If you need a change of pace after exhausting Orlando’s mega-amusements, Florida’s Space Coast is the ideal antidote. Unique in the world, it is the only beach destination that doubles as a rocket launch pad, while the vibe of this 72-mile coastline remains laidback and low-key.
Cocoa Beach
It is an hour’s drive east from Orlando to the town of Cocoa Beach, the most obvious base for a side trip to the Space Coast. As well as great fishing, golfing and water sports, this low-rise surf destination has a wide sandy beach that’s especially good for families, with amenities such as changing rooms, showers, oceanfront parking and picnic areas with barbecues. For a chilled-out but still lively stay, you’ll find everything you need in the areas around Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier and Downtown. Hotels for all budgets offer direct ocean access, while seafood shacks, beachside grills and shaved ice joints make for a casual dining scene.
If you’re a wannabe surfer, you should know the town is recognised as the surfing capital of the east coast. Local legend and 11-time world champion Kelly Slater honed his skills on these breaks, so if the waves are calling, you’re in the right place. Book a lesson at one of the many surf schools, or head to Ron Jon’s Surf Shop – the largest in the world – for surf merch and gear.
Past the pier, the beach rolls northwards towards Port Canaveral, where you can stake out a spot at Jetty Park for unbeatable views of rocket launches and cruise ships heading out to the Caribbean. Rent beach chairs, boogie boards and fishing gear for the day, then camp overnight or grab dinner at The Cove, a waterfront dining destination with live entertainment.
Canaveral National Seashore
This protected barrier island adjacent to the Kennedy Space Center preserves 24 miles of undeveloped Atlantic beach, the longest such stretch on Florida’s east coast. If you’re seeking some post-theme-park stillness, you’ll certainly find it here, and you’re unlikely to be alone. Attracted by the darkness and quiet, thousands of loggerhead and green sea turtles lumber onto Apollo, Klondike and Playalinda beaches to nest every summer. Several times a week national park scientists conduct guided night time turtle walks where you can watch them lay their eggs in the sand and head back out to sea.
Melbourne & the Beaches
Another top spot for families, Melbourne and the Beaches lies further south, where the Indian River Lagoon separates Historic Downtown Melbourne from the dune-backed beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. Try Indialantic Boardwalk and Park for decent surf swells and beach breaks, or dog-friendly Canova Beach Park for a lazy afternoon of swimming, barbecuing and fishing.
Just past the town of Melbourne Beach, pristine Coconut Point Park is located within the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge. This uncrowded beach is great for beachcombers and birdwatchers – if you’re lucky you might spot a magnificent frigatebird swooping in to steal food from flocks of gulls and terns. The refuge is also one of the densest turtle nesting sites in the world.
A few miles south, Sebastian Inlet State Park is arguably the most beautiful spot on the Space Coast, as well as the east-coast epicentre of competitive surfing. Unlike other beaches there are miles of rocky reefs for snorkelling and scuba diving here plus a boat marina, three mountain bike trails and a 51-pitch campsite for tents and RVs.
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