Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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COCOA BEACH, CAPE CANAVERAL, THE
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER & MELBOURNE
46 miles SE of Orlando
The “Space Coast,” the area around Cape Canaveral, was once a sleepy place where city
dwellers escaped the crowds from the exploding urban centers of Miami and Jacksonville.
But then came the NASA space program. Today, the region produces and accommodates
its own crowds, particularly the hordes of tourists who come to visit the Kennedy Space
Center and enjoy the area's 72 miles of beaches (this is, after all, the closest beach to
Orlando's mega-attractions) and excellent fishing, surfing, and golfing.
Thanks to NASA, this is also a prime destination for nature lovers. The space agency
originally took over much more land than it needed to launch rockets. Rather than sell
off the unused portions, it turned them over to the Canaveral National Seashore and the
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (www.nbbd.com/godo/minwr), which have
preserved these areas in their pristine natural states.
A handful of Caribbean-bound cruise ships depart from the man-made Port Canaveral.
The south side of the port is lined with seafood restaurants and marinas, which serve as
home base for gambling ships and the area's deep-sea charter and group fishing boats.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE
The nearest airport is
Melbourne International Airport
(
&
321/
723-6227;
www.mlbair.com), 22 miles south of Cocoa Beach, which is served by
Continental
(
&
800/525-0280;
www.continental.com) and
Delta
(
&
800/221-1212;
www.delta.com).
Orlando International Airport
(p. 23), about 35 miles to the west, is
a much larger hub with many more flight options and generally less expensive fares. It's
an easy 45-minute drive from the Orlando Airport to the beaches via the Bee Line
Expressway (Fla. 528, a toll road)—it can take almost that long from the Melbourne
Airport, where
Avis, Budget, Hertz,
and
National
all have car-rental desks. The
Mel-
bourne Airport Shuttle
(
&
321/724-1600
) will take you from the Melbourne Airport
to most local destinations for about $10 to $20 per person.
VISITOR INFORMATION
For information on the area, contact the
Florida Space
Coast Office of Tourism/Brevard County Tourist Development Council,
8810 Astro-
naut Blvd., Ste. 102, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920 (
&
800/872-1969
or 321/868-1126;
www.space-coast.com). The office is in the Sheldon Cove building, on Florida A1A a
block north of Central Boulevard, and is open Monday through Friday from 8am to
5pm. It also operates an information booth at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Com-
plex (p. 368).
GETTING AROUND
A car is essential in this area. If you're not coming by car, you
can rent one at the airport.
Space Coast Area Transit
(
&
321/633-1878;
www.ridescat.
com) operates buses ($1.25 adults, 60¢ seniors and students), but routes tend to be cir-
cuitous and, therefore, extremely time-consuming.
ATTRACTIONS
In addition to the two attractions below, Brevard College's
Astronaut Memorial Plan-
etarium and Observatory,
1519 Clearlake Rd., Cocoa Beach (
&
321/634-3732;
www.
brevardcc.edu/planet), south of Florida 528, has its own International Hall of Space
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