Cocoa Beach is the easygoing surf town of Florida's Space Coast, stretched between the Atlantic and the Banana River. It is close enough to Cape Canaveral that rockets are part of the beach rhythm, but the town has its own identity in surf schools, old beach bars, and sunrise walks over hard-packed sand.
The obvious thing to do is go to the beach, but Cocoa Beach is better when you mix the ocean with the river. Cocoa Beach Pier gives the classic boardwalk view, Lori Wilson Park has a quieter dune and hammock feel, and the Thousand Islands are made for slow paddling among mangroves.
For surf history, the oversized Ron Jon Surf Shop and Florida Surf Museum is more fun than it sounds. If a launch is scheduled, the beach becomes a viewing stand.