"I was astounded by St Augustine which feels like a piece of Europe has
landed on Florida’s west coast - it’s very pretty and great beaches.
..." Adam M, Reading Read more
Cocoa Beach and environs have two well-publicised obsessions: space exploration and surfing. Lesser-known assets round out the destination’s standing as a multi-dimensional and affordable place to visit. For starters, there’s vast protected wilderness and the fauna it attracts. City-side, museums, theatre, orchestra and historic downtown villages where character rules over cookie-cutter: all add to the vivid beach scene the coast paints.
In promotional parlance, it’s known as the Space Coast. The U.S. government staked claim to a huge parcel of land for NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Centre and a buffer to surround the zone. This creates on Merritt Island a land of startling contrasts, where eagles soar within view of space ship launchings. Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge protects not only bald eagles in its massive 56,600-hectare embrace, but a host of endangered, threatened and other local natives including the manatee, wood stork and loggerhead turtle. It abuts Canaveral National Seashore, a lightly developed world of sand dunes far from civilisation, save for the launching pads one can spy in the distance. Playalinda Beach is the easiest to reach; Klondike Beach requires a hike down the beach and takes you truly away from it all.
Around the NASA complex, a tourist attraction has grown and continues to regularly expand and upgrade its exciting offerings. Here is the seat of the Space Coast’s identity, an attraction that encompasses several campuses with launch site bus tours, IMAX theatres, a centre devoted to moon exploration, an astronaut’s hall of fame, space exploration history exhibits, robotised presentations, opportunities to meet real live astronauts, and sensational space simulation rides.
In the town of Titusville, NASA’s impact becomes clear. Pieces of spacecraft decorate yards. The town and its chain hotels fill up for every shuttle launching. Otherwise, Titusville remains quiet. Its historic downtown holds a vintage theatre, antiques shops, cosy restaurants and a historical museum that displays, among other artefacts, astronaut memorabilia. The waterfront U.S. Space Walk of Fame further honours heroes of the final frontier and the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum deals with aeronautics
East Coast Ron Jon Surf Shop
of a different breed. Inland, the town of Christmas, as cheerful as it sounds, offers historic and natural attractions.
Cape Canaveral, home to an air force base and growing cruise ship port, occupies a barrier island fronting the south end of Merritt Island. Catch a short casino cruise or an extended getaway to the Bahamas and beyond. Its Jetty Park is a favourite for watching shuttle launches and for fishing off the pier. The new Ron Jon Cape Caribe Resort opened there recently, a spin-off of the long-time, big-name eponymous surf shop on Cocoa Beach. This 24-hour watersports cathedral brought surfing fame to the town. That and the funky, endearingly ramshackle Cocoa Pier, where waves are always best and diners and fishermen can watch the action. Several major surfing contests centre around the pier, including the Surfing Festival over America's Labour Day (first Monday in September) weekend. It’s a partying kind of place any weekend and particularly during shuttle launches. A surfing school and surfing museum further Cocoa’s reputation.
On the mainland, the village of Cocoa has restored its historic streets by installing speciality shops, ice cream and pizza joints, and other fun stops into the riverfront district. Brevard Museum of History and Science, an indoor-outdoor hands-on attraction, and the Astronaut Memorial Planetarium and Observatory provide prime-time entertainment for the family. The planetarium hosts stargazing parties on and off site.
The city of Melbourne, likewise, has developed some of its old neighbourhoods in keeping with their historical significance and individuality, particularly the district of Eau Gallie. Visit the Brevard Museum of Art and Science Centre for hands-on challenges and changing exhibitions. The Brevard Zoo is divided into lands of animal origin, from Florida to Africa and Australia.
Melbourne Beach continues the coast’s reputation for gnarly board rides and carefree beach play. Accommodations here are mostly of the name-brand variety and surf and beach shops make sure you’re ready to hit the sand and the waves. Fishing, kayaking, air boating, horseback riding, miniature golfing and go-karting complete this picture of year-round outdoor pursuits. Name your fantasy in the great wide open and realise it on Brevard County’s Space Coast.
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