Famed as it is for the NASA complex, Titusville also has some fabulous beaches. (Photo: Ablestock.com/AbleStock.com/Getty Images )

Titusville is a town on the east coast of central Florida. It attracts tourism primarily through its proximity to the NASA space complex and the nearby Canaveral National Seashore. The seashore covers 57,000 acres and stretches for 24 miles; it is the longest contiguous length of undeveloped beach on Florida's east coast. Managed jointly with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and owned by the Kennedy Space center, it is one of ten National Seashores protected by the National Park Service in the U.S.

One and a half million people visit the Seashore every year, so it is vital each one respect the environment. To protect the fragile dune structures, use only the boardwalks to pass from the parking areas to the beach. The beaches are on a barrier island separated by the intracoastal waterway -- here Mosquito Lagoon on the Indian River -- from the mainland. The Canaveral National Seashore is 12 miles east of Titusville; take Interstate 95 exit 80 or 84, then State Road 44 to 402, then follow SR 402 to its end. As of 2011, the south beaches are closed to the public three days prior to the launch of a space shuttle, and all day on launch days. Other rocket launches can also affect access. Apollo Beach, near the town of New Smyrna Beach, is part of the North District; Playalinda Beach is part of the South District. Parking Area 1 serves Apollo Beach; Parking Area 2 serves Playalinda Beach. There is a per-person day-use fee, but children under 16 are admitted free.

There are no concessions, showers or running water at the Seashore, and lifeguards are only on duty from May 30 to Sept. 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Only restrooms with chemical toilets are provided; everything else must be shipped in and shipped out again. Take sufficient water, sunscreen, insect repellent and a solution of 50-percent vinegar / 50-percent water in case a Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish is encountered. Leave only your footprints.

Playalinda is Spanish for "pretty beach." Opening hours vary by season; contact the park service for current information. The beach is pristine, and seldom crowded. To ensure privacy, simply pick one of the many small parking lots with few or no cars, then use its dedicated boardwalk to access the beach. High tide leaves only a narrow strand in places, and ants are voracious near the dunes; taking a beach chair rather than a towel is highly recommended for sunbathing at high tide. Mosquitoes are also ubiquitous. Playalinda Beach is within Brevard County's jurisdiction, so behavior is officially constrained by their nudity ordinance. However, the restriction is rarely and erratically enforced. The area of beach accessed from the final parking lot -- "Beach 13" -- is unofficially but universally accepted to be clothing optional.

Apollo Beach is in constant flux; each tide can deposit or remove as much as 10 feet of sand. The park service envisions Apollo Beach as having a much less dense population than Playalinda, even on the season's busiest days; this is reflected in access problems. Parking is at only five coastal lots that, combined, can accommodate a maximum of 201 vehicles. There is one chemical toilet at each lot. The southernmost part of Apollo Beach is traditionally clothing-optional, accessed form parking lot 5 at the end of the road.

Rip currents, flowing seaward away from the beach, can be deadly. Rip currents are often an occurrence at the Seashore, where sandbars develop a short distance offshore causing water to rush outward through breaks in the underwater mounds. Storms are frequent, especially in the summer, and the Park Service advises that "Central Florida is the lightning capital of the world." If lightning is observed, even apparently many miles offshore, take shelter in your car until the storm has passed. The Portuguese man-of-war can severely sting humans in the water and at the water's edge. This huge drifting jellyfish extends feeding tentacles behind it, and these tentacles can be 50 feet long. Further, the body of the Portuguese man-of-war looks to children like a purple balloon, and even dead ones washed up on the sand can cause severe reactions. If stung, carefully remove any parts of the tentacle that remain on the skin, then treat the area with a 50 percent vinegar / 50 percent water mix and contact a park ranger for assistance. The parking lots are seldom monitored; leave valuables at home or locked securely in the safe at your accommodation.

The Seashore is a vital nesting habitat for loggerhead, leatherback and green sea turtles, predominantly between the months of May and August. Up to 4,000 loggerheads nest at the Seashore every year, but less than 300 greens and just a handful of leatherbacks do so. It is imperative not to disturb nesting sea turtles. During the nesting season, park rangers and skilled volunteers are on duty every night to screen new nests from predators. Do not disrupt any turtles that you see on shore, either by touching them or taking flash photographs; camera flashes can disorient their sense of direction as they climb up the beaches.

John Cagney Nash began composing press releases and event reviews for British nightclubs in 1982. His material was first published in the "Eastern Daily Press." Nash's work focuses on American life, travel and the music industry. In 1998 he earned an OxBridge doctorate in philosophy and immediately emigrated to America.

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Beaches at Titusville, Florida | USA Today