Atlantic	69 mi, 1 h 35	83 mi, 1 h 50	$25 per vehicle, good for 7 days
Daytona Beach	Atlantic	79 mi, 1 h 40	88 mi, 1 h 50	$30 per day to drive onto the sand
New Smyrna Beach	Atlantic	79 mi, 1 h 45	87 mi, 1 h 50	same rules as Daytona
Clearwater Beach	Gulf	97 mi, 2 h 05	82 mi, 1 h 45	$3.50 per hour at city lots
St. Pete Beach	Gulf	103 mi, 2 h 10	89 mi, 1 h 50	$5 to $6 per hour
Siesta Key	Gulf	127 mi, 2 h 35	112 mi, 2 h 15	free

Distances and times come from car routing (OSRM on OpenStreetMap data) with no traffic. Real drive times can run much longer, especially coming home on a weekend. Parking is taken from each city, county or park’s official page.

Which Atlantic beaches are best?

The Atlantic side is the fastest from Kissimmee, has more waves and pairs well with the Space Coast attractions.

Cocoa Beach

This is the classic Orlando beach day. The usual route is SR 528, the Beachline, which is a toll road (see how tolls work in Orlando). The city charges $6 per hour or $25 for the day, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., paid through the Passport Parking app. Alan Shepard Park has more than 300 spaces and Sidney Fischer Park about 200.

According to the Brevard County tourism office, lifeguards staff the Cocoa Beach Pier, Alan Shepard Park, Lori Wilson Park and Minutemen Causeway from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Other spots, including Fischer Park, are guarded only in summer. Cocoa Beach is also one of the public parks for watching a rocket launch.

Jetty Park

Jetty Park sits at Port Canaveral, next to the cruise ship channel, and is the most kid-friendly setup on this coast. Lifeguards are on duty 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and there is a playground, restrooms, changing rooms and free beach wheelchairs. The park is open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Your vehicle pass must be bought online ahead of time because the gate takes no cash or cards. Pets and glass are banned on the beach, and swimming in the channel is not allowed.

Canaveral National Seashore

This is the undeveloped option: no condos, no shops, run by the National Park Service. There are two entrances, Playalinda to the south and Apollo Beach to the north near New Smyrna. Entry is $25 per vehicle for 7 days, card or digital pass only. In October 2026 the seashore was open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with last entry at 5 p.m.

Bring water and food. We found no lifeguard schedule on the park’s pages, and the NPS keeps a standing alert about rip currents and rough surf. On launch days part of Playalinda closes. If you want to pair the beach with space, the Kennedy Space Center is on the way.

Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach

Both are in Volusia County, where you can drive and park on marked stretches of sand. Non-residents pay $30 per day to drive onto the beach, or $20 per day at county off-beach lots. The speed limit on the sand is 10 mph. From May 1 to October 31 beach driving runs 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the rest of the year from sunrise to sunset.

Alcohol, glass, fireworks and pets (other than service animals) are not allowed. The county sets surf zones, and New Smyrna has three, one of them by Ponce Inlet. As of October 1, 2026, Volusia lifeguards had made 1,841 rescues that year. Their rule is simple: always swim in front of a staffed lifeguard tower.

What about the Gulf side?

The Gulf has white sand and usually calmer water. If you are staying in Davenport, Clearwater takes about the same time as Cocoa Beach.

Clearwater Beach

Lifeguards are on duty 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. City lots charge $3.50 per hour with no time limit, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Street parking is $4 per hour with a 5 hour limit. Alcohol, smoking and pets are not allowed on the public beach.

St. Pete Beach

The city charges $5 per hour Monday through Thursday and $6 Friday through Sunday, plus a $1 per hour seasonal surcharge from February 1 to April 30. Pass-a-Grille, at the south end, has the most metered spaces. Pinellas County lifeguards are posted at Fort De Soto and Sand Key from April to September, and the city’s pages do not list lifeguards at Pass-a-Grille or Upham. The city also recommends the stingray shuffle: slide your feet along the bottom as you walk in.

Siesta Key

It is the longest drive, but Siesta Beach parking is free, with more than 900 spaces and no time limit. The lot fills up from January through April. The sand is almost pure quartz and stays cool underfoot, and the water is shallow with small waves. The beach is lifeguard patrolled.

For more ideas, see the best day trips from Orlando.

How warm is the water by month?

The water is around 77 °F (25 °C) or warmer from April through November on the Atlantic and April through October on the Gulf. In winter, the Gulf runs cooler.

Month	Atlantic (Port Canaveral)	Gulf (Clearwater Beach)
January	68 °F (20 °C)	63 °F (17 °C)
March	73 °F (23 °C)	72 °F (22 °C)
April	77 °F (25 °C)	77 °F (25 °C)
May	81 °F (27 °C)	82 °F (28 °C)
July	86 °F (30 °C)	89 °F (32 °C)
September	86 °F (30 °C)	86 °F (30 °C)
October	82 °F (28 °C)	80 °F (27 °C)
November	76 °F (25 °C)	73 °F (23 °C)
December	71 °F (22 °C)	67 °F (20 °C)

Source: monthly averages of 2016 to 2025 hourly readings from the NOAA stations at Trident Pier, Port Canaveral, and Clearwater Beach. The sensors sit on piers, so water at the shoreline can differ.

So for a spring break trip in March, both coasts are in the low 70s. For a summer vacation, both are bathwater warm.

Is it safe to swim? What do the beach flags mean?

It is safest when you swim near a lifeguard and follow the flag of the day. Florida uses one uniform flag system on public beaches:

• Green: low hazard, calm conditions, still use caution.
• Yellow: medium hazard, moderate surf or currents.
• Red: high hazard, high surf or strong currents.
• Double red: water closed to the public.
• Purple: stinging marine life, such as man o’ war, jellyfish and stingrays.

The official sign states that no flag does not mean safe water. The National Weather Service recommends checking the Surf Zone Forecast before you go and reminds swimmers that the ocean is not a pool. If a rip current pulls you, do not fight it. Float, then swim parallel to the shore until you are out of it.

What changes during sea turtle nesting season?

Mostly what you do on the sand at night. The main nesting season runs May through October, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. At Canaveral National Seashore it runs April through October, and the park counted 7,404 nests in 2024.

It is illegal to harm or harass sea turtles, their eggs or hatchlings. Stay away from marked nests, skip flashlights and flash on the beach at night, fill in holes and take chairs and toys with you when you leave. Volusia County asks visitors to watch turtles from at least 30 feet away.

In practice: with small kids, pick Jetty Park or Siesta Key and arrive before 10 a.m., when lifeguards start and parking is still open. Pack shade, water and snacks from the house. Head home before sunset so you are back on the highway in daylight.