25 Best Things to do in Cocoa Beach with Teens

Are you searching for things to do in Cocoa Beach with your teenagers? I’ve been going to Cocoa with my kids for years and these are some of our favorites

Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Cocoa Beach Florida is a popular place to visit. With good reason, it has access to incredible beaches, waves, and surf shops. Plus you have access to incredible nature not available elsewhere in Florida.

And let’s not forget nearby Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center.

Cocoa Beach can be both worlds away and out of this world at the same time.

If you have teenagers, you might wonder what you can do in Cocoa Beach. While it’s not as glitzy and glam as some of the other Florida beaches, these things to do in Cocoa Beach with teens will satisfy their adventurous nature.

In this article, I’ll be your virtual tour guide, sharing insider tips on Cocoa Beach with teens.

Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t worry – I’ll highlight my teens’ favorites

Let’s get to it.

Have a Beach Day in Cocoa Beach

Cocoa Beach is the perfect place for a beach day. Because you’re on the Atlantic Ocean, the waves tend to be higher than on the Gulf side of Florida. That’s not to say that you won’t have calm waters, because you can here as well.

Lori Wilson Park is one of our favorite things to do in Cocoa Beach with teens. Most importantly, it’s free parking. However, they also have full-time lifeguards, picnic tables and pavilions, volleyball courts, restrooms, outdoor showers, and a nearby dog park. So bring the whole family!

We’ll talk about surfing in a bit. But if you’re not into surfing, bring or buy boogie boards to play in the water. Boogie boards provide a way to surf the waves without the expense of a surfboard. Plus, you never have to worry about balancing on top of a surfboard. If you’ve never surfed before, a boogie board is a great introduction.

Another place to have a beach day is at the Canaveral National Seashore. This is one of the best places to go if you’re looking for an uncrowded beach experience. Because it’s a National Seashore, there are no homes or hotels on the beach. You truly feel a world away. If you’re lucky and it’s in season, you may even see some turtle nesting sites.

Ron Jon Surf School

If you’re ready to kick it up a notch, teens will love getting surf lessons at the Ron Jon Surf School. Easily one of the best things to do in Cocoa Beach is to learn to surf. This is one of the most popular places to surf in Florida, after all.

Learn to surf with experienced instructors. Surf lessons include all the necessary equipment, meaning you don’t have to have your own surfboard. You can choose a 1-hour or 2-hour lesson. And if you’re traveling with friends, you can get a group rate.

If you’re visiting Cocoa Beach over spring break or summer break, be sure to check out their Surf Camp for Teens and kids. This half-day or full-day camp will get them at least 2 lessons a day with lunch and games.

Ron Jon Surf Shop

If you’re going to be in Cocoa Beach you must visit the ultimate gift shop, Ron Jon Surf Shop. This is a store dedicated to all the things to do in Cocoa Beach. You can purchase your beach things here, swimwear, boogie and body boards, surfboards, and all the memorabilia you want. It’s two stories, 52,000 square feet, and the original Ron Jon’s.

If you don’t want to purchase beach gear if you’re visiting from out of town, you can rent. Located next to Ron Jon Surf Shop is the Watersports store for beach rentals of surfboards, beach bikes, paddleboards, beach chairs, and more.

Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier

When you’re at the ocean, visiting the piers that stand tall over the waves is fun. Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier is the pier in Cocoa Beach. Teens will have fun taking photos here. Be sure to stand underneath the pier for great photo ops. Here you’ll find volleyball nets near the pier. There are also gift shops, restaurants, and occasionally live music. You do pay to walk the pier, but you can reward yourself with a drink at the Rikki Tiki Tavern at the end of the pier. Adult beverages are available and obviously soft drinks for your teens.

Fly a kite

It may seem like a simple pleasure, but your teens may enjoy the challenge of flying a kite. What better place to fly a kite than on the beach? If you don’t have a kite with you, check out the Cocoa Beach Surf Company to pick one up and try your luck on the beach.

Kiteboarding

Speaking of kites, kick it up a notch and go kiteboarding. If your teens want a big adventure and fun things to do in Cocoa Beach, kiteboarding will deliver. If you’re not familiar with kiteboarding, imagine a surfboard powered by a parasail. Essentially you’re on a board on the water, and the parasail powers your movement through the waves.

Take kiteboarding lessons at any of the surf schools, including 321 Kiteboarding. They offer $49 lessons the 1st Saturday of every month.

Collect Seashells

While not the most popular spot for seashells, you can still find seashells along the shore in Cocoa Beach. In fact, it was here that we found whole sand dollars. As one of the free things to do in Cocoa Beach, collecting seashells brings joy to those who don’t get to go to the ocean beaches.

Rent Bikes

Cocoa Beach has the perfect sand in some locations for bike rides. You don’t want super soft sand, and both Ron Jon Surf Shop and A1A Beach Rentals have bikes that are wide tire and perfect for cruising up and down the beach.

Get all day Cocoa Beach Bike Rentals Here

Treasure Hunt

Do you have a treasure hunter in the family? They may enjoy renting a metal detector from A1A Beach Rentals to see what they can find. Not just for the weird old man detecting up and down the beach, treasure hunters are out looking for artifacts.

Could you find a gold or silver doubloon lost on a pirate ship from long ago? Maybe. Could you also come up with coins and jewelry? Probably. If you have a teen that’s interested in history or artifacts, this could be a fun activity.

Visit Kennedy Space Center

If you are staying in Cocoa Beach, you’re not far from Cape Canaveral, Titusville, and the Kennedy Space Center. It’s about a 25-minute short drive over the Intracoastal Indian River Lagoon to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor complex.

Did you know that when NASA looked for a launch site, the coast of Florida provided both warmer year-round temperatures and the right angle to launch over open waters? Kennedy Space Center is also why we have the Canaveral National Seashore and Merritt Island Wildlife refuge, to further protect the lands and prevent any commercial or residential development.

At the KSC visitors center, tour through actual historic rockets in the rocket garden. Check out the history in the Heroes and Legends exhibit which features inspiration dating back hundreds of years to inspire space exploration.

The highlight at Kennedy Space Center is the Space Shuttle Atlantis. Here you’ll see both a replica outside the building and the actual shuttle that took explorers to the moon. It’s quite awe-inspiring. For someone who is not as into space as I am, I still found this enjoyable.

Since Florida’s Space Coast is so close to the Cocoa Beach area, it’s worth adding in some of these Titusville activities in addition to KSC.

Viator has some extraordinary add-on experiences, especially if you need transportation. You can check them out here.

Book your Kennedy Space Center Tickets here.

Watch a Rocket Launch

if you’re visiting Cocoa Beach, there’s no better time to watch a rocket launch. As one of the most unique things to do in Cocoa Beach, where else can you watch a rocket launch?

Truthfully, you can see the smoke from the rocket launch as far west as Orlando. However, when you’re here, you want to get the full experience.

While you can absolutely watch a rocket launch, if there’s one scheduled, at Kennedy Space Center, tickets can be hard to come by.

Other popular locations, according to Visit Space Coast include:

• Alan Shephard Park
• Jetty Park
• Canaveral National Seashore
• Lori Wilson Park
• Space View Park
• Anywhere along the shores of the Indian River Lagoon,
• Exploration Tower

Deep-Sea Fishing

Cocoa Beach is a great place to find one of the many fishing charters and do some deep-sea fishing. Especially if you’re from out of state and don’t do a lot of fishing in the Atlantic Oceans, you and your teens will find this more adventurous than your normal fishing off the dock.

During one of our deep-sea fishing trips, we caught eels (super hard to reel in!), nurse sharks, red snappers, grouper, and more. Your fishing charter captains will make sure you’re catching something and having a good time.

While not one of the most cheap things to do in Cocoa Beach, you can search different types of charters to find a price point that’s right for you.

You can check out some popular fishing charter companies here.

With Viator, you can book now and pay later, and there’s free cancellation if you change your mind.

Catamaran Sailing Trip

Your teens will love lounging on the catamaran as you sail around Merritt Island. Enjoy snacks through the Intracoastal waterways and Indian River as the sun dips into golden hues to the west. Since Cocoa Beach is on the east coast, sailing through the Intracoastal, you’ll still enjoy sunset views over the water.

This tour with Sail Cocoa Beach is highly rated with over 200 5-star reviews.

Bioluminescence Kayaking

Kayaking is one of the fun things you can do with teens in Cocoa Beach. Kayaking when the water glows is another out-of-this-world experience.

Bioluminescence occurs with dinoflagellates and moon or comb jellies emit a glow. Indian River Lagoon is one of six sites in the United States where this occurs and the only location in Florida.

I’d highly recommend booking a guide, like those at BK Adventures, to take you out on one of their many bioluminescence kayaking trips. You can combine this with manatee watching, bird watching, sunset tours, etc. A new moon is the best time to go as it is when the sky is darkest.

We went during a new moon and I enjoyed looking up at the stars as much as I did down at the jellies. When you’re on the water and away from the lights of the city, you get a clear view of the Milky Way.

Book a Bioluminescence Kayak Tour here

Search for Manatees

If you want to search for manatees, Manatee Sanctuary Park would be one place to start. It’s one of the hidden gems in Cocoa Beach.

While there’s never a guarantee that you might see manatees, it’s called Manatee Sanctuary Park for a reason. During the colder months, manatees see warmer waters and are often found in shallower areas like this park. You may also see them in Indian River Lagoon, or any nearby springs. Ask the locals and they may have some recent updates for you.

Dolphin Tours on the Banana River

Take an eco-tour through mangroves that are abundant with wildlife, including dolphins. Dolphins do not just stay in the ocean. You can often find them playing in the intercoastal waters, like in the Banana River. This stretch between Merritt Island and Cape Canaveral is home to dolphins, manatees, and dozens of birds and fish. You may also find manatees in this area as well. It’s a highly recommended tour or kayak through here and the Banana River Aquatic Preserve.

This tour on Viator is highly rated with over 100 5-star reviews.

Yoga on the Beach

Do you or your teen want to align your chakras with a little sunrise yoga? Since the sun comes up over Cocoa Beach, you can create your own practice or find a nearby studio that offers sunrise yoga. Ask your hotel if they offer it or know of any classes that may be nearby.

Florida Surf Museum

If you really want to learn even more about surfing, check out the Florida Surf Museum behind the Ron Jon Surf Shop. Started as a non-profit, Ron Jon Surf Shop eventually provided the space for this incredible collection of surf history from around the world.

Brevard Zoo

If you’re looking for other things to do near Cocoa Beach, consider hitting up the zoo. The Brevard Zoo is a little bit outside of Cocoa Beach, but not by much. It’s located in Melbourne, about 30 minutes away. If you’re looking for additional activities to do with your teens and they love animals, this is the place to go.

One of my favorite special things they offer is kayaking inside the zoo. You can float past giraffes, rhinos, lemurs, and more in the Expedition Africa area. The best part, this is only $9.95 at the time of print. Not included is your admission to the zoo, but if you’re going to visit the zoo, why not add on this adventure tour?

The Brevard Zoo partners with the Sea Turtle Preservation Society and has a Sea Turtle Healing Center. While it’s not open to the public, your visit to the zoo helps support their efforts for endangered sea turtles.

Treetop Trek

Extend your visit to the zoo by climbing and ziplining over the zoo. Treetop Trek Aerial Adventures is a separately ticketed attraction that goes over sections of the zoo. Imagine ziplining over the monkeys, or climbing over the crocodiles. You could get the best of both by just doing the various courses they have to offer.

Cocoa Beach Aerial Adventures

A little bit closer to Cocoa Beach is Cocoa Beach Aerial Adventures. This ropes course has 49 unique challenges through the canopy of live oaks.

Escape Cocoa Beach

Yes, you can do escape rooms almost everywhere. But can you do a Rocket Science escape room in the area that calls itself the Space Coast? At Escape Cocoa Beach, you can do Rocket Science escape room about a scientist who mysteriously disappeared in the 60s. They offer this and 3 other escape rooms, perfect for a rainy day activity.

Historic Cocoa Village

The Historic Cocoa Village is the downtown area of Cocoa Beach. Here you’ll find shopping, mini golf, ice cream, and more of the typical downtown attractions you’d find at any beach town.

The Village area is home to historic buildings, open-air dining, local shopping, and the Cocoa Village Playhouse. If you need a day away from the beach, or a rainy day alternative, wander through the downtown area for some unique shopping.

The Historic Cocoa Village is on the mainland, across the causeway from both Merritt Island and Cape Canaveral.

The Dinosaur Store

Both a store and a dinosaur and ancient cultures museum, the Dinosaur store certainly feels like one of those touristy Cocoa Beach attractions. However, if your teen has ever been into dinosaurs as a kid, they may still get a kick out of the 80 taxidermy skeletons and specimens on display. This consistently shows up on things to do in Cocoa Beach.

Cruise Ships

If you’ve been on a cruise and docked in Port Canaveral, and have time before your flight home, you can easily access some of these items on this list before you go.

And if you haven’t cruised, but want to see some of the big cruise ships in port, you can see them from a lot of different restaurants in the area.

Currently, the Exploration Tower, which has an incredible observation deck, is currently closed. Keep an eye out to find out when they may reopen.

Where to stay in Cocoa Beach

Cocoa Beach is a perfect place to stay in a home rental through VRBO.

Pro-tip: See if you can find a VRBO that comes with bikes, boogie boards, and/or kayaks like this one.

Or find your perfect hotel in Cocoa Beach according to your budget by searching below:

You might also like this 2 night New Smyrna Beach Itinerary.

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