Many boaters don’t realize just how close Cocoa Beach is to 321 Boat’s location on the Indian River Lagoon in Melbourne. Whether you’re visiting or living in Cocoa Beach, if you’re looking for the best boat rental around, 321 Boat Rentals has you covered. It’s a short drive from Cocoa Beach to 321 Boat Rentals, which is located at 1101 N Harbor City Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32935. Not only does 321 have the largest fleet of rental boats in Central Florida, we’re also the highest rated, with over 100 glowing 5-star reviews online. Take a boat out for a day of fun and relaxation or just enjoy the view while we do all the hard work; our certified captains are available for charter and will be happy to provide boat tours and help you spot wildlife. If you’d like to take control of your own adventure, we’ll provide a map and directions to any spots you’d like to visit.
Attractions Near Melbourne and 321
321 is surrounded by a variety of spectacular sandbars and other attractions, including restaurants, excellent fishing spots, and dolphin-watching locations. If you’re new at 321 Boat Rentals and it will be your first visit, we definitely recommend sticking closer to the marina and exploring our part of the Indian River Lagoon, which is home to a spectacular amount of biodiversity and animal species.
One factor that can make it difficult for many boaters to enjoy the area’s hidden gems are the shallow water depths around sand bars and over seagrass beds. We have a huge variety of boats available to suit your needs and help you discover these less-known hideaways. If your family will be running all over the deck, a pontoon boat provides good stability without sitting deep enough in the water to get stuck in the sand! A pontoon will also make it easy to keep the kids near and safe all day long with the living-room style layout. If a pontoon boat isn’t your style, we’ve also got a variety of deck boats, center-console vessels, and jet skis available for rentals. You’re also welcome to take out more than one vessel, and it’s common for larger groups to do so, renting a pontoon and a jet ski, or a larger boat along with tubes and other towing or beach toys.
If you’re a veteran renter with 321 or a boat club member who spends a lot of time with us with us, you also have the option to explore other areas! Just like you can easily drive down from Cocoa Beach to rent one of our boats, you can also take one of our rental boats up by water to go boating in Cocoa Beach for the day. Don’t forget that 321’s boats are tracked by GPS with live map view, so you can always call us if you get into a tight spot or just get turned around and need directions! Don’t be afraid to explore and take a few side tours because we’re always here when needed.
Attractions in Cocoa Beach
The Thousand Islands area of Cocoa Beach is well-known among locals and enthusiasts for being a great spot to fish for snook, trout, and ladyfish. Take advantage of the easy fishing here to reel in tonight’s dinner, and don’t forget that your fishing poles are free with a boat rental on Wednesdays! We also have tubes, knee boards, wake boards, and water ski equipment available for rent. If you need any tips on tackle or which fishing spots to try, let us know and we’ll be happy to help you out.
Between 321’s location and Cocoa Beach, don’t forget to slowly cruise through the Banana River Aquatic Preserve, where manatees, sea turtles, and dolphins abound, and rocket launches can be watched from your boat or the beach! This is a great family area due to the high likelihood of spotting one of these wildlife visitors. The water here is calm and pristine, so it’s an ideal place to stop and relax for a bit too, and the glass-like surface makes manatees easy to spot, especially from a stationary boat anchored off the beach. Bring a picnic here and see who can spot the most animal species before lunch is over.
If you’re looking for a sandbar to do some socially-distanced chatting with other boaters, there’s an island at the opening of the Banana River Aquatic Reserve that often has a few welcoming boaters rafted up and relaxing. This island is commonly referred to as Bird Island or George Island, and it has an amazing variety of bird species nesting in its mangroves and trees. A sandbar extending off one side of the island makes the perfect spot to watch the birds without disturbing them. This is a fantastic spot to hang out with the kids searching for crabs, shells, and other aquatic treasures.
Looking for less work and more relaxation? If packing a picnic seems like too much first thing in the morning, there are also multiple restaurants in Cocoa Beach that allow you to dock your boat and eat at waterside tables nearby. Obviously, the view of the Indian River and Cocoa Beach near the waterfront is spectacular. Our favorite in Melbourne is the Island Time Restaurant, which has live music frequently in addition to a generously long happy hour. Their homemade kettle chips are excellent and you can’t miss the fried oysters either.
As you can see, it’s a pretty short ride between 321’s Melbourne, FL location and Cocoa Beach! Whether you’re driving down to 321 Boat Rentals to rent, or boating up to Cocoa Beach from our marina, there are a ton of sights to see along the way. Please don’t hesitate to ask us for help or directions any time. After all, that’s what we’re here for! Check out our fleet of boats available for rental or contact us with questions.