We live in a small beach town. Surfing, kayaking, windsurfing, kitesurfing, sailing, fishing, golf, and beachcombing are popular pastimes here. We think our beach town is fantastic, and so does a national expert. When USA Today (national newspaper) called “Dr. Beach,” also known as Florida International University professor and coastal expert Stephen Leatherman, for 10 Florida destinations that combine sand, surf and a welcoming sense of community, Cocoa Beach claimed a spot among his choices. USA Today readers ranked Cocoa Beach as the 3rd best beach town in Florida!
From American Airlines magazine:
This coastal Florida town bests the others by being just a hop, skip and a rocket ride away from outer space.
Locals fish for large redfish and trout in our beautiful lagoon. We have art festivals, sand-sculpting festivals, and even bird-watching festivals, as many North American birds live in our lagoon over the winter.
We live in the south part of town, which is largely residential. Our beaches in this part of town are quiet, with single family homes rather than condos or hotels. You can bike to to the beach, less than 1 mile away, on a bikepath. If you prefer to drive, beach parking is at the end of our street. Public tennis courts and a playground are even closer, about 1/2 of a mile away. A public golf course is 3 miles away. Here is their website:
http://www.golfcocoabeach.com/home
You could also bike to town, about 1 mile away, and visit coffee shops, ice cream parlors, or a number of local restaurants. If you travel about 3 miles north, the town is more tourist oriented, with many surf shops, restaurants, hotels, and bars. A great art show, the Space Coast Art Festival, is here during Thanksgiving.
We are about 15 minutes from Port Canaveral, home to Disney Cruise Lines as well as Carnival and Royal Caribbean Cruise lines. We are 30 minutes from Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and just under 1 hour from Orlando International Airport. Disney World, Harry Potter Universal and Sea World are also nearby, about 1 hour and 7 minutes away. Legoland is 2 hours away.
MCO Orlando international airport 55 minutes
MLB Melbourne Florida airport 30 minutes
We are about one mile from our quaint downtown with cafes, restaurants, and art galleries. The beach is just over a half of a mile away. A car is recommended for grocery shopping, although we do have a nice small grocery about one mile from the house.