Carolyn's Guidebook
Great place for shopping, sightseeing & dining
A great place to walk around & sightsee plus excellent shopping. Popular bars and dining, close to a local waterway where manatees hang out too!
120 locals recommend
Downtown Melbourne
2004 Vernon PlA great place to walk around & sightsee plus excellent shopping. Popular bars and dining, close to a local waterway where manatees hang out too!
Definitely a local favorite area, lots of great local shops & food plus sightseeing right on the river!
74 locals recommend
Eau Gallie Arts District
540 Guava AveDefinitely a local favorite area, lots of great local shops & food plus sightseeing right on the river!
Sightseeing
Indialantic
Great place to check out the beach & river views!
Beautiful beaches that are more shallow than other beaches, great for learning how to surf or bodyboard because there are no rocks!
673 locals recommend
Cocoa Beach
Beautiful beaches that are more shallow than other beaches, great for learning how to surf or bodyboard because there are no rocks!
Great place that’s right down the way to connect with nature and to experience native Florida plants/trees and wildlife. Free entry and there is a boardwalk that takes you through the trees, locals like to go for exercise too.
15 locals recommend
Erna Nixon Park
1200 Evans RdGreat place that’s right down the way to connect with nature and to experience native Florida plants/trees and wildlife. Free entry and there is a boardwalk that takes you through the trees, locals like to go for exercise too.
NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Space Commerce WayFood scene
Local favorite eateries
Foxtail Coffee Co. - Hotel Melby
Super great coffee shop in a popular local hotel lobby
Backwater
1904 Municipal LnAnaya coffee
1414 Highland AveGreat food & drinks, there’s a cool movie theater right next door too!
23 locals recommend
Hemingway's Tavern
1800 W Hibiscus BlvdGreat food & drinks, there’s a cool movie theater right next door too!
Umami Restaurant and Sushi Bar
3042 West New Haven AvenueEl Chico Mexican Restaurant
1751 Evans RdTequila Accent Mexican Kitchen & Bar
2725 Minton RoadGreat drinks and food
Chart House
2250 Front StCrush XI
923 E New Haven AveLocal southern comfort breakfast at a great price. Really tasty food and everyone there is super awesome!
Country Barn Cafe
575 South Wickham RoadLocal southern comfort breakfast at a great price. Really tasty food and everyone there is super awesome!
Frigate's Waterfront Bar & Grill - Melbourne
1120 N Harbor City BlvdSightseeing & Adventure
Super fun airboat adventure to explore local waterways & wildlife!
37 locals recommend
Camp Holly Airboat Rides
6901 US-192Super fun airboat adventure to explore local waterways & wildlife!
Lumber Jack's Axe House
918 East New Haven AvenueBeautiful calm tide pool area perfect for relaxing or a gentle swimming area, the beach area is gorgeous and not overcrowded plus there is great fishing and a cafe on site!
170 locals recommend
Sebastian Inlet State Park
Sebastian Inlet State ParkBeautiful calm tide pool area perfect for relaxing or a gentle swimming area, the beach area is gorgeous and not overcrowded plus there is great fishing and a cafe on site!
Definitely a great place to hike & explore :) you can even go Kayaking with the manatees!!
59 locals recommend
Turkey Creek Sanctuary
1518 Port Malabar Blvd NEDefinitely a great place to hike & explore :) you can even go Kayaking with the manatees!!
Brevard Zoo
8225 N Wickham RdKelly Park is about an hour and 15 minutes away and absolutely worth a day trip!! There is an amazing lazy river (bring or rent a raft!) with crystal clear water that’s perfect for snorkeling…you can even find sharks teeth in the swimming area but don’t worry, there are no sharks there! (Possibly prehistoric teeth)
169 locals recommend
Rock Springs Kelly Park
400 E Kelly Park RdKelly Park is about an hour and 15 minutes away and absolutely worth a day trip!! There is an amazing lazy river (bring or rent a raft!) with crystal clear water that’s perfect for snorkeling…you can even find sharks teeth in the swimming area but don’t worry, there are no sharks there! (Possibly prehistoric teeth)
A super fun day cruise on a triple deck paddle boat on the river. They offer different cruises with live music, check out their website!
8 locals recommend
Indian River Cruises
90 Delannoy AveA super fun day cruise on a triple deck paddle boat on the river. They offer different cruises with live music, check out their website!
Shopping
Historic Melbourne
102 East New Haven AvenueDowntown Melbourne has excellent shopping!
The local mall, there are some great stores in there and it’s a good air conditioned place to grab lunch & shop! There are some great restaurants in the mall parking lot as well such as El Chico, Outback Steakhouse, Red Robin etc.
35 locals recommend
Melbourne Square Mall
1700 W New Haven AveThe local mall, there are some great stores in there and it’s a good air conditioned place to grab lunch & shop! There are some great restaurants in the mall parking lot as well such as El Chico, Outback Steakhouse, Red Robin etc.
Nightlife
Local nightlife favorite hangouts
The Landing Rooftop
801 East Strawbridge AvenueMeg O’Malleys Restaurant & Irish Pub
812 E New Haven AveIchabod's Dockside Bar & Grill
2210 Front StTraveler advice
Getting around
Best to rent a car or to bring your own to get around town.
Turo is another great app for car renting from the airport, it’s the Airbnb for cars!
What to pack
Bring comfortable breathable shoes
Most people do a lot of walking here since there’s so many great things to see & experience. Bring flip flops & a hat for the beach, sunscreen is a must because the sun can get intense. There are a lot of insects in Florida but most won’t bother you at all, if you’re sensitive make sure to bring or buy insect repellent.
Traveling with kids
Bring sunscreen
Make sure to have plenty of sunscreen for the kiddos and lots of water/drinks if you’re out and about playing in the sunny weather! Cocoa beach (second light area or near Patrick Air Force base) is probably the beach beach for families since it is shallow and no rocks.