Shop 4 sea life figurines at Pink Horse Florida — coral fish $59, hermit crab $31.25, seashell mermaid $21.99 & triple turtles $49.99. Free Orlando pickup.
Orlando sits right in the middle of Florida, which means the beach is never a vacation — it is a day trip. You can leave after breakfast, be in the water by mid-morning, and still be home for dinner. The only real decision is which coast to aim for and what kind of day you want.
Head east on FL-528 and you will hit the Atlantic in about an hour: browner, firmer sand, bigger waves, and classic surf-town energy. Head west toward the Gulf and the drive is a little longer, but the payoff is powdery white sand, calmer water, and sunsets that stop traffic. Both directions have a best beach for every mood, whether you are chasing surf, hunting shells, or just trying to get the kids tired before the drive home.
Here are the seven day trips we send friends to most often, with honest drive times from downtown Orlando, what each beach does best, and the little details that make the day run smoothly.
Beach Day Trips at a Glance
Times below are typical off-peak drives. Add 15–30 minutes on summer weekends, holidays, and the late-afternoon return. Tolls on FL-528 and I-4 are easiest with SunPass or E-PASS.
| Beach | Drive from Orlando | Coast | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cocoa Beach | ~60 min (60 mi) | Atlantic | Classic surf town, pier, easy first trip |
| New Smyrna Beach | ~65 min (57 mi) | Atlantic | Surf, Flagler Avenue shops, family-friendly |
| Playalinda / Canaveral | ~70 min | Atlantic | Wild dunes, rocket-launch views, quiet |
| Daytona Beach | ~75 min | Atlantic | Wide hard-packed sand, boardwalk, big-day energy |
| Melbourne Beach | ~75 min | Atlantic | Quieter alternative, local feel |
| Clearwater Beach | ~90 min | Gulf | White sand, calm water, Pier 60 sunset |
| St. Pete Beach | ~100 min | Gulf | Old-Florida charm, shelling, relaxed pace |
1. Cocoa Beach — The Easy Classic (60 minutes)
If you only make one beach run this month, make it Cocoa. The Beachline (FL-528) drops you almost straight onto A1A, and the whole town is built for a simple day: park near the pier, rent chairs, and walk to lunch without moving the car. The Cocoa Beach Pier stretches 800 feet into the Atlantic, with restaurants, shops, and fishing at the end, and the surf here is some of the most beginner-friendly on the east coast.
Stop at Ron Jon Surf Shop on your way in — it is open 24 hours and feels like a rite of passage — then claim a spot south of the pier where the beach widens. Combine the day with Kennedy Space Center, about 20 minutes north, if you want to make it a full Space Coast loop. Back home, a piece like our Sea Turtle Powder Coated Metal Wall Art ($82.99) — a sea turtle swimming inside a compass-inspired circle — is made for indoor or outdoor display, so it keeps that Cocoa feeling on a lanai wall long after the sand is shaken out.
2. New Smyrna Beach — Surf Town With a Local Heart (65 minutes)
New Smyrna has 17 miles of white-quartz sand and a reputation among surfers that stretches well beyond Florida, but the reason locals love it is the town itself. Flagler Avenue is a walkable strip of surf shops, coffee bars, and seafood spots that ends right at the beach, and Canal Street adds galleries and a Saturday farmers market if you arrive early.
You can drive on a designated stretch of sand here (check the daily tide and fee), which is a novelty for visitors and a real convenience if you are unloading coolers and chairs. If you prefer natural shoreline, head south to Apollo Beach inside Canaveral National Seashore for dunes and very little development. New Smyrna backwaters are also excellent for a morning kayak before the afternoon sea breeze picks up.
3. Playalinda Beach & Canaveral National Seashore — Wild and Unplugged (70 minutes)
Playalinda is the beach you pick when you do not want a beach town at all. Part of Canaveral National Seashore, it is all dune, scrub, and open Atlantic — no condos, no boardwalk, just boardwalks over the dunes to wide, uncrowded sand. Arrive early: the parking lots are small and fill fast, especially on launch days, when this is one of the closest public viewing spots for Kennedy Space Center rockets.
Bring everything you need, including water and shade, and plan to pack it all out. Cell service is spotty, which most people end up counting as a feature. On the way home, stop in Titusville for a slow seafood dinner and watch the light change over the Indian River Lagoon. It is the most restorative day on this list.
4. Daytona Beach — Wide Sand and Big-Day Energy (75 minutes)
Daytona is famous for hard-packed sand you can drive on and for the Speedway, but as a day trip it works best when you treat it as two trips in one: morning on the 23-mile beach, afternoon on the boardwalk and pier. The Main Street Pier and the arcades give kids a second act after swimming, and the beach itself is so wide at low tide that it never feels crowded even on a holiday weekend.
If the driving-on-sand scene is not your pace, head a few minutes south to Daytona Beach Shores or north to Ormond Beach for a quieter, more residential stretch with the same sand. Either way, the sunrise here is worth the early alarm. For the fisherman in the group, our Anchor and Compass Rose Powder Coated Wall Art ($82.99) — laser-cut metal with a powder-coated finish for indoor or outdoor use — hangs beautifully above a desk or tackle bench as a reminder of mornings like this.
5. Melbourne Beach — The Quiet Alternative (75 minutes)
Drive a little farther south on A1A and the crowds thin out. Melbourne Beach has the same Atlantic surf as Cocoa but a slower, more residential feel: smaller public accesses, excellent shelling after a storm, and sea-turtle nesting activity in season (observe from a distance and keep lights low at night May through October).
It is a good pick for couples, readers, and anyone who measures a beach day in chapters finished rather than activities checked off. Pack a picnic, bring a shade canopy, and stop at a local café in the small downtown on your way out. A tabletop piece like our Turtle Figurine Jumbo captures that same unhurried turtle energy for an entryway or console once you are back in Orlando.
6. Clearwater Beach — White Sand and a Sunset Show (90 minutes)
The Gulf side asks for more driving — straight across on I-4 through Tampa — and gives you a completely different beach in return: sugar-white sand, water that trends calm and clear, and a walkable beachfront with the nightly Sunset Celebration at Pier 60. Families love it because younger kids can wade comfortably, and everyone loves that you can rent chairs, paddleboards, and jet skis without a plan.
Leave Orlando by 8 a.m. to beat both traffic and the parking rush, and stay for sunset if you can; the drive home is easier after the show. If you collect beach-day souvenirs for the fridge and coffee table, our Turtle Coasters ($16.00) — a glass set with sea-turtle designs in green, blue, and amber on a compact holder — bring the Gulf colors home without bringing the sand.
7. St. Pete Beach — Old Florida, Slower Clock (100 minutes)
St. Pete Beach adds about ten minutes beyond Clearwater and trades the festival energy for a lower, older-Florida skyline. Corey Avenue’s shops, the historic 8th Avenue district, and the free beach trolley make it easy to park once and wander. Take the Shell Key Shuttle from Merry Pier for a 10-minute ride to an undeveloped island that is all shelling and birding.
This is the Gulf trip we recommend when you secretly wish the day trip were a weekend. Stay for grouper sandwiches, watch the sky go pink, and browse beach cottages you will talk about on the drive home. Back in Orlando, the small Sea Turtle Metal Wall Art ($18.75) adds a bright enamel-look turtle to a hallway or powder room — a low-cost way to keep the St. Pete palette in sight.
Atlantic or Gulf? How to Choose
- Pick the Atlantic (Cocoa, New Smyrna, Daytona, Melbourne) when: you want the shortest drive, real waves for surfing or boogie boarding, and a town with surf shops and piers to wander.
- Pick the Gulf (Clearwater, St. Pete) when: you want white sand, calmer water for little swimmers, and a sunset over the water — and you can give the day a later end.
- Pick Playalinda/Canaveral when: you want nature first, crowds last, and a chance to pair the beach with a rocket launch or a Merritt Island wildlife drive.
- Check before you go: tides, rip-current flags, and weekend event calendars (Speedway races, launch schedules, and festivals change parking and traffic more than weather does).
What to Pack for a Central Florida Beach Day
- Shade and sun: a canopy or umbrella, SPF 50 reef-safe sunscreen, hats, and a light cover-up. Florida sun is strongest 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both coasts.
- Water strategy: a frozen water bottle per person plus an insulated jug in the car. Most Atlantic accesses have rinse showers; Gulf lots have full restrooms.
- Sand management: a fitted sheet for a sand-free lounge area, a mesh bag for shells, and a small brush for the car. Shake everything before it crosses your threshold at home.
- Food plan: pack breakfast, graze at a beachfront café for lunch, and keep car snacks for I-4 or FL-528 traffic on the way back. Cash for parking meters and the beach-driving pass where it applies.
- Turtle-season care (May–October): stay off dunes, fill in holes, take chairs in at night, and never use white flashlights on nesting beaches.
Beach Day Trip FAQs
What is the closest beach to Orlando?
Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral are the closest at about 60 minutes (roughly 60 miles via FL-528). New Smyrna Beach is close behind at about 65 minutes.
Which beach is best for families with young kids?
Clearwater Beach wins on calm Gulf water and full amenities, while New Smyrna’s Flagler Avenue area is the best Atlantic pick for families who want a shorter drive.
Can you drive on the beach at Daytona and New Smyrna?
Yes, on designated, marked sections and only during certain hours and tide conditions, for a daily fee. Always follow posted signs and the Volusia County beach rules.
Do I need cash, or is card/app parking enough?
Most lots now take cards or parking apps, but bring a few dollars in cash for older meters, beach-driving passes, and shower tokens at smaller accesses.
Where can I see a rocket launch from the beach?
Playalinda Beach and Jetty Park at Port Canaveral are the closest public spots. Lots fill early on launch days, so arrive well before the window and check the Kennedy Space Center schedule.
Do you offer local pickup in Orlando?
Yes. Pink Horse Florida is family-owned in Orlando and offers free local pickup on select items — handy if you want to grab coasters or wall art on your way home from the coast.
Pick a Coast, Set an Alarm, Go
The best part of living in Central Florida is that the beach does not need to be planned like a vacation. Pick the coast that matches your mood, set out early enough to claim good sand, and let the day be simple. One trip will turn into a habit — and each beach on this list will earn its own kind of regular.
Want to keep a little of the coast at home between trips? Browse sea turtle wall art, figurines, and coasters at Pink Horse Florida — family-owned in Orlando, Florida, with free local pickup available on select items.
Pricing and availability may change; please review the linked product pages or contact us