Famous as a surfing and beach destination, Cocoa Beach, on Florida's Space Coast, offers endless opportunities for outdoor recreation and water sports.

A vacation here means miles of beautiful shoreline, spectacular sunrises, and spending time in pristine natural areas with chances to spot dolphins and manatees and see nesting sea turtles. 

Cocoa Beach’s proximity to Cape Canaveral makes it easy to combine a beach stay with a trip to Kennedy Space Center, where visitors can tour launch-pad areas, meet an astronaut, see rockets, train like an astronaut, and even witness a rocket launch if the timing is right.

Shop at Ron Jon Surf Shop Cocoa Beach, the world’s largest surf shop, and check out the stores of Cocoa Village, a revitalized, nostalgic riverside community with more than 50 shops, restaurants, galleries, and artist studios, in nearby Cocoa,

Situated between Key Largo and Marathon in the Florida Keys, Islamorada is a village of islands known as the “Sport-Fishing Capital of the World.” Islamorada has top-notch guides and charter services offering both offshore and backcountry excursions to help anglers reel in coveted species from sailfish to bonefish and tarpon.

Islamorada’s six islands — Plantation Key, Windley Key, Upper Matecumbe Key, Lower Matecumbe Key, Indian Key, and Lignumvitae Key — are full of family-friendly things to do. Swim, kayak, and camp at Long Key State Park, hike and take a guided tour at Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park, and paddle a kayak across the water to access Indian Key Historic State Park or Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park for an afternoon of sunbathing, hiking, and swimming.

Families of all ages will enjoy feeding tarpon at Robbie’s Marina, learning about the area’s history at Florida Keys History and Discovery Center, and seeing the dolphins at Theater of the Sea.