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Cocoa Beach The Space Coast’s main beach town, home to pro-surfing legend Kelly Slater, is akin to a mini-Daytona. The Pier hosts surf competitions, concerts, and Fourth of July fireworks.
Cape Canaveral Beach/City Don’t confuse the city of Cape Canaveral with the cape itself (the latter sits a few miles north and is the site of Kennedy Space Center). The beach is all about sand and surf, with a few budget motels and dive bars in the mix.
Cocoa The town of Cocoa, separate from Cocoa Beach, sits a few miles inland. Eclectic shops and cafes with an urban-shore vibe are packed into a few historic streets and homey cottages.
Titusville Titusville, which comes to life during rocket launches, is a mostly residential community near the Kennedy Space Center. The town’s seashore is one of Florida’s most undeveloped and pristine strands.
Satellite Beach This laid-back beach town’s residential coastline has private bungalows interspersed with a few high-rise hotels and condos. A chill crowd of local shredders make use of decent breaks for surfing.
Melbourne Beach Warm-weather aficionados flock here during the winter for the restaurants and the beach. Sebastian Inlet, on Melbourne’s southern side, is regarded as one of the eastern seaboard’s best surf breaks.