Visit Space Coast

Official Guide to Florida's Space Coast

Visit Space Coast is the official travel and tourism portal for Florida's Space Coast, operated by the Brevard County Tourism Development Office. The site serves as a destination guide for planning a visit to the region's 72 miles of Atlantic coastline, located about a 45-minute drive east of Orlando.

What the Destination Offers

The guide brings together information on attractions, beaches, communities, restaurants, tours, museums, lodging and events. Among the resources it features are surf cams, maps, local weather and a vacation planner. The site also lets you create custom itineraries by adding experiences to a trip plan that is generated as a shareable URL.

Featured Attractions and Experiences

The site's content focuses on a series of specific places and activities in the region:

• Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, dedicated to the past, present and future of space travel.
• Brevard Zoo, presented as a conservation hub and the only zoo in North America that lets you kayak next to animal exhibits.
• Port Canaveral, described as one of the busiest cruise ports in the world.
• Jetty Park, a 35-acre park with a fishing pier, surfing, kayaking, trails, cruise ship viewing, a beach and an RV campground.
• Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier, newly renovated and going strong for more than 50 years.
• American Space Museum & Space Walk of Fame, with space artifacts donated by individuals, astronauts and space workers.
• Fishing and dolphin-watching excursions, such as Orlando Princess & Canaveral Princess Deep Sea Fishing, 2 Castaway Fishing Charters and Cocoa Beach Dolphin Tours.

Rocket Launches and Seasons

Watching rocket launches is one of the main draws. The site devotes sections to launches and to the celebration of America's 250th anniversary, with references to the American space program and the Artemis II mission. It also highlights sea turtle nesting season, which runs from March to October, and offers tips for observing it safely and respectfully. The region is presented as one of the world's most important sea turtle nesting habitats, with green turtles particularly notable in Melbourne Beach.

Events and Calendar

The guide maintains an events calendar with examples such as the 11th Annual Pirate Plunder Pub Crawl in Cocoa Village, Boo at the Zoo at Brevard Zoo during October weekends, Fall for Downtown Melbourne, the MAX POWER aerospace technology exhibition at Kennedy Space Center and the Space Film Festival. Events are organized by categories such as food and drink events, kid-friendly events, arts and crafts events, and space-related events.

Lodging and Planning

The site offers lodging options spanning hotels, bed and breakfasts, campgrounds and vacation rentals, suited to different traveler styles. It includes a vacation planner, information on accessibility on the Space Coast, beach safety, and transportation and maps. It also publishes a blog with monthly updates and lets you subscribe to a newsletter with updates, local events and personalized itineraries.

Key Facts About the Region

Among the traits the guide attributes to the destination are 72 miles of Atlantic beaches, more live rocket launches than ever before, being the closest beach to Orlando's theme parks, 20,000 acres of freshwater rivers, the Indian River Lagoon, eight craft breweries, championship golf courses, fresh, brackish and saltwater fishing, offshore gaming on Victory Casino Cruises, and five historic downtown districts with shopping, dining and entertainment. Cocoa Beach is described as the East Coast surfing capital.