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Which is the closest beach to Orlando, Disney and all the central Florida attractions?

If you are traveling to Walt Disney World, or anywhere in or near Orlando, you are within an hour's drive of some of the best beaches in Florida. The closest beaches are Cocoa Beach and Daytona Beach, both on the Atlantic coast.

Start with VISIT FLORIDA’s articles, photos and videos to familiarize yourself with Cocoa Beach and Daytona Beach before you go.

Near Cocoa Beach in Titusville is the Kennedy Space Center and Canaveral National Seashore. If you are making a day trip from Orlando to Cocoa Beach, look no further than Lori Wilson Park, a beautiful public beach access with boardwalks. It is located about a mile-and-a-half south of State Road 520 on A1A.

Cars are allowed on parts of Daytona Beach when sand and tide conditions permit, and many people enjoy the novelty of cruising up and down the beach in their car. Beach ramps for cars are marked with signs. If you'd like a public beach access with facilities, I recommend Sun Splash Park, 611 South Atlantic Ave. at Revilo Blvd., or you can park near the pier if you want to be close to all the action.

Some people ask if it is okay to visit Daytona Beach during spring break (generally during March and April). I say yes. Spring break is much calmer now in Daytona Beach than in the “old days.” Most of the activity is around the Main Street Pier area, so if you'd like to make sure you aren't in the middle of it all, consider going south just a bit to the Daytona Beach Shores area.

Bike Week, however, is a different story. If you like motorcycles, Bike Week (which takes place generally in late February to early March) is a great time to be in Daytona Beach. If you don't want the noise and action of thousands of motorcycles, just come before or after Bike Week.

Both Daytona Beach and Cocoa Beach have a wide selection of reasonably priced hotels right on the beach.

If you want to drive from the Orlando area to a beach on the Gulf Coast, Clearwater Beach would be the closest. The drive from Orlando to Clearwater Beach would take about two hours. The Pier 60 public beach access is at the west end of Highway 60, just over the bridge from downtown Clearwater. If you park near Pier 60, everything you'll need is within walking distance.

Which beaches in Florida have the clearest water? Are there beaches in Florida that have clear water like the Bahamas or the Virgin Islands?

There are indeed beaches in Florida that have incredibly clear water, both on the Gulf of Mexico and on the Atlantic Ocean. Water clarity varies from week to week, and even from day to day depending on the amount of sunlight, the temperature, the amount of rainfall, the wind speed and direction, water currents and surf.

Generally speaking, it has been my experience that the following areas of the state are more likely to have clear water on any given day: northwest Florida beaches in and around Panama City Beach, Destin, Fort Walton Beach and Pensacola; southwest Florida beaches on Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key and Siesta Key; southeast Florida beaches around Fort Lauderdale and Miami; and Florida Keys beaches.

This does not mean that these are the only beaches that have clear water, just that they are the ones where you are most likely to find the water clearest most often. I am particularly impressed with the clarity of the water around the Panama City Beach area.

What water temperatures can we expect at the beach where we are going? Will it be warm enough to swim?

This is a tough question to answer because each person has a different perception of what is warm enough and what is too cold. Generally, people will start going in for a swim when the water temperature warms up to around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. At 75 degrees, most people will venture in and at 80, anyone will swim comfortably.

To view a chart of average water temperatures at beaches near where you are going, visit the National Oceanographic Data Center website for Gulf of Mexico temperatures, and Atlantic Ocean temperatures.

As a general rule, the water anywhere in Florida will be warm enough to swim between April and October. During the cooler months, the further south you go, the warmer it will be. Fort Lauderdale, Miami, the Keys, Marco Island and Naples will have the warmest water during the winter.

During the summer months, the Gulf of Mexico will be five or more degrees warmer than the Atlantic Ocean. The Gulf may reach 92 degrees (or more). In fact, on a July, August or September evening, the Gulf water is warmer than the air. The Atlantic is more likely to top out at 82 to 86 degrees, which is quite refreshing in the summer heat.

Water temperatures do not vary as drastically as the air temperature. While air temperatures may vary by fifteen degrees or more each day, the water temperatures usually do not vary by more than three or four degrees in one day. Water temperatures in nearby locations are usually similar. For instance, if the Atlantic Ocean is 72 degrees in Cocoa Beach, in Fort Lauderdale it might be 75 degrees.

A good place to snorkel, for most people, has the following characteristics: clear water; something interesting to look at like coral, rocks or fish; easy access from the beach; no strong currents or surf; and no boat traffic or fishermen nearby.

Most beaches with reasonably clear water are fine for snorkeling, but since Florida is mostly sand, there isn't always a lot to see once you are under the water. However, here are my picks from around the peninsula.

Snorkeling the Gulf Coast:

• St. Andrews State Park jetty
• Egmont Key State Park's submerged fort
• Point-of-Rocks on Siesta Key, near Sarasota

Snorkeling the Atlantic Coast:

On the Atlantic side, submerged rock ledges run parallel to the beaches along the lower southeast coast. These ledges create excellent snorkeling and diving. Most of the rocks are further offshore than the average snorkeler can comfortably reach from the beach. However, there are a number of places where the rocks are within a few feet of the beach and in relatively shallow waters. All of the spots close to the beach are much easier to snorkel when there is no surf breaking. Here are a few places to try:

• Blowing Rocks Preserve, two miles north of Jupiter Inlet on A1A. Only snorkel here in calm water, and wear foot protection on the rocks. Summer is the best time to snorkel here. (561) 744-6668
• Coral Cove Park, 19450 State Road 707 (Beach Road) in Tequesta. (561) 966-6600
• Red Reef Park, 1400 N. Ocean Blvd. in Boca Raton. 561-393-7974

• Bahia Honda State Park. You can snorkel in the shallow water near shore, or you can take a snorkeling tour 12 miles out to Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary. It takes about an hour on the boat to get to the reef. 305-872-2353.
• John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The park offers a two-and-a-half hour snorkeling tour of the offshore reef. 305-451-6300 for tour information.
• Keys Diver Snorkel Tours offers additional options for snorkeling on the Pennekamp reefs. 305-451-1177 or 888-289-2402.

Best practice is to use a diver's flag and don't snorkel alone. Check with the lifeguards or park personnel for current conditions and local advice before entering the water. Don’t forget to put sunscreen on your back—I can’t count the number of lobster-hued backs I see from first-time snorkelers. Take a waterproof camera and have fun!

Sandy beaches are not the most prominent feature of the Keys. Most of the Keys beaches are just a narrow sliver of beach with a rather thin layer of sand covering limestone rock.

Still, there are several fine beaches there. The best beach by far in the Keys is found at Bahia Honda State Park. The water is very shallow and calm and it has the longest sandy beach. This precious park is located on Bahia Honda Key at mile marker 37. There are no accommodations on Bahia Honda other than campsites and cabins in the park, so if you aren't roughing it, you'd have to find accommodations on another island that isn't too far away, perhaps even in Key West.

One approach you can take to enjoying beaches in the Keys is to stay at a resort with its own private beach. Casa Del Sol Beach Resort near Marathon, Cocoplum Beach & Tennis Club and Days Inn Oceanfront Resort on Islamorada are several resorts with their own small private beaches.

Or, you could find a resort without its own beach (translation: a less expensive hotel) and drive to a beach for the day, or for a few hours. In that case, you'd want to find a hotel not too far from the beach of your choosing. To avoid heavier traffic, try to book most of your vacation during the week, rather than Friday night through Sunday night.

A few other good beaches in the Keys are:

• Anne's Beach at Mile Marker 73.5 on Lower Matecumbe Key
• Smather's Beach on Key West along South Roosevelt Blvd.
• Clarence S. Higgs Memorial beach and C.B. Harvey Rest Beach Park near the south end of White Street on Atlantic Boulevard, Key West
• Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park beach, Key West.

Don't expect a typical wide soft sandy beach in the Keys like you'd expect to find on mainland Florida and the barrier islands. Do expect narrow (a few feet to 25 feet), damp, sandy beaches with shallow, and often very clear ,water with lots of live shells, fish and various marine animals. A mask and snorkel is a must! There's a lot to see underwater.

Where can I find information about beaches and parks with access for persons with disabilities?

Florida has many hotels, parks, attractions and beaches with varying degrees of accommodation and assistance for those with disabilities. You can start your search right here on VISITFLORIDA.com, which has a great page overflowing with resources for disabled travelers in Florida. Don't miss the article titled “Florid-able,” which will direct you to many fine resources for planning your vacation to accommodate your needs, as well as the many articles that show which beaches have wheelchair access.

Many of our beaches have wooden “walkovers” that lead across the dunes from the parking area to the beach. Many have ramps that can accommodate a wheelchair, but the ramps do not go all the way to the water so you'll have to cross the sand.

A regular wheelchair is no match for the soft white sand that Florida is famous for. Some beaches have special wheelchairs available with large balloon tires that can roll over the soft sand. Usually the beach lifeguards assist with wheelchair access. You can contact your specific beach in advance and inquire about the availability of wheelchairs. If you call the city or county Parks and Recreation department, they can usually connect you with the beach facility or lifeguard that can help you.

If you arrive unannounced at a beach, look for wheelchair access signs near the beach restroom or concession facilities. The signs may display a phone number you can call to have the lifeguard bring a wheelchair to you.

Deming Designs in Pensacola makes the De-bug beach wheelchair and they have a list of beaches on their site that may have their chairs available. There are even some types of beach wheelchairs that are self-propelled.

There is a book called “Wheelchairs On The Go: Accessible Fun in Florida” that was published in 2002. The book appears to be out-of-print now, but there are still used copies available on the internet. If you'd like to purchase a copy, Amazon.com offers them through third-party sellers. No doubt other online sellers have copies available as well. The reviews of this book give high praise for its usefulness. I just purchased a copy through Amazon and I find it to be full of helpful information about access to beaches, parks and attractions in Florida.

Additionally, the Florida Disabled Outdoors Association has excellent resources for disabled travelers wishing to experience nature and the outdoors in Florida. Also check out SATH, the Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality.

You can find out about beach and park access for people with disabilities by searching the web. Many cities publish access information on their websites. Just do a Google search on the city name followed by the words “beach disabled access.”

Can you help me find accommodations that will accept my dog? How about beaches that allow dogs?

There seem to be quite a few accommodations that accept dogs, and there are some beaches that allow dogs as well, although most don't. Fortunately, there are some good resources on the web that can help you find just the right place for you and your dog. DogFriendly.com has a section that is the best I've seen on the web. Not only will it help you find accommodations, it will also help you locate dog-friendly beaches. They also have several books available.

Here is another great site with a list of dog-friendly beaches in Florida, with links to other helpful information. VISITFLORIDA.com has a great article about one person's experience bringing their dog along for their Florida vacation (lots of great tips for you in this article).

Searching for accommodations on VISITFLORIDA.com from any city tag pages also allows you to filter your results by pet-friendly properties. Give it a try!

Tips for helping the beach expert give you the best possible answer to your question

• Be sure to tell me what month(s) of the year you will be vacationing in Florida
• Let me know if you need a beach town with nightlife other than restaurants
• I'll assume you have access to a car. If not, be sure to let me know.
• If you are looking for a “warm beach” during the winter, try to give me some idea of what you consider “warm”

Some questions require more time to answer than others, so please be patient. I answer all of the questions I receive. If the answer to your question is taking longer than expected, it is probably because I am doing some research to give you the most useful answer I can.

Finally, please keep in mind that I am a beach expert. I can confidently answer questions on beaches, surfing, snorkeling, coastal nature and other beach-related topics in Florida. Questions pertaining to family travel, golf, boating and fishing, shopping and nightlife, adventure sports and general Florida attractions are best directed at one of the other Florida Travel Experts.

If you've looked through this Frequently Asked Questions article and have searched the resources on VISITFLORIDA.com, but still haven't found an answer, send me your question and I'll do my very best to help.