Space Coast: Titusville thru Cocoa Beach
At the north end of the coast is a long remote beach, Playalinda beach, famous for its scofflaw nudeness. The beach is bordered by 100,000 acres of the Canaveral National Wildlife Refuge which also surrounds the Kennedy Space Center where the Space Shuttle blasts off. Head south a bit and you’re at Port Canaveral, converted from a funky scallop port to one of the biggest cruise ship terminals, owing in no small part to Disney’s efforts. The waterfront is lined with bars and restaurants with decks looking onto the water, ships, and the occasional Navy submarine. It’s a pretty cool place to stop on the way home from the long day at the Space Center.
Not far down the beach is the transitioning Cape Canaveral neighborhood, then there’s Cocoa Beach and Ron Jon’s surf shop. Cocoa Beach is about tourists, so there’s plenty to keep you busy. The Cocoa Beach Pier where world and local surfing tournaments are held is cloaked in tourism and A1A is lined with it too. Some of the bars have volleyball on the beach, so you can just image the fun come spring break.
If you want a break from the tourism, head to downtown Cocoa across the bridge on the mainland for a stroll through a nice old downtown with pretty trees and good shops, restaurants, bars.
Restaurants:
Titusville:
Sunrise Bread Company: Good coffees and a great selection of real good baked goods.
315 S Hopkins Ave, (321) 268-1009
Caffe Chocolat: Good breakfast quiche and burrito and good lunches.
304 S Washington Ave, (321) 267-1713
Mar Azul: Very good Cuban and Mexican food.
3434 S Washington Ave, (321) 383-9945
Dixie Crossroads: Best known and most reviewed place in Titusville. Famous for its rock shrimp and kitchiness.
1475 Garden St, (321) 268-5000
Pumpernickel’s Delicatessen: Real good German deli with big sandwiches.
2850 S Hopkins Ave, (321) 268-5160
Valentino’s New York Style Pizza & Restaurant: Good pizza and subs.
Saint John’s Plaza, (321) 269-9559
Kloiber’s Kobbler Eatery: Good lunches, soups, chilis, burgers.
337 S Washington Ave, (321) 383-0689
Cocoa Beach area:
Simply Delicious Cafe & Bakery: Good breakfasts and brunch with great homemade breads.
125 N Orlando Ave, Cocoa Beach, (321) 783-2012
Pita Garden: Great Lebanese dishes and barbecue kabobs. A real find.
269 W Cocoa Beach Cswy, Cocoa Beach, (321) 799-9933
Silvestro’s: Classy Italian food with some nice twists like lobster ravioli and 30 oz. osso bucco. 30 ounces!?! Yup. 
2039 N Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach, (321) 783-4853
The Fat Snook: Superb seafood in a very nice refined setting. A special treat of a place.
2464 S Atlantic Ave, Cocoa Beach, (321) 784-1190
Gregory’s Steak And Seafood Grille: An old standby with good steaks.
900 N Atlantic Ave, Cocoa Beach, (321) 799-2557
Grills Seafood Deck & Tiki Bar: Good location right on the port. Good brunch and bar fare seafood, with live music in a fun setting.
505 Glen Cheek Dr, Cape Canaveral, (321) 868-2226
Heidelberg Restaurant: Good German food with a wonderful jazz club next door.
7 N Orlando Ave, Cocoa Beach, (321) 783-6806
Bernard’s Surf: Mandatory stop for all astronauts in the old daze, and the food is good too with 3 settings in one with a dining room, bar, or oyster bar.
2 S Atlantic Ave, Cocoa Beach, (321) 783-2401
Pompano Grill: Excellent seafood and a wide variety of creative alternatives in a nice setting.
110 N Brevard Ave, Cocoa Beach, (321) 784-9005
Port Canaveral:
Rusty’s Seafood and Oyster Bar: Good seafood in a nice location on the port.
628 Glen Cheek Dr, Cape Canaveral, (321) 783-2033
Milliken’s Reef: Somewhat pricey, and a nice, clean place with some good seafood.
683 Dave Nisbet Dr, Port Canaveral, (321) 783-0100
Zachary’s Family Restaurant: Good Greek and breakfasts
8799 Astronaut Blvd, Cape Canaveral, (321) 784-9007
Island Bar-B-Q: Breakfast is their best offering and it’s pretty darn good at that!
1050 N. Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island, (321) 452-4432
La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant: Really, really, good Mexican food.
7802 North Atlantic Ave, Cape Canaveral, (321) 783-7755
Thai Thai III Restaurant & Sushi Bar: 1 of 3 of course and they are all good with very good sushi.
8660 Astronaut Blvd, Cape Canaveral, (321) 784-1561
Cocoa area (mainland):
Black Tulip: By far one of the best restaurants in the area. Very unique and fresh entrees and a nice atmosphere. Nice place for lunch if you’re not up for the expense of dinner.
207 Brevard Ave, Cocoa, (321) 631-1133
Cafe’ Margaux: Excellent French food with a very nice outside patio.
220 Brevard Ave, Cocoa, (321) 639-8343
Corky Bell’s Seafood Restaurant: Real southern fried fish dinners of all sorts.
4885 N Cocoa Blvd, Cocoa, (321) 636-1392
Ashley’s of Rockledge: Everything’s good including the margaritas, and it’s haunted!?!
1609 Us Highway 1, Rockledge, (321) 636-6430
Nightlife:
Coconuts On the Beach: Big, on the beach, with volleyball and the drinks keep flowing.
2 Minutemen Cswy, Cocoa Beach, (321) 784-1422
Heidi’s Jazz Club: Great jazz club with lots of talented musicians passing thru for decades.
7 N Orlando Ave, Cocoa Beach, (321) 783-4559
Milliken’s Reef: Good happening hangout at the port, and the food is good too!
683 Dave Nisbet Dr, Port Canaveral, (321) 783-0100
Markets:
Seafood Atlantic: Good fresh seafood.
520 Glen Cheek Dr, Cape Canaveral, (321) 784-0333
Wild Ocean Seafood Market: Good fresh seafood.
Cape Canaveral, (321) 783-2300
Simply Delicious Cafe & Bakery: Best bakery in this end of the county and they have good breakfasts and a cookie buffet.
125 N Orlando Ave, Cocoa Beach, (321) 783-2012
Sunseed Food Co-Op: Good, longtime health food co-op.
6615 N Atlantic Ave, Cape Canaveral, (321) 784-0930
Cool Stuff:
Artists:
Peter Bailey Watercolors: Our site is sprinkled with examples of Peter’s wonderful parrots, but that only scratches the surface of his expression of the tropical landscape that is Florida. An artist from childhood, Peter was able to capture the vibrant palate of Florida in his larger than life watercolors.
Watercolor by Peter Bailey