The east coast of Florida is where we find the sunny, subtropical city of Cocoa Beach. Sandwiched between two bodies of water, waves from the Atlantic ocean foam and crash onto the white shores on the eastern side while the darker waters of the Banana River (which is really a lagoon system) lie to the west. The resulting geographical variety means that Cocoa Beach has much more to offer than its highly desirable weather, sun, sand and sea, even if it is these features that attract most of its visitors.
The city's population swells to over twice its normal size when the tourists pour in during the peak season. A significant amount of these are surfers, rolling in to get some of the wave action and pay tribute to Kelly Slater, Cocoa Beach's own nine-time surfing champion. Still, it's not all about the adrenaline rushes in this region because the best thing about beautiful seaside cities is that the pace of life moves only as fast as you will it. This isn't your average chunk of Florida seashore though, and that is mainly because of NASA. The space agency boosted development of the city, created attractions, converted excess land into areas where both scenery and wildlife were fantastically preserved; the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore. The Kennedy Space Centre draws in more crowds while the rare launch of rockets and space shuttles grips the region in feverent anticipation for days.
Still, the key feature of Cocoa Beach is quite obviously the six miles of pristine beach, inclusive of three oceanfront parks. Up for grabs is some quality time to be spent either surf fishing, deep-sea fishing, sunbathing, surfing, meandering or absolutely anything else that is best done in a salty ocean breeze, sprung fresh from the wet spray of the sea. It all sounds quite romantic and it is! This is the land, after all, where Tony Nelson 'dreamt of Jeannie.' Many visitors, believe it or not, start dreaming of Cocoa Beach itself after their trip(s) and often return as permanent residents after they retire.
As stated before, the city is delightfully tucked in between two bodies of water and by now, you've learned a bit of what the ocean has to offer. But what of the Banana River? The Indian river lagoon is larger than Cocoa Beach itself and it is full of secretive little islets, swamps, pools of saltwater and gloomy pathways through jungle and water. The area attracts adventure seekers and a horde of people brandishing various objects to aid them in the art of having some good old fashioned fun. We have men armed with fishing rods, eager to catch many of the gamefish that the Banana River is teeming with. Over 685 species of fish live in the lagoon, which is only part of the testament to its thriving ecosystem. You'll see the binocular-brandishing nature lover being drawn in by this very ecosystem and a third breed of visitor, carrying his clubs to or from the 27-hole golf course on the Banana River of Cocoa Beach. The act of brandishing objects and using them is tremendously fun. Try it with an ice-cream cone, the next time you crunch sand between your toes on Cocoa Beach.
The city's population swells to over twice its normal size when the tourists pour in during the peak season. A significant amount of these are surfers, rolling in to get some of the wave action and pay tribute to Kelly Slater, Cocoa Beach's own nine-time surfing champion. Still, it's not all about the adrenaline rushes in this region because the best thing about beautiful seaside cities is that the pace of life moves only as fast as you will it. This isn't your average chunk of Florida seashore though, and that is mainly because of NASA. The space agency boosted development of the city, created attractions, converted excess land into areas where both scenery and wildlife were fantastically preserved; the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore. The Kennedy Space Centre draws in more crowds while the rare launch of rockets and space shuttles grips the region in feverent anticipation for days.
Still, the key feature of Cocoa Beach is quite obviously the six miles of pristine beach, inclusive of three oceanfront parks. Up for grabs is some quality time to be spent either surf fishing, deep-sea fishing, sunbathing, surfing, meandering or absolutely anything else that is best done in a salty ocean breeze, sprung fresh from the wet spray of the sea. It all sounds quite romantic and it is! This is the land, after all, where Tony Nelson 'dreamt of Jeannie.' Many visitors, believe it or not, start dreaming of Cocoa Beach itself after their trip(s) and often return as permanent residents after they retire.
As stated before, the city is delightfully tucked in between two bodies of water and by now, you've learned a bit of what the ocean has to offer. But what of the Banana River? The Indian river lagoon is larger than Cocoa Beach itself and it is full of secretive little islets, swamps, pools of saltwater and gloomy pathways through jungle and water. The area attracts adventure seekers and a horde of people brandishing various objects to aid them in the art of having some good old fashioned fun. We have men armed with fishing rods, eager to catch many of the gamefish that the Banana River is teeming with. Over 685 species of fish live in the lagoon, which is only part of the testament to its thriving ecosystem. You'll see the binocular-brandishing nature lover being drawn in by this very ecosystem and a third breed of visitor, carrying his clubs to or from the 27-hole golf course on the Banana River of Cocoa Beach. The act of brandishing objects and using them is tremendously fun. Try it with an ice-cream cone, the next time you crunch sand between your toes on Cocoa Beach.