Living Beachside is an experience unto itself. It almost feels like travelling to a different world when you go over the causeways to the mainland. One of the main advantages of Beachside is the proximity of everything : with nothing more than a bicycle, you’re minutes away from shopping, schools, community activities, parks, restaurants, and, of course, beaches!
Beachside communities, from north to south, consist of:
Merritt Island lies between the mainland and the outer barrier island. The southern part of Merritt Island is nestled between the Indian River and the Banana River; the northern part has ocean access, and contains the Canaveral National Seashore. Merritt Island has some luxury homes along the water, and many friendly and bustling neighborhoods along its length. The northern end of Merritt Island contains must-see locations : the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral (launches can be seen all along the Brevard coast : lots of people hit the beaches to watch a launch), the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, and, of course, the Canaveral National Seashore. Click here for more information about Merritt Island.
Cape Canaveral, which contains Port Canaveral, and is directly east of Cocoa, on the mainland. Click here for the city of Cape Canaveral’s website.
Cocoa Beach is the first community North of Patrick Air Force Base, and is directly east of Rockledge, on the mainland. Cocoa Beach is a great beach destination for locals and tourists alike, with resources providing tons of activities. Here is the Cocoa Beach website. Oh, and if you like live theater, check out the Cocoa Beach Surfside Playhouse here.
Patrick Air Force Base is South of Cocoa Beach, so if you are moving to the area because you are stationed at Patrick, you might consider buying or renting in Cocoa Beach or Satellite Beach.
Satellite Beach is directly South of Patrick Air Force Base, and is across the Pineda Causeway from northern Melbourne on the mainland. Here is the Satellite Beach website.
South of Satellite Beach is Indian Harbour Beach, which is directly across the Eau Gallie Causeway from the main part of Melbourne. Learn more about Indian Harbour Beach here.
Indialantic, or Indialantic-by-the-Sea, is south of Indian Harbour Beach … full of shopping and restaurants, it has a relaxed beach-community feeling … and was originally settled as a resort community in the early 1900s. Indialantic connects to the mainland via the 192 Causeway. Here is the official Indialantic website.
South of Indialantic, you reach, after a short drive, Melbourne Beach. More isolated from the communities listed above (not connected by a causeway to the mainland), it has a different feel … a bit less bustle, a bit more beach, with a long stretch of oceanside houses continuing south to the Sebastian Inlet. Learn more about Melbourne Beach from the town website here.