Orlando to Cocoa Beach drive: Distance, time & attractions
The distance from Orlando to Cocoa Beach by car is 60 miles, with a 1h1m minute driving time. The best stops on the Orlando to Cocoa Beach drive are Indian River Village, Merritt Island and Cape Canaveral.
Finding the best things to do between Orlando and Cocoa Beach
The Orlando to Cocoa Beach drive takes you from Florida’s theme park capital to the most attractive spot on the Space Coast.
Orlando is known worldwide as the home of Disney World, but there’s far more to it than Mickey and Co. You can get crazy selfies at the Museum of Illusions or WonderWorks, learn how chocolate is made at Chocolate Kingdom and ride the Wheel at ICON Park or Orlando StarFlyer. Alternatively, visit Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, play adventure golf at Pirates’ Cove and say hi to the stingrays at Sea Life.
In the evenings, there’s the Polynesian Fire Luau and Dinner Show, Cirque du Soleil’s Drawn To Life and the Outta Control magic comedy show.
Other Orlando experiences include glow-in-the-dark kayaking, foodie walking tours and kayaking through Cypress forest.
The secret to getting Orlando accommodation deals is flexibility. There are hundreds of hotels, and you’ll likely be driving everywhere anyway. So hunt down the cheapest rates, and don’t get too hung up on exact location.
Cocoa Beach is an attractive beach town on Florida’s Space Coast. It’s a great base for visiting the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, or for enjoying the long barrier island beaches.
It is also one of the best places in the US to go kayaking. For a kayak tour, choose between seeing dolphins and manatees in the mangroves and paddling through bioluminescent waters at night. There are also sunset tours.
Other great Cocoa Beach experiences include dolphin tours on the Banana River, happy hour bar crawls, multi-stop food tours and tiki boat cruises.
For Cocoa Beach accommodation options, plump for the beachfront Hilton Garden Inn or the well-located Hampton Inn.
Orlando to Cocoa Beach distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Orlando to Cocoa Beach is 60 miles. You can expect a driving time of around one hour and one minute. The quickest route is mainly along the FL-258.
The best stops to add to an Orlando to Cocoa Beach road trip itinerary are Indian River Village, Merritt Island and Cape Canaveral.
Best stops between Orlando and Cocoa Beach: Indian River Village
Indian River Village on Merritt Island is home to a couple of enjoyable tours. Tiki Cruises runs hour-long dolphin and manatee-spotting boat trips along the Indian River, complete with music, drinks and hammocks. Meanwhile, Three Brothers Adventure Tours takes visitors out to see the local wildlife in kayaks or on paddleboards.
Orlando to Cocoa Beach road trip attractions: Merritt Island
Merritt Island is flanked by the Indian River and Banana, and has become something of a wildlife haven. You can see the dolphins and manatees on a boat cruise or kayaking tour.
For something spectacular, try night kayaking through the bioluminescence – the water lights up as your paddle glides through it.
Orlando to Cocoa Beach drive: Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral has wetlands and beautiful beaches, but that’s not why people come here. This Florida outpost has played a massively outsized part in space exploration, and the Kennedy Space Center is one of the very best attractions in the US.
Here, you can see a space shuttle and Saturn V rocket up close, get absorbed in video presentations about mission launches and learn about NASA’s future plans. The Behind The Gates bus tour, meanwhile, heads out towards the launch complexes and the gargantuan Vehicle Assembly Building.
An admission ticket is pricy, but well worth it.
For Cape Canaveral accommodation picks, take a look at the Shorewood and the Cape Canaveral Beach Resort.
More Orlando road trips
Albany GA to Orlando | Asheville to Orlando | Atlanta to Orlando | Augusta to Orlando | Austin to Orlando | Baton Rouge to Orlando | Orlando to Cape Canaveral | Charlotte to Orlando | Orlando to Daytona Beach | Orlando to Destin | Gainesville to Orlando | Houston to Orlando | Huntsville AL to Orlando | Jacksonville to Orlando | Lakeland to Orlando | Macon GA to Orlando | Memphis to Orlando | Orlando to Myrtle Beach | Nashville to Orlando | New Orleans to Orlando | Orlando to Palm Coast | Panama City to Orlando | Pensacola to Orlando | Orlando to Port Canaveral | Ocala to Orlando | Orlando to St Augustine | Tallahassee to Orlando | Orlando to Tampa | Valdosta to Orlando.
More Cocoa Beach road trips
Daytona Beach to Cocoa Beach | Kissimmee to Cocoa Beach | Miami to Cocoa Beach | Tampa to Cocoa Beach.