After visiting Cocoa Beach, I wanted to try somewhere nearby to see if it had the same vibe. We…read moreheaded over to Melbourne Beach. I thought I really enjoyed Cocoa Beach, but I think Melbourne Beach might actually be the one for me. Although it was a weekday and the kids were back in school, the beach was pretty empty, and I absolutely loved that. From the top of the stairs, I could see the beautiful crystal green-blue water. The forecast called for a 60% chance of rain, but there were hardly any clouds in the sky. The weather was perfect. It was so enjoyable watching the little crabs retreat into their holes, run around the sand, and quickly disappear again whenever they sensed danger. I also loved watching the birds run away from the waves as the water came too close to them. It was pure relaxation. The water itself was wonderful. Usually when you first step into the ocean, it feels cold, but that wasn't the case here. The water felt like a comfortable room temperature and seemed to get even warmer as I ventured farther in. It felt amazing on my body. The ocean wasn't completely calm, and there were a few waves strong enough to knock me over, but I still enjoyed every minute of being in the salt water. It felt soothing and refreshing. There was no lifeguard on duty, so swimming was at your own risk. Overall, the day was perfect! Melbourne Beach definitely gave me the peaceful beach experience I was looking for.

If I could give this place ten stars I would. What an experience my family and I didn't even know…read morewe needed. Such a beautiful place people talk about Tampa and Orlando but not enough people talk about Melbourne. It's a must see and a must go for sure . Exceptional place to visit beyond gorgeous beach. Will absolutely be returning . My family and I just relaxed , ate good. Shopped a lot and kids enjoyed the beach and scenery.

Beach is clean and large enough for the people there. Bathrooms and showers are undergoing…read morerenovations and are not available. If they were a solid 4 stars.

Best to visit during the week as there is often no parking on the weekends. There are volleyball…read morecourts, clean bathrooms, pavillons you can rent and a really nice playground.

This is Spessard Holland North Beach Park. Two miles away is Spessard Holland South Beach Park…read more Both beach parks and the Spessard Holland Golf course were named in honor of Spessard Lindsey Holland, a prominent Florida politician and lawyer. He served as the 28th Governor of Florida and later as a U.S. Senator from 1946 to 1971. The beach park and golf course are among a number of places named in his honor across the state. Beyond the beach and park in Melbourne, his name is attached to various locations, including the Spessard Holland Expressway in Orlando and the Spessard Holland Elementary School in his hometown of Bartow. This 6.5-acre community beach park is a lovely spot to enjoy the ocean In Melbourne Beach. The beach is monitored by seasonal lifeguards. This park is popular with beachgoers and those who enjoy surf fishing and surfing. The park has a 100 foot dune boardwalk and two small pavilions. Other amenities include restrooms, drinking fountain, and outdoor showers. I always appreciate a beach with free parking like this one.

Spessard Holland Beach is a pleasant enough beach and it was a great place to chill for a bit…read more Parking was free and it was well-maintained. I would definitely recommend heading here if you want to chill and be around the water.

Usually a pretty good spot to go!! I prefer this area over Cocoa beach it's much cleaner…read more Unfortunately right now the seaweed situation has been pretty bad and they got hit pretty hard. But otherwise add this place to your go to spots

A beach is a beach when you live near one. To me there is nothing absolutely breathtaking about…read morethis beach. However, don't take it the wrong way. I still love the beach when I want to go to the beach. Luckily I know people that live near the beach so we park at their place and walk down to the beach. I've grown a very nice seashell collection from this beach. There are a few spots here and there along the beach that also great for a hangout if you want to be near the beach. Just beware of the parking meters if you don't know people who live in the area.

This is a small beach front park on Florida's Space Coast. The park is located in Melbourne Beach,…read morea quiet bedroom community on a barrier island across the Indian River Lagoon from the larger cities of Melbourne and Palm Bay. Although Ocean Park is smaller in size than other are beach parks, it does have two large beach volleyball courts, an outdoor shower, a few picnic tables situated under shady palm trees, restrooms and my favorite part, inviting bench swings where you can relax and catch the beach breezes. I live in Broward County where everyone has to pay for beach parking but through my travels throughout Florida I have learned that many other counties offer free parking to locals and visitors. I was surprised that Melbourne Beach charges a parking fee. Make you sure you pay because I saw the parking enforcement circling on golf courses at all of the beach front parking. Melbourne Beach instituted an increase of 50 cents on July 1st so now it is $3.50 an hour. Not terribly expensive but more of an inconvenience to remember to make sure you do not over run your time.

Beautiful clean beach. Lifeguard towers, restaurants along the beach, lots of free parking & a…read moreperfect place to spend the day. Cocoa Beach is a city on Florida's Space Coast, known for its beaches, surfing & proximity to the Kennedy Space Center. It offers a variety of attractions, including the Cocoa Beach Pier, massive Ron Jon Surf Shop, Lori Wilson Park & water based activities like kayaking and boat tours, with a laid-back, family-friendly atmosphere that attracts tourists & retirees.

A time was had @ Cocoa Beach! The beach was beautiful, & the waves were so much fun. I really…read moreenjoyed being in the water, playing in the waves, & taking in the relaxing beach vibes. The waves were the best part of my day! It was a perfect place to spend some time by the water, relax, & I def enjoyed this beach! I'll be back just to jump in the waves!

I was taking an afternoon scenic drive down A1A when I spotted Golden Sands Park and pulled off to…read morecheck it out. This picturesque 6.23 acre oceanfront park is located in northern Indian River County. The park amenities at Golden Sands include beach access with daytime lifeguards, a playground, restroom facilities, showers, picnic pavilions with grills, and always my favorite beach find, free parking. This park is the northern gateway to the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, a key area for sea turtle nesting. During nesting season, May-October, you may even see sea turtles coming ashore or hatchlings making their way to the Atlantic Ocean. This park is well known for its tranquility, family‑friendly amenities, and natural beauty perfect for nature lovers like me.

I love the beach and nature here. It is beautiful. It is nice that they have free parking too…read more Bathrooms are mostly dirty and uncared for well. Nice that they have good showers here. They have a lot of rules here, but the police and lifeguards do not enforce most of the rules here, you always see people smoking, with dogs, fishing, alcohol, surfing in swimming areas, they have a lot of rules here, but do not enforce them at all. There are many signs all over saying no dogs, but people bring them anyway. Today a selfish lawbreaker lady was bringing her dog right on the public beach and it was going to the bathroom, she just covers it with sand. How sanitary is this? Will the next person who lays down there know that their is dog pee and poop there? Be careful where you sit here. We wish the lifeguards would enforce the rules here. The lifeguards are pretty lame about enforcement. Down in Palm Beach, they would blow their whistles and not allow any law breaking, absolutely no dogs are allowed, this county is too lax and allows a lot of lawlessness. Some people are very selfish here too. We just wish the lifeguards who are paid with our tax dollars would stay until 5pm. Often times they leave at 4pm, 4:30pm, 4:45pm, they almost never stay until 5pm like they are paid to, seems unfair showing no work ethic from the lifeguards here, we never saw this happen down in Palm Beach, they stay until the top of the hour as they were paid for the 8 hours. They take advantage and leave early a lot here at this beach and county beaches. The beach is wonderful, it is the people who ruin it for others with their selfishness.

I love this beach! It truly feels like an escape from the hustle and bustle of urban life. As a…read morenational park it remains undeveloped and protected shoreline, which keeps wildlife in the area. If you have certain restroom standards, this is not the beach for you. Protected land = no running water. Therefore, no flushing and no rinsing. It's a tradeoff I'll accept for the natural splendor present. Great place to watch the close by rocket launches. The Eddy Creek side is an ideal vantage point for viewing manatees and gators. There are also multiple nearby nature trails. I have the annual pass, which is worth it for me. All accesses were open on my most recent visit, but that varies. If you want to spice up your life, go all the way down to #10-13, the nude portion. For beaches, my heart belongs to the Gulf Coast side of FL, but Playalinda offers a unique opportunity to commune with nature, setting it apart.

The beach itself is beautiful. Expect rough Atlantic surf, noisy waves crashing ashore, windy…read moresalty air. Parking and access is convenient once you pay the entrance fee. The absolute horror of the bathroom facilities is shocking. There is apparently no plumbing or septic system!!!! No showers to rinse off the sand. Very primitive conditions.

Robert P. Murkshe served as mayor from 1963 to 1972. During that time he guided the city through an…read moreextraordinary period of growth and transformation. At the beginning of his tenure, Cocoa Beach was a small community of just 3,475 residents and lacked many essential public facilities, including a hospital, high school, junior high school, and municipal recreation facilities. it lacked the infrastructure you would find in a modern city. By the time he left office, the population had grown to more than 12,000. He established and expanded these important community resources and his leadership also helped lay the groundwork for the environmental preservation efforts that continue to protect Cocoa Beach's natural resources and coastal beauty. Named in his honor, Robert P. Murkshe Memorial Park is a 2.5 acre beachfront park located at 16th Street South. A paved walkway leads from the parking area and restrooms over the dunes to the beach. Amenities include an outdoor shower, a covered picnic pavilion with tables and a grill, and free parking. A cool find in this park was the artwork that Guy Harvey lent to the Creative Cans in the Sand project, a not-for-profit with the mission to help encourage beach goers to dispose of their trash responsibly. Guy Harvey is an artist, scientist, diver, angler, conservationist, explorer and entrepreneur who is famous for his coastal artwork. The cans bring art to the park in the hopes that it will encourage visitors to dispose of garbage in the cans, not on the beach. When I visited the park I noticed that this beach is popular with surfers and saltwater fishermen. I appreciated the convenient beach access and relaxed vibe. When you are looking looking for a quieter stretch of Cocoa Beach to enjoy the waves, Robert P. Murkshe Memorial Park is a great choice.

This has moved up to our go to beach. There's free parking, showers, and bathroom…read more If you go to the left when u get to the beach, that is the dog side in the morning and after 6 pm. If you go to the right of the life guard side, you can go there with your dog. It's so spacious and nice and clean. The water feels amazing during the summer. We live by Tampa and come this way. We have been here almost a handful of times now. It's never packed to the rim with people. It's pretty awesome to see the cruise ship in the far back. I was just saying can't believe I found another fave beach after living here for just over ten years. Love it here!!

Coconut Point Sanctuary is a 62 acre preserve protecting natural coastal strand, oak scrub, coastal…read moreoak forest, and and mangrove forest habitats on Melbourne Beach. The sanctuary is located across from Juan Ponce de Leon Park which is where you need to park before crossing the street to enter the preserve. The one mile loop trail through this preserve takes you from the Indian River Lagoon to the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way you will traverse through saw palmetto and wildflowers. Located in the preserve is the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute which operates a marine mammal ecology and animal health lab. This sanctuary is a stop on the Great Florida Birding Trail. An observation platform over the Indian River Lagoon is the ideal spot to view shorebirds, juvenile sea turtles, osprey, manatees, and pods of dolphins. Note that there is no shade on the trail and in this brutal heat I didn't make it that far. I recommend visiting during the cooler winter months. This area contains ancient sand dunes that were once the home of the prehistoric Ais who were hunters and gatherers. Prior to contact with European colonizers, the Ais population had grown to several hundred thousand and may have flourished for over 10,000 years. This area is also believe by some to be the landing point of Juan Ponce de Leon in 1513.

Coconut Point Sanctuary boasts a one mile hike through natural Florida protected land. It is called…read morethe ocean to lagoon hike because it connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian River Lagoon. The hike is considered easy to moderate. My three year old grandson maneuvered through it with easy and had a blast. The path has lots of beautiful flowers and is loaded with natural beauty.