I will be comparing Cocoa Beach vs Cape Canaveral in this article. They are great destinations to be if you want a great summer vacation or a getaway.
I can tell you that Cocoa Beach and Port Canaveral are the most preferred tourist destinations in Brevard County. Brevard County is known as Florida’s Space Coast.
It takes an hour to get to Cocoa Beach, and Port Canaveral from Orlando, on Central Florida’s Atlantic Ocean coast. Cocoa Beach is one of the most popular heavens for surfers worldwide, while Port Canaveral is popular for its cruise ports.
The most popular tourist destination in this region is the Kennedy Space Center, which has been an age-long launchpad for American astronauts who engage in space travel. Melbourne, Titusville, Palm Bay, and Viera are the other cities of interest in this region. Melbourne is known for its local beach towns.
All the cities have what they are known for, but many are perfect spots for exploring the lengthy and vast sandy coasts.
Cocoa Beach vs Cape Canaveral
If you visit Space Coast at the right time, you may be an eye witness to one of the world’s inspiring sights, which is launching a rocket into space. On a good day, you may be opportune to see launches from almost all parts of the region.
To watch this lunch, you have to get there in time to secure a seat for yourself at any of the beaches, parks, waterfront restaurants, or piers. If you want to have a better experience of a rocket lunch, buy a ticket to be able to watch it from the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
So many other things will remind you of history, tell you of the present, and reveal the future of space travel at Kennedy Space Center other than rocket lunch.
The Space Shuttle Atlantis and the towering figures of the Rocket Garden are dumbfounding sights to behold. You will know more about the icons of space travel at the American Astronaut Hall of Fame and the modern missions in the NASA Now + Next exhibit.
The eight and half-minute simulation of the space shuttle’s ascent into orbit as you wait for the shuttle launch experience is highly thrilling.
The American Space Museum is in Titusville. This is where you will see artifacts donated by astronauts, space workers, and NASA. Many monuments from the U.S. Space Walk of Fame exist at Space View Park.
It is also a good place to watch the rocket launch from. The Tower in Cape Canaveral is another perfect place to watch rocket lunch from. You will see many things that will tell you the history of Port Canaveral and how it came to be at the center of space travel.
Beaches and Nature Galore
Florida’s Space Coast stretches 116 kilometers of soft, golden-sand beaches. It has a lot of parks that have successfully preserved the unique ecosystem of old Florida. You can start the exploration of the beaches from the pristine Canaveral National Seashore, close to Titusville.
This beach has dunes and secluded stretches of wide-open sand. The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is close to it, which is 11.3-kilometer away when you go through Black Point Drive Loop. You will see wild animals indigenous to this place.
You will see coastal marshes, pine Flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks. Sebastian Inlet State Park is a natural beach escape located south of Melbourne Beach. Sebastian Inlet State Park is a surfers’ destination and a choice for families on family days.
Local Culture & History
Aside from the wonders of space travel and nature, there are so many other cultural heritages you can explore. You can visit the Harry T. & Harriette V. Moore Cultural Complex in the small town of Mims.
This location is a memorial park that immortalized first Florida’s civil rights activists. You can visit a look-alike of the couple’s home, which was bombed on the 25th of December 1951.
You can also visit a museum built to preserve their legacy and Black history. You can tour many historic downtowns and lively neighborhoods like Downtown Melbourne, the Eau Gallie Arts District, Cocoa Village, and Historic Downtown Titusville.
You can buy a lot of unique kinds of stuff from vendors and artists. You can go view colorful murals, visit the spectacular restaurants in town, and go watch performing arts.
My Thoughts
Cocoa Beach is known as the “East Coast Surfing Capital.” There, I was taught how to surf. I had to visit the flagship Ron Jon Surf Shop or walk down to the Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier. Then, I headed to Melbourne Beach, where I saw sea turtles preserved at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge.
This place is one of the best places in America where sea turtles are preserved. If you are visiting in June or July, plan to hire the services of a tourist guard to take you on a night-time walk so that you can see nesting sea turtles.
Taking a kayak tour of the bioluminescent Indian River Lagoon is a nighttime summer activity you will love to engage in. You can go to Brevard Zoo, located in Melbourne, by kayak to explore different kinds of wild animals, and you can get there through the forest, assisted by Treetop Trek Aerial Adventures.
FAQs
Does Cape Canaveral have good beaches?
Cape Canaveral is located inside the Canaveral National Seashore of Playalinda beach. It has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in Florida. Trip Adviser rated it the quietest and one of the top ten breaches in Florida. Cape Canaveral is an undeveloped beach that is different from other beaches.
Why is Cocoa Beach so popular?
You cannot talk of surf history in Florida without the mention of Cocoa Beach. Kelly Slater, the 11-time world surfing champion, is from this beach town. The places you will look out for in Cocoa Beach are the world’s largest surf shop and so many other attractions.
Is Cocoa Beach Florida worth visiting?
You will not regret paying a visit to Cocoa Beach. You can pay a visit for a weekend or just a day to any of the closest beaches such as Disney, Orlando, or Universal Studios. You will see Cocoa Beach in Brevard County Florida. The beach town is also known as “Space Coast.”