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Canaveral National Seashore Review

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Canaveral National Seashore

Fodor's Review:

The 57,000-acre Canaveral National Seashore is on a barrier island that's home to more than 1,000 species of plants and 300 species of birds and other animals. The unspoiled area of hilly sand dunes, grassy marshes, and seashell-sprinkled beaches is a large part of NASA's buffer zone. Surf and lagoon fishing are available, and a hiking trail leads to the top of a Native American shell midden at Turtle Mound. For an additional charge, visitors can take a pontoon-boat tour ($20) or participate in the turtle-watch interpretive program ($14). Reservations required. A visitor center is on Route A1A. Weekends are busy, and parts of the park are closed before, during, and after launches, so call ahead.

At the opposite end of the seashore from New Smyrna Beach's Apollo Beach, remote Playalinda Beach has pristine sands and is the longest stretch of undeveloped coast on Florida's Atlantic seaboard. Its isolation explains why there are limited services (i.e., no phones, food service, drinking water, or lifeguards from September through May) and why a remote strand of the beach is popular with nude sunbathers. Aside from them, hundreds of giant sea turtles come ashore here from May through August to lay their eggs. Eight parking lots anchor the beach at 1-mi intervals. Take bug repellent in case of horseflies. To get here, take I-95 Exit 220 east and follow the signs. Rte. 402/Beach Rd., 32796. 321/867-0677. www.nps.gov/cana. $3 per person. Apr.-Oct., daily 6AM-8PM; Nov.-Mar., daily 6-6.

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