The lazy river runs 986 feet, and that is the number that tells you this is a real waterpark, not a glorified splash pad. Coconut Cove sits inside Burt Aaronson South County Regional Park in West Boca, and summer admission is $18 for adults 12 and up, $14 for kids 2 to 11, and free for under 2. Add two four-story water slides, a kids' water playground, a rec pool, and a lily pad walk, and you have a full day on one ticket.

It sits in far West Boca, off US-441 and Cain Boulevard at 20130 Regional Park Drive. Summer hours run June through early August, Monday through Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 11am to 5pm, so you get a full day out of one ticket.

What You're Getting Into

Coconut Cove is built to cover every age in one place. The 986-foot river ride is the anchor, long enough to actually float and relax instead of just looping a quick circle. The two four-story slides are the thrill end for older kids and adults who want the drop. And the lily pad walk is the one everyone tries and most people fall off of, which is exactly why it is fun.

For the little ones there is a dedicated children's water playground, shallow and interactive, so the youngest crowd has their own zone away from the slides. There is also a recreational pool if you want a break from the attractions and some actual swimming. It is a true range, a 2-year-old and a 12-year-old can both get a full day out of the same place.

The pricing is the real draw. At $18 for adults and $14 for kids, a family of four does a full waterpark day for well under $70, with under-2s free. That is a fraction of what the big-name parks charge, without the three-hour drive to Orlando.

The Insider Move

There are two smart ways to play it. Go right at the 10am open (11am on Sunday) to get the river and slides in before the Florida afternoon heat peaks, or flip it completely and come after 3pm, when admission drops $2 a head to $16 for adults and $12 for kids, seniors, and military. If you already know you will be back all summer, the season pass is the move at $101 adult and $89 child, which pays for itself in about five or six visits. There is a concession stand for ICEEs, ice cream, brownies, and chips, and the only hard rules are no glass and no alcohol.

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