Beaches

Cocoa Beach [1] does a great job at providing public beach access by spreading access locations throughout the city. There’s metered parking all along Flagler Street, and there’s also a number of beach parks.

Alan Shepard Park (211 E. Cocoa Beach Causeway, Cocoa Beach) is the most centrally located and is therefore typically the most crowded; paid parking does little to inhibit the large influx of visitors on weekends and holidays.

For those looking for a slightly less crowded beach, head south to Sidney Fischer Park (4151 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach), which is less busy but still hardly an oasis of calm.

Even farther down the main drag is Lori Wilson Park (1500 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach), a 32-acre park favored by locals. With an interpretive boardwalk, three pavilions, and a dog-friendly attitude, this is the place to go if being cheek-to-jowl with Orlando [2] day-trippers isn’t your idea of a pleasant day at the beach.