We paid for parking in a small lot on Meade Avenue…short walk down to the beach from the parking lot. It’s right next to Cocoa Beach Pier. If I remember correctly we went online and paid for/reserved our parking ahead of time.
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Thanks for this! It’s nice to hear someone’s firsthand experience with Cocoa Beach. 
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I didn’t read any of this except the OP but, aren’t there “beaches” at the fancy WDW resorts? Might that be an option, to have one day at one of those resorts? I am aware that would be an expensive option. I remember being wowed by the man made beaches there, although we’ve never stayed at a resort that had one.
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We’re actually staying at Poly which does have a beach but my family wants a trip to the ocean. We’re pasty-faced midwesterners so they feel like we shouldn’t waste the opportunity to get to an ocean while we’re in Florida. 
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They have beaches at Poly and Caribbean bch. But you can’t swim bc fresh water swimming in Florida is TOO risky. Gators 
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We like Cape Canaveral National Seashore. We haven’t been for about 10 years. It was very nice and empty when we were there. We had the whole beach to ourselves in July when we were there!
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My parents have their winter home in that area and we have grown to love it too. Not sure I’d trek up there just for a day for the beach (it takes us 2 hours or so) but a Pine Island is great for younger kids, we’ve seen bigger waves in weather systems but generally it’s very calm. Weeki wachee is a perfect taste of old Florida and my daughter was obsessed with the mermaids when she was younger. Homossasa has a great wildlife state park, it’s small but they have manatees getting rehabilitation in their springs and a collection of other animals.
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How far is that from Kennedy Space Centre?
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I am from the Great White North and our trip to Disney World is in February. Staying with in-laws before the mouse.
I asked them for beach suggestions and they answered: no one will swim. Except the Canadians.
I looked at them: well, I am Canadian no?
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Quite close visually but you have to kind of go around to get to the space center. I think it was about 40 minutes by car. We could see the space center from portions of the beach.
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I have no clue how far apart any of those places are! It’s hard for us living on a little island to judge your distances.
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Thanks!
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Has anyone mentioned Clearwater? I’ve never been—just wondered what thoughts were on it.
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Clearwater is a really nice beach too but it’s always super crowded
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Very crowded and hard to find a place to park. There are several very tall high rise hotels in a very small area that all share a small length of beach. But on the other hand it has plenty of dining and shopping locations within walking distance so if that’s your thing it can be nice I guess. I’m not a fan 
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Doesn’t sound nice, sounds a bit like this beach up here that I actively avoid (Myrtle). I knew there must be a reason no one had mentioned it.
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That’s brilliant, thanks!
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That’s awesome, thanks! We’ve been looking at Playlinda in Canaveral.
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