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These neon blue waters will blow your mind.
By
Jared Ranahan
Reasons to Drivehighlights the thrilling events happening within five hours of your city, giving you every reason to get on the road and start exploring.
The USA may be home to dozens of dazzling shorelines, but nothing can quite take your breath away like glowing blue waters putting on a show of bioluminescence. The phenomenon is caused by dinoflagellates, varieties of tiny phytoplankton that create light when disturbed in the water and can transform a still shoreline into a vibrant mosaic of color for visiting kayakers.
Small pockets of the Key West and St. Petersburg areas host their own bioluminescence tours, but for best results, you’ll want to head east to the sprawling Florida Space Coast, located just a few hours by car from cities like Miami and Orlando.
Cities like Titusville and Cocoa Beach make a perfect jumping off point for explore the 72-miles of shoreline, plus all of the mind-blowing bioluminescent creatures. From there, head to the northern edge of Brevard County, where Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge serves as one of Florida’s crown jewels for ecotourism, equipped with 140,000 acres of scrub forest, dunes, and marshland. The preserve has earned abundant acclaim for its incredible birdwatching potential, but beyond avian life, visitors can also spot alligators, turtles, bobcats, and—of course—bioluminescent plankton.
If you need a little guidance, there are a handful of ecotour providers in the area that’ll ensure you have a great experience. Fin Expeditions has mastered the art of bioluminescence tourism, offering a wealth of curated tours for visitors to enjoy. Guests can reserve a sunset journey for added natural beauty and the bonus opportunity for manatee viewing. For a totally unique experience, fellow outdoor adventure company BK Adventure offers the only bioluminescence rafting tour in the state of Florida, providing visitors with the same stunning views enjoyed aboard a paddle raft, and Sobe Surf gets visitors out on the water after dark on stand-up paddle boards.
For a truly unforgettable experience, you’ll want to plan your trip for July and August when the creatures are at their best and brightest, though the entire season typically spans from May to October. To cut back on light, it’s advised to schedule your excursion during the new moon.
Drive time
3 hours from Miami
More things to do near Cocoa Beach
While bioluminescence is a major draw, it’s far from the only wildlife-focused attraction in the area. Southwest of Cocoa Beach across the Indian River, the Brevard Zoo has served as a top spot for animal lovers since 1994, with more than 900 individual creatures calling the park home. During a visit, guests may come across creatures like African lions, southern white rhinoceros, and jaguars, while attending a giraffe feeding session is a particularly popular activity for families. Meanwhile, those hoping to take a glimpse into our planet’s storied past can swing by The Dinosaur Store for a deep dive on a diverse array of prehistoric animals, with colorful models and skeleton casts towering above rare minerals and ancient artifacts.
As the region’s name would suggest, depending on your timing, you may even be able to see a rocket launch on a trip to this region of Florida. Otherwise, head to Sands Space History Center, where you can peruse engines and missile nose cones, then make your way north to Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum for some insight into the history and purpose of the U.S. military’s newest branch.
Best restaurants and bars near Cocoa Beach
All this activity is sure to work up an appetite, and fortunately, the Space Coast is loaded with top-tier dining destinations for guests to explore. For seafood aficionados, the rich waters of the Atlantic offer unbridled opportunity for sampling fish, shrimp, and other marine fare, with Florida's Fresh Grill serving as a top spot for all sorts of local dishes. Upon arrival, guests can dine on coastal cuisine like Florida-style calamari and beer-battered tropical coconut shrimp.
Beyond the realm of seafood, the area also exemplifies Florida’s historic Hispanic heritage with a wealth of Latin American-inspired restaurants scattered all along its shores. For those hoping to stick close to the Cocoa Beach coast, La Catrina has cemented itself as a local favorite for hearty Mexican cuisine, with Yucatan shrimp tacos, birria-loaded chimichangas, and a massive array of flavorful margaritas all gracing the menu. Further east, the city of Cocoa offers top-tier seafood burritos and steak fajitas at the downtown Tequila Veintiuno, but for those in search of Puerto Rican fare, be sure to stop by Cape Canaveral to discover Kafé del Puerto, a vibrant venue that crafts an incredible mofongo.
Where to stay near Cocoa Beach
In the heart of Cocoa Beach, the Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront showcases the splendor of Brevard County at its most opulent, with a sprawling outdoor pool complex, spacious oceanview suites, and both bike rentals and surf lessons available for guests. Meanwhile, those who prefer to stay in the southern reaches of the county can book a room at the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Melbourne Beach Oceanfront, a charming property that comes equipped with both an outdoor pool and a seafood restaurant.
When it comes to small-scale accommodations, there’s no shortage of boutique inns to discover all throughout the Brevard County area. Just south of downtown Titusville, Casa Coquina del Mar provides guests with a wealth of plush amenities that span from a hot tub and all-you-can-eat cookies to a nightly social hour that comes complete with free-flowing beer, wine, and snacks—and to sweeten the deal, the inn offers marvelous views of Kennedy Space Center, allowing guests to marvel at rocket launches from the comfort of their second-story porch.
Jared Ranahanis a freelance writer focusing on travel, wildlife, and food & beverage.
