You’ve dreamed about a Cape Canaveral vacation for more years than you remember, falling in love with the realization that this is the area where the space race began and where the boundaries between earth and space seemed to disappear. You’ve pictured long days spent soaking up the rays of the sun on white sand beaches and you’ve imagined what it will look and feel like to witness a rocket launch and now, it is almost time to experience both, but could there be more you aren’t aware of? Of course, there is, and your lack of knowledge is about to change as we at Happy Palm Stays present this ultimate first time Cape Canaveral visitor guide to the beauty of Cape Canaveral, introducing you to everything that makes this part of the world the most popular vacation destination!
Beach, Please!
We waffled a bit over whether we should include this section on beaches, but after some thought we realized that even if you know you want to go to the beach, you probably don’t realize you have choices, and so, it is time to put on your suit, kick off your shoes, and head to any or all of the beaches listed below!
Peacock Beach, Harbor Heights in Cape Canaveral
The first beach on our list, Peacock Beach, is a hidden gem that will charm and amaze all who frolic there. Named for the peacocks that roam freely in the Harbor Heights area (they tend to stay away from the beach itself, but you may get lucky and spot a daring fowl) it is a popular spot for taking family photos, due to its pristine white sands, protected dunes, and coastal vegetation that add color to the background of all that white. This is a great beach for viewing the rocket launches.
Cherie Down Park, 8330 Ridgewood Avenue in Cape Canaveral
This won’t be your ordinary day at the park, especially as the 7-acre park known as Cherie Down Park is all beach. Offering picnic shelters, grills, public restrooms, and outdoor showers, we like the fact that we can eat the food in our coolers while sitting at picnic tables instead of having to sit too close to the sand that somehow always manages to make it into our food! Popular with anglers, boogie boarders, and surfers as well as sun worshipers and beach lovers, the pristine sands will play a prime role in your memories long after you return to real life.
Float Beach, Harrison Avenue in Cape Canaveral
We honestly can’t tell you which part of beach life we love most, but we will say that watching the ships go by while we are perched on the white sand beaches of Float Beach is an activity that you will have to explore for yourself. White sands feel soft between your toes, blue waters are warm pretty much year-round, and families absolutely adore Float Beach.
Jetty Park Beach, 100 Jetty Park Road
If fishing brings you joy, Jetty Park Beach may be the only beach you want to visit, famed for its tranquil beauty and the Malcolm E McLouth Fishing Pier is one of the biggest reasons. Fishing licenses are not required when fishing from the pier in Florida and this 1200-foot-long pier is paved, offers fish cleaning stations, and is well lit. Sea turtles seem to love this part of the sea, so if you encounter one it is ok to take pictures and marvel over its cuteness, but please, don’t ever touch the sweet-looking creatures.
One Small Step
Space has been described as the final frontier and the Space Coast is where that frontier’s explorations will begin, with our history and our future being intertwined with the stars, making these attractions about space the most popular destinations in the area. These attractions, some in Cape Canaveral, some in the surrounding towns on the Space Coast, are the reason you are here and are the reason we are so proud of all that we have accomplished.
Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum, 191 Museum Circle in Cape Canaveral
Once upon a time Patrick Air Force Base in Cape Canaveral was just an ordinary Air Force Base, destined to do good things but did it ever expect to be a pioneer? In 2020, Patrick Air Force Base was renamed Patrick Space Force Base, the first of its kind, although there are six total: three in Colorado, two in California, and just the one right here in Cape Canaveral. Its fascinating history can be explored in the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum, located on the base and only accessible by the Early Space Tour. The museum’s mission is to collect, restore, and exhibit the history of the Space Race and answer the question, “Where do we go from here?” Your tour of history and the future can be booked at this link with the tour company offering a variety of space inspired tours that will take you onto the Space Force Base, which is a thrill of its own.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Space Commerce Way on Merritt Island
No matter which town or which Happy Palm Stays Florida retreat you are staying in, if you don’t visit the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, you may as well consider that you haven’t stepped foot on the Space Coast at all. This is where it all began, and this is where it continues, the good, the bad, and the sometimes sad and scary, and when you are in that bus riding around the grounds, strolling through the Rocket Garden, or enjoying a meet and greet with one of your astronaut heroes, you will be playing your own small part in the space race, that of avid fan.
Mother Nature Does Good Work
In addition to the beaches we discussed earlier, there are quite a few outdoor activities you can engage in that show off Mother Nature’s best work and will touch your heart in ways the space race, although certainly fascinating, never could.
Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, 1963 Refuge Headquarters Road in Titusville
It can seem really strange that a wildlife refuge and a space center could exist in harmony, but the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge has existed hand in hand with the Kennedy Space Center almost since the beginning. Taking up over 140,000 acres of coastal dunes, saltwater marshes, and hardwood hammocks, the refuge serves as a protected home for plants and animals and you can get a pass to explore its rugged landscape from their website. Visitors can also get passes for hiking, fishing, birdwatching, and more.
Manatee Sanctuary Park, 701 Thurm Boulevard in Cape Canaveral
Once believed to be mermaids, manatees today are an endangered species known for their excessive friendliness, something that is partially responsible for their being at risk. We love our manatees here in Florida and we do not encourage guests who encounter them in the wild to interact with them, we do recommend a visit to Manatee Sanctuary Park through which the Banana River flows. Offering exercise stations, fitness trails, picnic tables, a playground, and the Little Free Library, it is also the home of a large group of manatees that can sometimes be seen grazing on the seagrass that grows along the boardwalk. Again, we encourage you to take all the pictures you like, but feeding, touching, or harassing the sweet sea creatures is forbidden, this area isn’t just their home it is their protected sanctuary, helping to grow their numbers.
Enchanted Forest Sanctuary, 444 Columbia Boulevard in Titusville
The Enchanted Forest Sanctuary is a hidden gem consisting of over 400 acres of hiking trails, picnic areas, a butterfly garden, and a reflection pond. Lush and verdant, the sanctuary is also a popular place to watch the wildlife and when your hike brings you deeper into the misty landscape, it may feel as if you are living an underwater dream. Quiet hikers may catch sight of a timid white tailed doe seeking food with her fawn frolicking beside her or an Eastern Indigo Snake may cross your path, but don’t worry, this beautiful snake is non-venomous and quite fascinating to watch. There are a multitude of animals that call the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary their home and the pictures you will take will help remind you of that time you saw a bobcat dash through the brush!
Epicurean Adventures in Cape Canaveral
Every excellent vacation has an excellent meal story that is, upon their return to real life, will be told over and over again. From hearty Southern breakfasts to fancy special occasion meals, your epicurean adventures in Cape Canaveral will be ones you will enjoy from the first bite to the last.
Southern Charm Café, 8501 Astronaut Boulevard in Cape Canaveral
Closed on Wednesdays but open every other day from 6:30 AM until 2 PM, the Southern Charm Café doesn’t believe in false advertising; the food is hearty and the charm is all Southern. Their menu is filled with cute little Southern tips and saying, reminding diners that “there is nothing biscuits and gravy can’t fix” and “In the South, there are no strangers, just friends we haven’t met.” But it is the food you will obsess over and not just their biscuits and gravy, including breakfast platters, omelettes, and the fluffiest pancakes you will ever taste!
Sage Bistro, 6615 N Atlantic Avenue A1A in Cape Canaveral
Open for lunch and dinner and serving an international menu of yum, guests can expect burgers, tapas, gyros, seafood, and even schnitzel, ensuring that even the pickiest of eaters will find something that pleases their palates. Offering an elegant décor and the friendliest servers, Sage Bistro will be where some of your favorite culinary memories are made.
Fishlips Waterfront Bar & Grill, 610 Glen Cheek Drive in Cape Canaveral
Not all special occasion restaurants charge you an arm and a leg and Fishlips Waterfront Bar & Grill doesn’t just make us smile at the whimsy in its name, it makes us glad that places like this exist in our world. The menu is reasonably priced, the seafood it features is fresh and locally sourced, and the waterfront views will make you happy to be alive. Open for lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch, Fillups Shrimp and Grits make all Southern mamas proud and if you don’t save room for dessert you will be very disappointed in yourself! (Peanut butter pie? Don’t mind if we do!)
Is Comfort the Final Frontier?
We know how difficult it is to find comfort in your vacation rentals these days, but we want to make it different for you. Our Cape Canaveral Happy Palm Stays vacation sanctuaries are thoughtfully designed and will make tired travelers feel at ease, at home, and so very comfortable that unexpected naps may be the theme of the trip. Offering both condos and stand-alone homes that are filled with warmth and welcome, even as you enjoy all of the adventures (and so many more) that we have listed on this page, your moments at home with us may be the moments that bring you your most impactful memories.
Amenities to Remember
Today’s travelers no longer believe that a vacation property is just a place to rest their head in between vacation activities, they want more, and we at Happy Palm Stays believe they DESERVE more, and we work overtime to ensure that you get exactly what you dreamed of. In home amenities that include state-of-the-art televisions, gourmet kitchens, and balconies that overlook the sea. Community amenities may include swimming pools, hot tubs, and sports courts, and if you rent one of our standalone Space Coast vacation homes, you may just find your own private pool in the backyard. More is more when you choose our Cape Canaveral vacation rentals—contact us to reserve your favorite Cape Canaveral condo rental today!
