The Best Beaches to Visit when at Vista Cay Resort Orlando. 

What should we look for when selecting beaches?  Some of the main criteria we look at when selecting beaches for our guests when visiting Vista Cay Resort in Orlando include the overall quality of the beach, its ease of access and driving distance, and how friendly it is in terms of ease of access to visit, parking, and so forth. 

East Coast Beaches – Our Favorite from Orlando / Vista Cay

 Our first selection of beaches is those on the East Coast. We choose the ones on the East Coast first because they are literally the easiest beaches to reach when driving by car from Vista Cay. 

You will find that most locals visit beaches on the East Coast because of the ease of access in terms of driving. 

Cocoa Beach – Approximately 60 miles, 1-hour drive 

Pros: The biggest Pro for Cocoa Beach is its location. From Vista Cay, you can hop on the express road and be at the main Cocoa Beach Pier, generally speaking, in approximately 1 hour.  Coco is popular with locals, Surfers, and it’s great for some local seafood 

Cons:  The biggest con of going to Cocoa Beach is that you’re on the Atlantic side of Florida, where the oceans are not as clear as the west coast.

Distance: As far as distance goes, Cocoa Beach is approximately a 1-hour drive. It is the closest and easiest Beach to reach from Vista Cay.

Ease of Access: As far as ease of access, you’ll find plenty of parking in Cocoa Beach, and the drive is straightforward

Tips:  Our biggest tip when visiting Cocoa Beach is that you will be close to what they call the Space Coast, and you can visit Kennedy Space Center while you’re there.

New Smyrna – Approximately 66 miles, 1 hour 10 minutes drive

Pros:  The biggest pro of going to New Smyrna Beach is that the beach tends to be less congested than, say, Cocoa.

Cons: The main con of going to New Smyrna Beach is that if you are going to a beach on the east coast, Cocoa Beach generally tends to be an easier drive.

Distance: Distance-wise, this beach tends to be about an hour’s Drive

Ease of Access: The ease of access for New Smyrna Beach is fairly straightforward and involves largely being on Interstate 4. Just put in your GPS and follow the directions

Tips: There is generally plenty of parking in New Smyrna Beach, and there are also sand dunes. It is well known for surfing

Daytona / Ormond Beach  – Approximately 66.3 miles, 1 hour 10 minutes drive

Pros The biggest Pro of Daytona Beach is its location to Orlando. Generally speaking, you will use I-4 heading east or North, depending on your sense of direction, and it’s about a 1 hour 20 minute drive, depending on traffic

Cons:  The main con of Daytona Beach is that it is or it can get quite crowded, especially during special events such as bike week and spring break. Also, it is not perhaps the cleanest town or beach in Central Florida

Distance: Daytona is like we said, about a 1 hour 20 minute drive from Vista Cay, it’s a straight shot up Interstate 4, but it is dependent on traffic, so beware of rush hour.

Ease of Access: As mentioned previously, ease of access is good to Daytona Beach, and there is also plenty of parking

Tips:  Be sure to check out the boardwalk

If you are looking for a quieter beach, be sure to check out Ormond Beach, which is about 15 minutes north by car of Daytona Beach 

West Coast Beaches – Our Favorite from Orlando / Vista Cay

The West Coast beaches’ main benefit is that, generally because they’re on the Gulf side of Florida, they have clearer water, the water temperature tends to be a little bit higher, and the beaches are notorious for their white sand. The biggest drawback, though, for visiting beaches on the west coast when staying in Orlando at Vista Cay is the driving.

If you decide to visit a West Coast beach when in Orlando, be advised that once you go south of Disney, driving in a Westerly direction towards the West Coast, which is the most common route people take, the major highway Interstate 4 is only two lanes in each Direction. This means heavy traffic jams, and if there is an accident on the interstate that needs clearing, you can get stuck in traffic sometimes for hours, as there is no way once you are between Kissimmee and Tampa to go around any accidents on the interstate.

St Pete Beach (Approximately 103 miles, 1 hour and 50 minutes drive)

Pros:  The biggest Pro of St Pete Beach is that it is relatively close to Orlando, and it is on the Gulf side of Florida.

Cons:  The biggest con of St Pete Beach is that it can be a more expensive town, you might have to pay for parking, and the potential for traffic jams on Interstate 4. 

Distance:  St Pete Beach is approximately an hour and a half drive, just enter it into your GPS, and it is relatively easy to get to

Ease of Access: Again, ease of access is fairly easy as long as the traffic is good and you avoid rush hour and any accidents on the interstate

Tips: The key takeaway tip for this is the great white sand beach 

Clearwater Beach  (Approximately 99 miles, 1 hour and 45 minutes drive)

Pros: Clearwater Beach is consistently ranked as one of the best beaches, not just in Florida but in the United States. Again, it is known for its White sand beaches and great Gulfside ocean water for swimming

Cons:  The cons, like we’ve mentioned before, can be that the drive is about an hour and 45 minutes, and if you hit traffic or Rush Hour, especially going through Tampa, this can be a serious problem.

Distance: Approximate distance you can enter into your GPS, it’s about 95 miles from Vista Cay

Ease of Access: Because it is predominantly highway driving, it is relatively easy to get to again, just watch for the traffic.

Tips: If you’re looking for more of a tropical type Beach, then Clearwater Beach, with its clear ocean water and white sand it’s definitely the place