Where to Shop in Cocoa Beach: The Cool Girl’s Guide
AKA: How to avoid the tourist traps and find the good stuff.
Let’s be honest.
Cocoa Beach has two types of shopping experiences:
Places where you buy a neon tank top you’ll regret by dinner.
Places where you find something you’ll actually wear again.
This guide is about option #2.
Whether you're a local, a salty-weekend regular, or a visitor who wants to dress like you didn’t pack out of panic, here’s where to shop in Cocoa Beach without looking like you got lost on the way to a surf lesson.
1. Medium Cool Goods (Obviously.)
Welcome to your new favorite boutique.
If you’re into:
Coastal classics (but cooler)
Clothes that feel relaxed and ridiculously cute
Part surf energy, part street style.
A little “I just threw this on and look great” magic
…then congrats, you’ve found your home base.
Expect a curated mix of:
Effortless sets
Accessories that make strangers ask, “Where’d you get that?”
Pro tip: Check the sale/sample/vintage rack room in the back. Items are one of kind back there, and they move fast.
2. Artist Markets + Weekend Pop-Ups
The cool thing about Cocoa Beach?
Every other weekend, someone’s hosting a pop-up full of:
Handmade jewelry
Small-batch candles
Vintage tees
Local art
Stuff you’ll actually bring home (not shove in a drawer)
The Cocoa Beach Art Show weekend and our monthly Friday Fest are especially good for scoring unique pieces before everyone else finds them.
3. Surf Shops (Yes, Including The Big One)
Cocoa Beach has surf shops the way some cities have coffee shops — everywhere, all the time, and everyone has an opinion about which one is “the real one.”
Let’s get this out of the way:
Ron Jon Surf Shop is “the big one”.
The (formerly-sadly-no-longer) 24-hour, neon-lit, tourist-magnet, locally-owned legend.
You don’t have to buy five stickers and a beach towel to admit it’s iconic — and honestly, doing iconic things is half the fun.
Here’s why Ron Jon deserves its own applause:
It’s a rite of passage
The merch is actually good (the classic tees hit every time)
It’s been locally owned since forever
Sometimes you want small-and-local.
Sometimes you want “I’m in Cocoa Beach, baby, let’s go full cliché.”
Both are valid choices.
But don't sleep on the smaller surf shops, either.
They’re where you’ll find:
Unique graphics
Staff who actually surf (like, daily)
Swimwear that doesn’t betray you
Boards you want to stare at even if you don’t surf
Think of it this way:
Ron Jon = iconic experience
Local shops = personality + curated finds
Both belong on your Cocoa Beach shopping list.
Both are part of the culture.
And both will have at least one shirt you’ll wear until it’s threadbare.
Shopping Tips From a Semi-Professional Browser
1. Bring a tote bag.
You’ll use it. Trust us.
2. Don’t wait to buy the one-of-a-kind item.
It will be gone by tomorrow.
3. If you see something handmade, ask the story behind it.
Cocoa Beach creatives love storytelling.
4. Try things on.
Beach humidity does unpredictable things to sizing.
5. Support the little guys.
They’re the ones building the real heart of the town.
Ready to Shop the Coolest Boutique in Cocoa Beach?
Because obviously you are.