What to Do in Cocoa Beach

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Cocoa Beach, Florida, has a lot going for it. It’s the kind of city that has something for everyone. Because it has so much to offer, today, we’re talking about What to do in Cocoa Beach. From beach lounging to surfing, there’s always something to do in this beautiful Florida city. 

The gateway to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, the city is known for its beautiful beaches, excellent surf breaks, arts, and vibrant atmosphere.   This area is also known as the Space Coast.

Busy Cruise Port

Many who cruise loves this port city as it’s easy to drive to from so many cities.  Many will take a few days before or after a cruise to add a mini-vacation around Port Canaveral and Cocoa Beach.

Being one of the busiest ports in the world for cruises, in 2024, there was 911 cruise ships and 7.6 million passengers, making it a record-breaking year. 

Closest Beach to Orlando

Cocoa Beach is located on the East Coast of Florida, south of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and within driving distance of Orlando and all the amusement parks it contains.  Just an hour from Orlando, many take advantage of some beach time to relax after a trip to one of the popular amusement parks. 

This iconic Florida city is known for its beautiful beaches, warm waters, and surfing culture. It’s also home to an arts scene, tons of delicious seafood, and a family-friendly atmosphere that welcomes all comers.

With everything it has to offer, it’s no wonder that so many people flock to this city every year to enjoy its beaches, sunny weather, and generally laid-back vibe. 

 One of the stops for everyone is the Pier.

What to Do in Cocoa Beach

With a name like Cocoa Beach, it’s no surprise that white sands are always just steps away. But if you’re looking for more than just lounging or swimming, you’re sure to find it there.

This city may be most notable for its warm waters and surfing culture, but there’s so much more to do than just hanging ten. With that being said, we might as well start with what’s in the name! 

Beaches

• Cocoa Beach: The beach with the same name as the city, you find white sand beaches, the perfect water for swimming, floating, or surfing, and, of course, the world-famous Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier. 
• Alan Shepard Beachfront Park: This oceanfront park offers 5 acres of views, white sand beaches, beautiful views, warm water, and several covered pavilions with picnic tables, BBQ grills, and a playground. 
• Robert P. Mukshe Memorial Park: This 2-acre oceanfront park is a favorite for surfers and beachgoers. This small park has one pavilion, but it makes up for its size with its amazing views and great water. 

Popular Sights

• The Dinosaur Store: This privately owned 26,000-square-foot museum features two floors of exhibits dedicated to dinosaurs and ancient human cultures.
• Florida Surf Museum: Located at Ron Jon Surf Shop, this museum preserves and promotes Florida’s surfing heritage through a variety of exhibits.  Free admission.

• Kennedy Space Center: The Kennedy Space Center offers a variety of space-themed exhibits and content like the Shuttle Launch Experience, the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, and much more. 

• Breakers Art Gallery: This art gallery is solely devoted to local surf art. It also offers exhibit events as well as various art classes. 
• Visit the Originial Ron Jon Shop

• I Dream of Jeannie sign and Street Marker

 

Kid-Friendly

• The Wizard of Oz Museum: This privately owned museum is devoted to all things Wizard of Oz, from the books to the movie, the musical, and beyond. It features physical exhibits and an immersive experience. 

• Lighthouse Cove Adventure Golf: A popular choice in the area, Lighthouse Cove offers 18-hole courses throughout a tropical fishing village theme that includes sea life, boats, caves, waterfalls, and more. 
• Cocoa Beach Aerial Adventures: Perfect for both kids and adults, Aerial Adventures offers exciting, challenging aerial courses, walks, ropes, and more for all ages. 
• Manatee Sanctuary Park:  Manatees can be seen on rare occasions, but it’s a great place to walk around and let the kids play on the playground.   You will find some wildlife along the walk.

Tours

• Manatee and Dolphin Kayak Tour: This company offers kayak tours in a conservation area known for manatees and dolphins. It’s a guided tour for your education and enjoyment. 
• Cocoa Beach Dolphin Tours: This relaxing 2-hour tour takes visitors through the Cocoa Beach Thousand Islands, where they can see dolphins, manatees, birds, and natural beauty. 
• Mangrove Tunnels, Dolphins, Manatee Tour: This 5-star rated tour takes guests through the iconic mangrove tunnels of the area, where they can see dolphins, manatees, and other wildlife. 
• Space Coast River Tours:  This is a great relaxing tour with a lot of options throughout the year. 

 

Dining

There is no shortage of dining options.  But to me, when in a beach town, you have to look for fresh seafood. 

• Jazzy’s Mainely Lobster & Seafood Company: For the best seafood and a relaxing atmosphere, this is the restaurant to choose. 
• Florida’s Fresh Grill: This restaurant offers a wide variety of seafood, steak, and more and is ranked the #1 restaurant in Cocoa Beach. 
• The Pig & Whistle: This family-friendly restaurant offers great food that both kids and adults will love and a relaxed atmosphere. 
•  Fish Lips:  One of our favorites.  Sit along the intercoastal waterway for great views.  You can even see launches from Kennedy Space Center from her.  Get the Brie appetizer and thank me later.
•  Big Daddy J’s: This laid-back restaurant offers some of the best comfort food in the area, with classic burgers, pulled pork, sweet desserts, and absolutely obscene portions. 
• Coaster’s Taproom:  Great food and key lime pie

Best Key Lime Pie

While on a recent visit, we were searching for the best key lime pie (my husband’s favorite pie).  It had to be creamy, not too tart, and preferred a real whipped cream topping to a meringue. 

I’m sure there’s many great pies in the area, so on our next trip, we will try a few more to see if Pie 2 still holds the crown as the best.

After taking a few recommendations from locals, we tried three places:

Pie 1 – they admitted it was a frozen pie brought in from a restaurant supplier.  It was good but looking for homemade.

Pie 2 – the best of the three and very good.  It wasn’t even at a seafood restaurant, but a taproom in a strip mall.  Don’t count our recommendations based on locations.   Coaster’s Taproom not only had the favorite key lime pie, but the food we had was great.  It will be on our list to visit again.

Pie 3 – good review from Don, but not quite as good as Pie 2. 

Have you found a great Key Lime Pie in Cocoa Beach?

Our Favorite Part of Cocoa Beach

Maybe it sounds strange, but leaving and returning to the area is our favorite part when we are getting to cruise. 

Goodbye:

Hello:  What a great way to be greeted back into port.

 

With so much to see and do, the question isn’t “what to do in Coca Beach.” The question is more like, “What can’t you do in Cocoa Beach?” There’s just so much to explore in the area that this post only scratches the surface. If you’re planning a trip to the area, make Cocoa Beach your hub for the trip. It’s a wonderful place for the entire family. 

 

VISITING KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

Just up the road – SEE THE MANATEES

 

VISIT THE SPACE COAST

 

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