Photo by Rob Bartlett

Playalinda Beach near parking area 13

Photo by Billy Manes

Cocoa Beach at sunset

Beach access at the end of side roads off State Road A1A, Cape Canaveral Approximate distance from Orlando: 1 hour Fee: None Yes, the other East Coast beaches are better-known and more popular Cocoa Beach, for instance but thats where everyone goes. Sometimes the busier beaches can get so crowded on a hot summer day that they make you feel more like a greasy sardine in a sea of sunblock than a basking mermaid on a sparkling shore. So one sweltering day, while wandering the coast in search of a reasonably bare spot to lay a blanket in the sand, we stopped in Cape Canaveral, just south of the cruise terminal. We traveled along A1A, turned down a side road, headed toward the shoreline and found that, just like in Cocoa, practically every side street ends in a beach-access boardwalk leading over the pretty and surprisingly pristine dunes. The beaches are wide and spacious, littered with pretty seashells and (unlike Cocoa, which requires you to bring your own body weight in quarters to feed the meters) the parking was FREE. And there was plenty to go around. Theres no pier, no Ron Jon Surf Shop and not as many weird beach-bum bars and restaurants. But those are for tourists, anyway. ____________________________________________________________

Beach access is via State Road 402 (Beach Road), Titusville Approximate distance: 1.5 hours Fee: $5 per car What theyll tell you about Playalinda Beach in the guidebooks is that its a pristine natural seashore, one of the few spots on Central Floridas east coast thats unspoiled by development, high-rise hotels or traffic. You can sometimes spot dolphins in the water or sea turtle nests along the beach. And, if you travel way up to the furthest parking lot, youll almost certainly encounter naturists who, even though this is not technically a nude beach, have long used it as a gathering place. If you want just the dolphins and pretty seashore, park anywhere. If you want the nude beach experience, drive all the way to the end, to parking area No. 13. Keep your clothes on until you get across the boardwalk to the beach, though. Even though the authorities often look the other way when it comes to nude sunbathing here, its still illegal. ____________________________________________________________

2995 N. Peninsula Ave., New Smyrna Beach Approximate distance: 1.5 hours Fee: $5 per car Though this beach isnt located on the open ocean its actually on the tip of the New Smyrna Beach peninsula where the Ponce Inlet, Indian River and the Atlantic Ocean meet it has one thing going for it that makes it a standout. Its one of the regions precious few dog-friendly beaches. Park in the lot, hike along the path (but not on the boardwalk, if you brought your dog sadly, dogs arent allowed on the walkway except in the early morning and evening, though were not sure why), and follow the signs for beach access. The beach is narrow along the river, but as you walk toward the inlet, it widens into a great sandy expanse where people set up their umbrellas and beach blankets and romp with their dogs on leash only, please in the gentle waves. The oceans just on the other side of the jetty, and though you really arent supposed to take your dog past that point, if nobodys looking, you can probably get close enough to let him get a taste of what the real ocean is like. Bonus: Theres also a dog-wash station on the way out of the parking lot where you can rinse some of the sand, seaweed and stink off your dog before he gets back in the car.

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Five beaches we love