Introduction
Cocoa Beach, Florida is a quirky, yet beautiful beach town located on the Florida Space Coast. This town is located about an hour east of Orlando, which makes it one of Orlando’s premier beach destinations. That, coupled with its proximity to Port Canaveral is the reason that Cocoa Beach hosts an estimated 2 million visitors annually.
With all those people passing though, what is there even to do at Cocoa Beach? Well, this town has rich history, various activities, and the kind of beach experience that makes it the surfing capital of the east coast. Here are some of our favorite things to do in Cocoa Beach Florida:
- The Beaches
- Lori Wilson Park
- Ron Jon Surf Shop
- Cocoa Beach Surf Company
- Dinosaur Store
- Downtown Cocoa Beach
- Cocoa Beach Pier
For even more great ideas for things to east, see, and do in Cocoa Beach and all across the Space Coast, be sure to check out Groupon HERE.
Go to the Beach
This activity almost goes without saying—it is Cocoa BEACH after all, but I just want to take a moment to highlight that the Cocoa Beaches are quite beautiful especially for the East Coast of Florida. There is a reason why choose these beaches over some of the adjacent towns, and it’s not just because the easy access of the highway system brought them there. Actually, the Cocoa Beach beaches have some of the best sand and water we have seen on the east coast of Florida.
(Pro tip though: If you want similar cand quality with less of a tourist vibe, be sure to check out nearby Melbourne Beach, Florida).
Lori Wilson Park
So you want to enjoy the beaches, but you’re not sure where to go. We recommend the Lori Wilson Park. Here, you’ll find well-maintained sandy beaches, picnic areas, walking trails and free parking. This park offers 4 miles of beach on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean for visitors to enjoy swimming or sunbathing. It really has it all. Even a playground for the children!
Ron Jon Surf Shop
This Ron Jon surf shop is the flagship store for the notable brand. It is definitely a must-see if you’re in Cocoa Beach. The shop sells a variety of souvenirs, clothing, and accessories for surfers. It’s a pretty iconic place and interesting to see even if you aren’t into surfing. There is a small surf museum in the same building as the equipment rentals, so be sure to stop over there and check it out.
Cocoa Beach Surf Company
Directly next door to Ron Jon Surf Shop is another fantastic, very similar store, the Cocoa Beach Surf company. This store actually contains a restaurant where diners can enjoy a meal while surrounded by a giant aquarium. This is a pretty enjoyable experience for the area. After lunch, be sure to spend some time meandering through the seemingly endless supply of beach gear and water sports equipment.
The Dinosaur Store
This was definitely Vivian’s favorite thing to do in Cocoa Beach. The Dinosaur Store is a unique museum and gift shop dedicated to dinosaurs. The first floor is the giftshop, which has a wide range of dinosaur-themed gifts, toys, gemstones, and even fossils for sale. One the same floor is also a unique experience called the Adventure Zone. Along with hands-on interactive experiences, there are also numerous arcade games, a movie cave, a fossil mining experience, a river raft ride, and more.
The real story here is the museum which is located on the second and third floors of the “store.” The two major divisions are one floor dedicated to dinosaurs, and the other floor dedicated to ancient cultures. This museum contains gemstones, fossils, artifacts, and replicas of dinosaurs from around the world.
Downtown Cocoa Beach Florida
After you’ve been at the beach all day, you can take it easy by stopping in a few shops, choosing a great restaurant, and taking some pictures! Downtown Cocoa Beach is a relaxing and scenic place to spend an afternoon with family. Various murals are displayed on the walls of the downtown buildings. You’ll have lots of things to choose from in this downtown area. Plus, there are several hotels close by so you don’t have to travel very far!
Downtown also offers access to the beaches, so you could feasibly park in the downtown area, and then walk to the beaches from there.
Cocoa Beach Pier
This pier is the longest pier in Florida, so you’ll definitely want to check this out! The world-famous Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier stretches 800 feet over the Atlantic Ocean and features famous restaurants, shops, and entertainment options. This is also another great beach option if, during your beach day, you don’t like to be too far from dining and shopping options. It also happens to be a great place to see dolphins!
Conclusion
We hope you have an amazing family vacation in Cocoa Beach, Florida, and we hope that you will enjoy these places as much as our family does when we visit Cocoa Beach!
For even more great ideas for things to east, see, and do in Cocoa Beach and all across the Space Coast, be sure to check out Groupon HERE.