The 19 best spots to watch the sunset in Cocoa Beach

Plenty of parking and a short walk to the beach over the dunes, and it opens up to a beautiful white soft sand, a very long and shallow beach edge, you can wade out 30 feet and just be up to your waist, Great for the little one. waves are medium to low on a good day, great for boogie boarding but not so much for surfing, there are vendors walking the beach, but my advice pack up your own snacks and beverages. no pets tho i did see a doggy living his best. Great view of the rocket launches if your lucky and the big cruise ships heading out to sea. also very sunny an umbrella is a must, grab the family and enjoy this beautiful local getaway!

ALAN SHEPHARD PARK: Of the two Atlantic Ocean parks, Wilson & Shephard, I recommend Shephard hands-down over the perfectly nice Wilson. NOTE CAREFULLY: Virtually ALL condo bldgs / hotels on ocean side of Cocoa Bch restrict ocean access to their guests and threaten towing. Forget trying to park at any of them. Use the paid beach parking. In addition to paid parking access, clean restrooms, showers, Shephard has, among other features, two excellent restaurant/bars: the Sandbar and Twisted Tides right there--and many other nearby shops. Sandbar is a family-friendly "sports bar." Flat screens everywhere. "Seat yourself" In-door / patio seating. Serves unusual food (try fish tacos). Often live music and karaoke. Locals hang here, giving it an interesting "raffish" vibe. Twisted Tides next door is more conventional. Nice Sky Deck w/ocean views. Excellent food. ROCKET LAUNCHES: Shepard Park & beach is a good place to watch Cape Canaveral launches. After ocean-ing, drive 2 minutes over to Ron Jon Surf Shop w/free parking (if full, there's a clearly signed lot off west side of A1A.) Ron Jon is vast! Every type of beach apparel and beach accessory. Surf & bogie boards, touristy knick-knacks. You can easily spend an hour or more at RR. In Shepard Pk vicinity are virtually all the establishments needed for a comfortable day-at-the-beach. McDonald’s, Winn-Dixie Market, CVS and Walgreens. Key Lime Pie shop. MEDICAL CARE / EMERGENCIES: Medfast Urgent Care--Hours: 7:30AM-7:00PM, 7 Days a Week. Medfast is in strip mall beside 520 Causeway, 5 minute walk west from Shepard Park. I've been there 3 times. Excellent, professional medical attention. Across 520 from Medfast is, of all things, a Dinosaur museum. Intriguing! Cocoa Bch also has a "Wizard of Oz Museum!" (??) I've not been there. Why are they at CB? Don't know. But "off-beat." COCOA BEACH PIER: 1 mile north of Shephard Pk is very popular Cocoa Beach Pier. Parking varies from free to expensive, depending on...I can never figure out! Demand, I suppose. An excellent Publix Market is short drive west of pier on A1A. Being high and long, pier has BEST VIEW of rocket launches anywhere in Cocoa Beach. And you can eat / drink while watching. The beach below pier is usually crowded. However, a short walk down beach provides vast open spaces. A successful "beach sand replenishment operation" by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2025 increased beach width considerably. So, while Lori Wilson is an excellent "basic" park with its park facilities, it is...just that. Alan Shepherd provides far more with its nearby establishments. Mid-March to end of May is a great time to visit Cocoa Beach. The weather has stabilized into uniformly 80+- degree days and yet isn't blazing hot. Avoid disappointing weather December to February. Grim 50 deg days are common. Beach is virtually deserted. Also in mid-March, the World Surfing League has a Board / Beach fest surf riding contest attracting pro surfers from all over. During WSL fest, Shepherd Pk has food trucks for every conceivable taste. And a large skateboard half-pipe to keep young skater / surfers busy. Cocoa Beach, one hour drive east of Orlando International Airport / Disney / Universal, is an excellent beach town to visit. It's minutes south of the cruise ship mecca Port Canaveral. Shephard Park a good place for your beach HQ if you're not staying right on the beach. Friendly locals. All the shops one could want, Not overly built-up. Just be careful: stay away Dec - Feb when grim cold north wind weather can really dampen a beach visit.

We stopped by the Cocoa Beach Pier early in the afternoon while exploring the area and were pleasantly surprised. The pier itself is fantastic, a vibrant mix of eateries, shops, and great ocean views, all right on the beautiful, pristine beach. The beach atmosphere was relaxed and inviting, perfect for a stroll or simply soaking in the coastal vibe. We were able to park right out front, which was convenient, though it cost $20. We didn’t really look for other parking options, but the ease of access made it worth it for us. Overall, it's a great spot to take in the scenery, grab a bite, and enjoy a classic Florida beach experience!

Great little stop if you’re at Ron Jon’s. Free, one room museum. They’ve got some cool pieces of history including Kelly Slater’s first Pipeline Masters trophy in all its rough glory. Worth a quick stop.

Nice little park with picnic table, restrooms and beach access. Only a dozen parking spots plus a couple handicapped spots, but lots of other small parks nearby. Clean park and beach

Great beach with plenty of parking when other main beaches are full. There is a outdoor beach shower at the entrance to the raised walkway leading to the beach. Clean bathroom and changing facility. Parking is $20 for the full day or pay by the hour, but why when you know you are going to want to stay all day!

Nice clean beach with lots of shells 🐚 $20 parking. Parking lot is very close to the actual beach and there aren’t any stairs to the beach which makes it easy to bring a beach wagon. They have 2 volley ball courts. Multiple bathrooms. Chairs and umbrellas available to rent.

This store lived up to the hype with a ton of great merchandise. We're not from the area and I imagined this store would be a little gimmicky, but I was so wrong. The store has so much to offer. We all got some shorts and other small things, but could've walked out with so much more. I really liked the beach-safe "glassware" made from silicone. They had plenty to offer from other brands than their own. The staff members were super friendly. The store was very clean and well-organized. Definitely stop in if you're in the area!!!

Epic paddling, mangrove tunnels, sunsets, wildlife, and bioluminescence. IMO hands down best on East Coast...(no filters on pics). Give the upstairs deck at Island Time a go for trigger fish sandwich and cobia bites.

I had a party of seven and we chose to sit outside. I’m so glad we did. The weather was so nice and the view was phenomenal. The food though really blew us away. We ordered the Florida gator burger, the fried shrimp, the shrimp tacos, and the chowder fries. 10/10 delicious. The portions are a little small but the taste and quality more than make up for that. As this place is located on the pier you can take a long walk on the beach afterwards. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in Cocoa Beach.

Great place to sit down, relax, and have a meal or a drink (or both). Nice atmosphere along with a nice ocean breeze. Food was great! I had the fried shrimp with fries, which to me were more like small seasoned potatoes wedges. Both were tasty. My wife got the Kahakai firecracker shrimp tacos.(also tasty). Our children got the Honey Dusted Nashville chicken sandwich, a sushi roll and a southwest bowl. Food was delicious. Service was great! We will more than likely come back on our next trip.

We are skateboard beginners, and we love this park! The small ramp area is very beginner-friendly! We have a blast learning pumping and carving.

Our experience with Cocoa Beach Catamaran was SIMPLY FANTASTIC! Captains Don & Speedy were amazing. You liberally felt like we all old friends going out on a boat ride together. The group size was perfectly intimate and wonderful. Captains Don & Speedy did not rush the experience at all. They took time to point out wildlife such as water fowl, dolphins and manatees and to slow the boat speed down to enjoy seeing the wildlife. We couldn't believe just how many DOLPHINS we saw! And seeing MANATEES was another incredible surprise. This entire experience absolutely exceeded our expectations! We HIGHLY RECOMMEND this! Thank you Captains Don & Speedy and Cocoa Beach Catamaran for a beautiful life experience that we will cherish always.

This place was so fun! We brought our friends who were visiting from out of state, and everyone loved it. The mini golf course was really entertaining, and at the end, you even get the chance to hold a gator or take a photo with a live one. Definitely a unique and cool activity to check out!

A must visit for Cocoa! Right across from the street entrance for Ron Jons, this little gem will impress. Amazing decor with painted fish on the ocean floor to the colorful sheet metal fish on the ceiling and for sale in the next room. There's lots to look at. But the store lives up to its name as well. Key Lime everything! My favorite was the absolutely delicious saltwater taffy. Sold separately by flavor / weight, each clearly labeled in its own bin.

This place is awesome! We booked The Florida Man room, and it was a lot of fun. So much fun, that on our way out my husband and son asked if we should do their Bancock room too. We did end up going back later that day to escape that room as well. On both games we had about 10 minutes to spare before the time runs out to escape. Belle was the absolute sweetest, patient, and helpful game host ever!! Don't hesitate to try out this spot. You won't regret it.

We had a blast with the kids (7 years old) and even the adults laughed like children on the go karts! Definitely recommend for a fun time with the family! Wear closed toe shoes so you don’t have to rent shoes or buy them. Simple and fun for all!!!

Nice park. Board walk along the water front to fish from and dock boats. Ramps to launch canoes and kayaks.

We try to go to cocoa every year. COVID unfortunately did not allow that last year. We finally made it! It’s my favorite place in the world to be honest with you. Captain J’s was the only thing I could say was severely disappointing. A waste of money and 50% less portions than last time. Don’t bother doing. Save your cash, energy & appetite, get something else. Other than that we always enjoy ourselves. Until next year CB ✌🏼✌🏼✌🏼