SIX18 TRAVEL

Perched on Florida's Space Coast, about an hour east of Orlando and about 90 minutes south of Daytona Beach on the Atlantic Ocean, Cocoa Beach is not only one of the Sunshine State's most iconic beaches, but one of its most family-friendly destinations, too. Tourism began in the area in the mid-1920s by way of a bus tour to the beach, and by the late-1930s just 49 people lived in the coastal town. Fast-forward nearly a century and the city's population has grown to 12,000, with more than 2.5 million annual visitors.

The draw? Aside from being the closest beach to Orlando, there are 6 miles of beaches; a chance to visit galaxies far, far away; plenty of arts and culture to enjoy; natural landscapes to explore on foot or by water; and some of the best surfing on the eastern seaboard. In fact, Cocoa Beach is considered the “Surf Capital of the East Coast.” The Space Coast also enjoys several natural phenomena, like sea turtle nesting (May to October), bird migrations (September to February) and bioluminescence in the intracoastal waterways (May to October).