Merritt Island, Florida
The Space Coast from our door
Beach, launch pads, cruise terminals and the Orlando parks — all reachable in a day from the same quiet island.
Merritt Island is the strip of land between the Banana River and the Indian River, with the Atlantic just beyond it and Kennedy Space Center at the top. It is the reason this stretch works as a base: the things people come to Florida's east coast for are all short drives from the same driveway, and at the end of the day you are back somewhere residential rather than on a resort strip.
Within reach
What is nearby
Cocoa Beach
Minutes awayWhite sand, ocean swimming and surf, and fishing off the pier and the shore.
Port Canaveral
Minutes awayThe cruise terminals, and the working harbour beside them.
Kennedy Space Center
Minutes awayThe visitor complex, and the launch pads that put the rockets over the river.
Disney & Orlando
About 40 minutesClose enough for a park day, far enough that you sleep somewhere quiet.
On the water
The river does most of the work
The Banana River is the part guests underestimate before they arrive. Dolphins, manatees and turtles come through, usually in the morning. Banana River House sits on it, with a 100 ft dock, kayaks, fishing poles and beach chairs already there — you do not have to hire anything or drive to a launch ramp.
“We had coffee on the dock every morning. We saw dolphin and manatees.”
June · Clinton, Ohio · via Airbnb
The road itself is part of it — three miles, dead-end, river down one side. Nothing passes through on the way to somewhere else.
Area questions
Getting your bearings
Where exactly is Merritt Island?
Merritt Island sits on Florida's Space Coast between the Banana River and the Indian River, with Cocoa Beach and the Atlantic on one side and Kennedy Space Center to the north. Both of our homes are on the island.
How far is it to Disney and Orlando?
About 40 minutes. It is an easy day trip, which is why some guests base themselves here rather than in Orlando itself and get a pool and quiet evenings out of the bargain.
What wildlife will we actually see?
Dolphins, manatees and turtles pass through the Banana River, most often in the morning. Guests at Banana River House watch them from the dock over coffee.
Is it a good base for a family trip?
Yes — the beach, the space centre, the cruise port and the Orlando parks are all reachable in a day from the same house, and both homes have a private pool for the days you would rather not drive anywhere.