Cocoa Beach, located on the central part of Florida's East Coast, is nestled in the area known as the Florida Space Coast. For decades, tourists have visited the area to see the Kennedy Space Center and watch shuttle launches, which are scheduled to end in November 2010. But with a temperate climate, beautiful beaches and rich wetlands, visitors can find many other healthy and fun things to do in Cocoa Beach, Florida.
Enjoy the Beach
Boasting six miles of sandy beach along the Atlantic Ocean, Cocoa Beach is a destination for swimming and surfing. Three oceanfront parks feature public restrooms, showers and picnic ares. Four lifeguard stations operate year-round, including one at the Cocoa Beach Pier. Built in 1962, the pier is a historical landmark that stretches more than 800 feet into the Ocean and features restaurants, boutiques and gift shops, as well as being a favorite spot for anglers.
Go Surfing
Surfing is big in Cocoa Beach, which calls itself the East Coast Surfing Capital. The Ron Jon Easter Surfing Festival has been taking place annually since 1964, drawing competitors from age six to 60. If you're interested in learning to surf or in taking a special "fitness surf" class, the Ron Jon Surf School claims to be the largest such school in the state and has been offering lessons since 1993. Ron Jon is just one of many surf shops offer lessons in surfing, kiteboarding and paddleboarding.
Play Golf
If you're a golfer, the 27-hold public course on the Banana River at the Cocoa Beach Country Club might bring a smile to your face. Each golf hole on the three nine-hole courses is named after one of the many species of birds regularly seen on the course. With 17 lakes on the course land, the club is a wildlife sanctuary. You're likely to see birds (ranging from bald eagles to blue herons), alligators, turtles and raccoons as you hit the links.
Take an Eco-tour
Whether you want to take a kayak or ride on a pontoon or air boat, consider exploring the wildlife of Cocoa Beach, which is home to one of the most diverse eco-systems in North America. A temperate climate to the north meets a warm subtropical climate to the south, and the two make for desirable environmental conditions for a wide variety of animal life. Few places afford a chance to view the manatees, as well as bottlenose dolphins and a multitude of bird life, especially if seen from a kayak as you paddle through Cocoa Beach's Thousand Islands area in the Banana River and Indian River lagoons.
Watch Sea Turtles
The Space Coast --a.k.a."Turtle Coast"--is home to a large population of nesting Loggerhead sea turtles. It's also an important nesting area for Green turtles and Leatherback turtles. The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, a 20-mile stretch of beach just south of Cocoa Beach, was created to preserve the nesting turtle habitat and ensure the turtles will have a place to lay eggs. The nesting process takes place from May through September. If you're lucky, you'll see the natural wonder of turtles coming up on the beach, laying about 100 eggs and heading back to the water.
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