Cocoa Beach: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Cocoa Beach grew up with the space program: in the 1950s and 60s the engineers and astronauts of Cape Canaveral lived and drank here, and the TV comedy I Dream of Jeannie was set in the town. The launch pads are a short drive north, behind a wildlife refuge, and the visitor complex tells the whole story from Mercury to the Shuttle. Check the launch schedule before you plan: a launch day means traffic, and a night to remember. A full day by car.

A short history of Cocoa Beach

Until the 1920s this was mostly dunes on a narrow strip of sand between the ocean and the lagoon. The city was officially incorporated in 1925, but what changed it was the launch base at neighbouring Cape Canaveral: from the 1950s engineers, technicians and Mercury programme astronauts moved here. In 1963 the Ron Jon surf shop opened here and became a symbol of the place, and between 1965 and 1970 the television series "I Dream of Jeannie" was set here. Cocoa Beach has remained a small town of surfers and families, where rocket launches can be watched from the beach.

The ten best sights in Cocoa Beach

1
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Give it a full day; the bus tour to the Saturn V is included and worth it
2
Apollo/Saturn V Center
A real moon rocket lying the length of a hall; reached only by the KSC bus
3
Cocoa Beach Pier
The centre of town; go at sunrise, when the surfers are already in the water
4
Playalinda Beach
Wild beach in Canaveral National Seashore, with the launch pads on the horizon; no shops, bring water
5
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Alligators, manatees and huge bird flocks on NASA's doorstep; start at the visitor centre
6
Black Point Wildlife Drive
A one-way dirt loop through the marshes; drive slowly, alligators lie by the road
7
Jetty Park
Watch the cruise ships sail out through the channel, and rockets go up from the cape
8
Exploration Tower
A lookout tower at Port Canaveral with a view over ships and launch pads
9
Lori Wilson Park
A quiet beach park with a boardwalk through coastal forest
10
Thousand Islands
Mangrove islets in the Banana River; rent a kayak, or come on a summer night for the glowing water

sleepntripRoad and rail routesEvery night on the road, our hotel

Whole routes, with a room up to $80 at every stop.

To the routes

What is an audio walk?

Tours in Cocoa Beach →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Cocoa Beach:

Free walking tours in Cocoa Beach

The road to the launch pads

Alan Shepard Park · The park is named after Alan Shepard, who on 5 May 1961 became the first American in space, launched from Cape Canaveral a few kilometres north. Ten years later he walked on the Moon.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex · The Space Shuttle Atlantis is displayed with its payload doors open and tilted at 43.21 degrees, so visitors see it as only astronauts did, in orbit.
Apollo/Saturn V Center · The rocket in the hall is one of only three Saturn Vs left. Laid on its side it runs about 110 metres, longer than a football pitch.
Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum · The museum's C-47 transport, Tico Belle, flew on D-Day in 1944, and it is still kept in flying condition.
Space View Park · Across the river from the pads, the park holds monuments to the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs. The Mercury monument carries the handprints of the original seven astronauts.
Playalinda Beach · This is the public beach closest to Launch Complex 39, where the Apollo moon rockets and the Shuttles lifted off; the pads stand on the horizon to the south.

Lagoon and wild coast

Behind the beaches lies a long lagoon, the Indian River and Banana River, one of the richest estuaries in North America, with manatees, dolphins and wading birds. The land NASA bought for the space centre was too big to use, so much of it became a wildlife refuge and a national seashore. This route trades rockets for alligators and kayaks. Bring binoculars, insect repellent and water; winter brings the most birds.

Lori Wilson Park · The park is named after Lori Wilson, a Brevard County politician who served in the Florida Senate. Its boardwalk crosses one of the last patches of coastal hammock forest in Cocoa Beach.
Thousand Islands · On summer nights the lagoon glows: tiny plankton and comb jellies give off blue light when a paddle or a fish disturbs the water.
Manatee Sanctuary Park · Manatees gather in the warmer lagoon waters in winter. These slow, plant-eating animals can weigh over 500 kg, and boat propellers are their main danger.
Kelly Park · The park sits on the Banana River, part of the Indian River Lagoon system, which stretches about 250 km along Florida's east coast.
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge · The refuge was created in 1963 on land NASA had bought as a buffer around its launch sites, and it still shares that land with the space centre.
Black Point Wildlife Drive · The 7-mile (11 km) one-way drive follows dikes built to control mosquitoes by flooding the marshes, which turned them into prime feeding ground for wading birds.

Surf town and the port

Before the rockets, Cocoa Beach was a strip of dunes; after them it became a surf town, with a pier, a famous surf shop and the most successful surfer of all time growing up on its beaches. This route stays close to town, from the pier to the port where the cruise ships wait, then crosses the lagoon to the old river town of Cocoa. It fits the day before boarding. End at Jetty Park to watch a ship sail out at sunset.

Cocoa Beach Pier · The pier opened in 1962 as the Canaveral Pier and runs about 250 metres out over the Atlantic. It hosts surf contests in the waves beside it.
Ron Jon Surf Shop · Ron DiMenna opened the Cocoa Beach store in 1963. It has grown into a huge building that stays open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Florida Surf Museum · Kelly Slater, born in Cocoa Beach in 1972, learned to surf here and went on to win 11 world titles, more than any other surfer.
Jetty Park · The jetty guards the entrance to Port Canaveral, which was dug out of the cape and opened in the early 1950s. Today every cruise ship passes within a few hundred metres of the fishing pier.
Cocoa Village Playhouse · The theatre opened in 1924 as a cinema called the State Theatre. Saved from decline and restored, it is now the centre of Cocoa's old riverside village.
Brevard Zoo · The zoo opened in 1994 and was built largely by local volunteers, thousands of residents who came to put up its fences and boardwalks.

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Getting to Cocoa Beach and getting around

Melbourne Orlando International Airport · The small airport 30 minutes south; Orlando International (MCO), with far more flights, is about an hour west on SR 528
Port Canaveral Cruise Terminals · A cruise departure port, one of the busiest in the world. The terminals are 10-15 minutes north of the pier by car up A1A; there is no train, so take a taxi or ride-share, or a hotel park-and-cruise shuttle. Check your terminal number on the ticket, they are on both sides of the channel

Cheap eats in Cocoa Beach

Cocoa Beach eats the way Florida does at the beach: fish tacos, grouper sandwiches, shrimp from the lagoon and breakfast big enough for a surf session. Downtown, around the Minutemen Causeway, has the cafés; the strip along A1A has the chains. Portions are large and a tip of 18-20% is expected at table service.

Long Doggers · Fish tacos, grouper sandwiches and hot dogs, about $10-16
Sweeties Ice Cream & Candy · Ice cream and sweets in downtown Cocoa Beach, about $4-8
Simply Delicious · Breakfast café downtown, eggs and pancakes about $10-15
Juice & Java · Coffee, smoothies and wraps, about $5-12
Surfinista · Espresso bar for surfers, about $4-7
Bruno's Beachside Pizzeria · Pizza by the slice or whole, about $4-20

Museums in Cocoa Beach

Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum · Restored military aircraft, several still flying
Florida Surf Museum · Old boards and photos of Florida surfing
American Space Museum · Space program objects donated by its workers, Titusville
Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science · Local history and nature trails in Cocoa
Brevard Veterans Memorial Center · Military museum on Merritt Island

Nature and day trips near Cocoa Beach

Playalinda Beach · Undeveloped dunes and surf; closed around launches
Sebastian Inlet State Park · Surf, fishing and a treasure museum, an hour south
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge · Trails and observation decks; best in winter
Thousand Islands · Kayak among mangroves; dolphins are common
Ramp Road Park · A small launch spot for kayaks on the Banana River

Things to do in Cocoa Beach with kids

Brevard Zoo · Kayak past animals, feed giraffes, zipline over the park
Jetty Park · Beach, fishing pier and ships passing close enough to wave
Exploration Tower · Climb for the view over the port and the cape
Cocoa Beach Pier · Watch surfers from above, ice cream at the end
Manatee Sanctuary Park · Playground on the lagoon; look for manatees in winter

Where to eat in Cocoa Beach

Sunset Cafe Waterfront Grill and Bar · Seafood dinner on the Banana River
Fishlips Waterfront Bar and Grill · On the Port Canaveral channel; the night before sailing
Grills · Seafood deck at Port Canaveral, live music
Jazzy's Mainely Lobster · Lobster rolls downtown
Florida's Seafood Bar & Grill · Big seafood platters by the causeway
The Fat Snook · Small, creative seafood kitchen; book ahead

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Frequently asked questions about Cocoa Beach

What is there to see in Cocoa Beach?

The top sights in Cocoa Beach are Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Apollo/Saturn V Center and Cocoa Beach Pier. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Cocoa Beach?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Cocoa Beach without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Cocoa Beach?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Cocoa Beach, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The road to the launch pads.

How do you get to Cocoa Beach and get around?

The main ways are Melbourne Orlando International Airport and Port Canaveral Cruise Terminals. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Cocoa Beach, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Cocoa Beach that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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