
Back View of Iridescent “Sail” of Exploration Tower

Exploration Tower Entrance

Top of Exploration Tower

Exploration Tower at Sunset

Color Wand Lit Path Around Tower

Exploration Tower at Night

View of Port Canaveral from Top of Tower

Recycled Art in Tower Atrium

Recycled Glass Jellyfish in Atrium

Recycled Glass Mobile

Ron Jon Surfboard Display in Tower

Disney Dream Cruise Ship Departure

Jetty Park’s Wide Sandy Beach

Kitty Cat Drawing on Sand

Jetty Park’s Long Fishing Pier

Sea Turtle by Fishing Pier

Dolphin Swimming by Pier

Seagull and Waves at Sunset

Seagulls Flying Overhead

Vintage Poster of Jetty Park
If you visit Central Florida, be sure to stop by Port Canaveral and Jetty Park near Cocoa Beach on the Atlantic Ocean. Exploration Tower acts as a Welcome Center for the area. The building opened in November 2013, and is meant to evoke the image of a sailing ship. The architecture is stunning, especially at night. From the tower’s 7th floor Observation Deck there is a bird’s eye view of Port Canaveral, Jetty Park, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and NASA to the north. It is an excellent place to view rocket launches (check schedule at: http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/). Info about visiting the tower is at: http://www.explorationtower.com/.
A fun thing to do is to watch the cruise ships go out to sea. They exit the port past Jetty Park, with people waving and cheering all the way. Popular times to watch are Thursday and Sunday afternoons around 4 pm (a full schedule of departures and arrivals is at: https://www.portcanaveral.com/Cruise/Cruise-Lines-Schedules. Port Canaveral was named America’s Best North American Cruise Port in 2015 by CruiseCritic.com. The ship “Carla C” that inspired the TV show “The Love Boat” visited the Port in 1979.
Jetty Park’s wide sandy beach is especially nice for families. It is popular year round. If you walk onto the fishing pier, be sure to look for manatees, dolphins, and sea turtles in the water below. You’ll probably see egrets and pelicans “fishing” too. And don’t forget to bring bread to feed the seagulls – it is a family favorite. More info about visiting Port Canaveral is at: http://visitportcanaveral.com/. Details about Jetty Park Beach and Campground are at: https://www.portcanaveral.com/jpc and https://www.portcanaveral.com/Recreation/Jetty-Park-Beach-Pier
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