Orlando and its theme parks cast a long shadow over tourism in Central Florida, but another destination is starting to shine. National Geographic Traveler recently named Florida’s Space Coast the top family vacation destination in the U.S. The Space Coast runs from the Kennedy Space Center to the beaches of the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in southern Brevard County. That’s 72 miles of wonder.

The northern end of the Space Coast is dominated by the Space Center and the tourist excitement over the return to launches. Plus you have Cocoa Beach, a major tourism destination by itself.

Here’s a summary of some of the top things to do and see on Florida’s Space Coast. We’ll list them in order from north to south. You can make the trip all the way on U.S. Highway A1A.

1. The Canaveral National Seashore

Located just north of the Kennedy Space Center, the Canaveral National Seashore is actually so close you can see the launch towers. At times, it could even be called too close, considering the seashore is closed during launch windows.

The beaches here are natural and pristine. They are popular with Orlando visitors and tourists. The long shoreline has three specific parts. The southern beaches, Playalinda, have parking and restrooms, but that’s about all. The northern beaches, Apollo, have fewer parking lots, and they fill up early, especially in the summer. In the middle is a 15-mile area known as the Klondike. It is inaccessible by cars. The only way in and out is walking or by boat. Make sure you have water and sunscreen.

On the backside of the island is the Mosquito Lagoon, with fishing and kayaking trails. Bring bug spray. It didn’t get that name for nothing.

A note of interest: There are nude beaches in remote areas of both Playalinda and Apollo Beach. Signs give you fair warning. The nudists keep pretty much to themselves and there is almost no interaction with families and the regular beach crowd.

Editor’s Note: If your interest is piqued, read our guide to everything you wanted to know about being a naturist but were afraid to ask, written by our naturist (i.e. nudist) contributor, Chris Moore.