Cape Canaveral

The city of Cape Canaveral, located on a small barrier island in Florida's Space Coast is best known for rocket launches, tourism, and surfside fun. Home to NASA's Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, locals have the privilege of seeing spacecraft ascend into the sky and are accustomed to sonic booms. Beyond the space industry is a comfy community that feels like a beach town. Though millions come to vacation and board cruise ships from Port Canaveral, only around 10,000 call the land between the Banana River and the Atlantic Ocean home.

The region is home to over 100 plant species and 300 bird varieties among 24 miles of uninterrupted beachfront. Along the coastline are mobi-mat beach access points and free public parking. The city's beach restoration project helps protect and preserve the coastline from erosion. Banana River is another popular destination for outdoor adventures. Locals can easily enjoy whale watching, kayaking and paddle boarding. “You see a lot of wildlife,” says longtime local Lynn Rattenbury, a Realtor with Seaside Realty. “Manatees on the river and dolphins in the sea. We also get to see submarines come up and down since the port’s right there.” Night boating on the river is popular between June and October, when the water glows blue with bioluminescent plankton.