Space Coast

Florida’s Space Coast offers nearly 75 miles of relaxing beaches, natural wonders along the Indian River Lagoon, and is distinctive as Spaceport USA at the Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral, known for centuries as a landmark for sailors. For more than 8,000 years, people lived along this coast, with ancient middens and aboriginal sites bringing their past to light. For nearly 200 years, the Spanish ruled this area but did little with it. It wasn’t until the 1920s Florida real estate boom that distinctive communities emerged. The Space Coast is the home of Cocoa Beach, beloved of surfers for the breakers offshore and Titusville, in the ...

Florida’s Space Coast offers nearly 75 miles of relaxing beaches, natural wonders along the Indian River Lagoon, and is distinctive as Spaceport USA at the Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral, known for centuries as a landmark for sailors. For more than 8,000 years, people lived along this coast, with ancient middens and aboriginal sites bringing their past to light. For nearly 200 years, the Spanish ruled this area but did little with it. It wasn’t until the 1920s Florida real estate boom that distinctive communities emerged. The Space Coast is the home of Cocoa Beach, beloved of surfers for the breakers offshore and Titusville, in the shadow of the space complex, as well as Melbourne, home of beautiful beaches and historic sites. Cocoa Village offers a step back into the gilded age, with period architecture, art galleries, and fabulous shopping. Birders flock here for the annual Space Coast Wildlife & Birding Festival, with Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge one of the best stops for birding in the United States.

About the Expert

Sandra Friend has written 12 books about Florida, including the Explorer's Guide (Countryman Press) series to Florida.