Cocoa Beach Florida

Cocoa Beach, family favorite for Beaches,  Cocoa Beach Restaurants and Shopping.  The beaches are beautiful and there is lots to do for families or singles. Let me give you a tour of where to go and what to do.  I'll share my favorite bikini beaches, bikini bars, restaurants, shopping, Cocoa Beach oceanfront rental condos and more...

Looking for an Orlando Beach? Cocoa Beach is the closest beach to Orlando (Disney World). In about an hour you can be soaking up the sun on a real ocean beach, not the lake beach that Walt Disney built.

How to get there, from Orlando, take highway 528 (the Bee Line) east to AIA in Port Canaveral FL, head south for a couple of miles and you are at the North end of Cocoa Beach. 

Cocoa Beach Florida

Day Trip to Cocoa Beach Florida

If you only have a day in Cocoa Beach Fl, this is what I’d do:

  • Shop for a new bikini, swimsuit and other beach necessities at Ron Jon surf shop cocoa beach. See my beach gear list
  • Arrive at the beach before noon. I'd start my day at the Cocoa Beach Ocean Beach Park, but the Cocoa Beach Pier can work to.
  • Rent a beach chair and umbrella if you don’t have one.
  • Walk to Captain J's for lunch and drinks
  • Back to the beach for some lounging, a nap or a stroll
  • Done with the sun, shop at Ron Jon surf shop if you missed it this morning
  • Drive a mile North to the Cocoa Beach Pier. Not ready for dinner start with a drink at the Tiki bar or the Board Walk Bar. I prefer a stool at the Board Walk and some 2 on 2 beach volleyball.
  • Watch or play some each volleyball
  • Stick around and eat dinner at one of the two  Cocoa Beach Restaurants at the Cocoa Beach Pier.
  • Wow, what a great day at the beach! Don’t want to leave? Spend the night, check out Cocoa Beach Day 2 and Cocoa Beach Day 3… more beaches, bikini bars and restaurants.
Cocoa Beach Beaches

Jetty Beach Park

 Jetty Park Beach located at the north end of the beach, which is actually in Port Canaveral Florida. It’s my favorite beach, wide and flat for the kids to skim board, football, Frisbee or just to fly a kite. We tend to go to this beach on the days that the cruise ships sail, which is just about every day these days.

If you time it right, it's also a great place for a rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center.

Jetty Park Beach Amenities - Life guards, restrooms, snack bar, bait shop, break wall fishing, camping, picnic area, board walk…Jetty Park Beach Details

Cherie Downs Beach Park

My Mom’s favorite. Not too crowded, free parking, bathrooms and a shower. All her necessities covered. No restaurant or Bikini bar here, so pack your own food and drinks.  It's located midway between Jetty Beach Park and the Cocoa Beach Pier.

Cocoa Beach Pier 

Coca Beach Pier, way out in the ocean. Two restaurants, fishing and three bars give you several choices for a day or night out on the pier. The Tiki Bikini Bar, which is at the end of the pier, is 800 ft out into the ocean. I’ve seen dolphins, sting rays and other marine life while sipping on a cocktail.  Hang out at the Board Walk Bar and watch or play some beach volleyball.

Cocoa Beach Pier Amenities – Life guards, snack bar, restrooms, showers, volleyball, surfing, three bars, three restaurants, shopping, beach umbrellas, beach chairs, ice cream, they’ve got it all…

Cocoa Beach Ocean Beach Park

Cocoa Beach Ocean Beach Park, located at the end of the Cocoa Beach Causeway in downtown Cocoa Beach. Bikini bars, restaurants and shopping give this beach the most diversity on Cocoa Beach. If you forgot beach supplies, shopping at Ron Jon surf shop cocoa beach Florida, is a short walk away.  There are also several other beach stores in the area.

Cocoa Beach City Park Amenities – Life guards, restrooms, showers, surfing, beach umbrellas, beach chairs, bikini bars, restaurants and shopping.

What else can I do on the beach in Cocoa Beach?

  • Parasailing 800 ft. above the beach at  Cocoa Beach Parasail
  • Jet Ski’s 
  • Surfing, before you go check surf reports with the Surf Guru or Surfline 
  • Learn to Surf at NexGen Surfing School 
  • Fishing Deep Sea Charter or fish off the Cocoa Beach Pier 
  • Scuba Diving with Joe at Cocoa Beach Scuba Diving 
  • Kayaking with Kathleen at Cocoa Beach Kayaking 
  • Bicycling with the Spacecoast Freewheelers Club 
  • Shop the souvenir and t-shirt stores at Ron Jons Surf Shop or some of the other stores around downtown Cocoa Beach. You can also pick up any necessities from my beach gear list that you may have left behind. 
  • Kennedy Space Center
  • Port Canaveral

      Cocoa Beach bikini bars

      What’s a bikini bar?  Simply a bar by the beach where bikinis are welcome, more than welcome they’re preferred. So take a break from the sun and enjoy an afternoon cocktail or some lunch.

      Captain J’s

      Captain J's is right next to the Cocoa Beach City Park. Sit outside on the porch, or go topside for a view of the beach and ocean. Casual full bar, lunch or dinner menu. You can hang on the porch while your kids walk to Ron Jon surf shop or one of the other surf stores.

      Sandbar Sports Grill & Bar 

      Need a drink? This is a bar. The drinks are cheap, the front of the bar is open air to the parking lot for people watching. Unfortunately you can’t see the beach, same problem with the porch at Captain J’s.   

      Tiki Bar on Cocoa Beach Pier

      Have a drink, fish or watch the Dolphins. This Bikini bar is a long way out, 800 feet from shore, see the picture (right).

      The Boardwalk on Cocoa Beach Pier

      Stroll up from the beach onto the pier and grab a beer or frozen daiquiri. This is where I go for a late afternoon cocktail. Sit in the shade, have a drink and some munchies and watch some bikini beach volleyball, skim boarding and surfing. The crowd on the beach can get pretty interesting after a day of drinking.

      Oh Shucks Seafood Bar 

      Oh Shucks Seafood Bar at the foot of the Cocoa Beach Pier and open on all four sides. Suck down some oysters and listen to the band. Oh Shucks Seafood Bar is right behind where I'm taking this picture from.

      Cocoa Beach Restaurants

      Go to our our Cocoa Beach Restaurants page! For more restaurants and details.

      Buckets of oysters on the half shell, seafood or other casual dining. After a great day on the beach, I love spending the evening at any of these  Cocoa Beach Restaurants

      Atlantic Ocean Grill ($$$)

      Probably the nicest Cocoa Beach restaurant on the ocean. It’s on the Cocoa Beach pier, tables have a northern view up the beach. Succulent steak or fresh seafood are two of it’s specialties. They also have a Champaign brunch on Sunday’s.

      Marlin’s Good Time Bar and Grill ($$)

      Stop in any time, it’s about half way out the Cocoa Beach pier with a great view south towards Cocoa Beach. Snacks, sandwiches, seafood… in a relaxed casual atmosphere.

      Oh Shucks Seafood Bar ($$)

      Obviously very casual since it's a bikini bar (see above) Oysters and seafood are the fare. It’s located at the base of the Cocoa Beach pier.

      Captain J’s ($$) 

      If you stopped for drinks and a snack earlier in the day, don't give up that table, stick around for dinner. You can people watch, as they leave beach. This is a typical seafood bar, nice beach atmosphere that turns into a bar hang out at night.

      Discovery Beach Restaurant ($$) 

      Discovery Beach Restaurant, Great Thai and Swiss Fondue. If you're a survivor fan, you'll also enjoy their collection Survivor TV show collectibles. They are located in the Discovery Beach Resort.

      Port Canaveral Restaurants

      These three restaurants are in the Cove of Port Canaveral Florida. It's little place in the Port Canaveral harbor, this where the cruise ships sail from. They all have out side seating decks and offer some great seafood. Fresh fish from the fishing boats which dock here is brought and served daily!

      Fish Lips Waterfront Bar & Grill ($$)

      Fish Lips Waterfront Bar & Grill,  a casual restaurant where the entrees are less than $20.

      Grills Seafood Deck & Tiki Bar ($$$) 

      Grills Seafood Deck is a unique restaurant with what they call “Island cuisine”. Probably some of the best prepared fish around, try some freshly grilled tuna or the seafood ribs.

      Rusty’s Seafood & Oyster Bar ($$$) 

      Rusty’s Seafood & Oyster Bar, sit out side on the large deck overlooking the port and cruise ships while you shuck a bucket of oysters. They catch much of their seafood daily. This is a great casual Florida seafood bar.

      Hotels and Condos on the Beach

      There are so many I created a separate page of Cocoa Beach Hotels and Condos that are on the beach.

      Cocoa Beach Florida (Surrounding Area)

      Cocoa Beach attractions, family fun in Cocoa Beach Florida, there’s plenty do to besides the bikini beaches:

      • Kennedy Space Center, 20 minutes north in Titusville, Florida 
      • Ron Jon Surf Shop Cocoa Beach 
      • The Cove in Port Canaveral, 5 minutes north in Port Canaveral, Florida 
      • Scuba Diving with Joe at Cocoa Beach Scuba Odyssey 
      • Kayaking with Kathleen at Cocoa Beach Kayaking 
      • Wild alligator watching 
      • National Sea Shore 40 minutes north in Titusville, Florida 
      • New Smyrna Beach, drive on beach, 60 minutes north in New Smyrna Beach, Florida 
      • Plenty of other shopping 
      • Sun Cruz Casino Ship and Sterling Casinos Ships about 4 miles north in Port Canaveral Florida 
      • Air boat rides 
      • Miniature golf 
      • GoCarts