Located in Monroe County, Florida, Cocoa Plum Beach is a beach. The nearest town is Marathon, about 8.9 km (5.5 mi) away (Cocoa Plum Beach lies E of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cocoa Plum Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 64° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 297° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 89° in summer but only 42° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:29 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 270° W | 65° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:36 AM | 64° ENE | 8:17 PM | 297° WNW | 89° | 13h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 66° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:05 AM | 116° ESE | 5:41 PM | 245° WSW | 42° | 10h 36m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Beaches facing east suit sunrise and west-facing beaches suit sunset; wet sand mirrors the sky color during golden hour.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:46 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 46m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 20m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:04 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 00m |
| April | 6:39 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:10 PM | 12h 44m |
| May | 6:16 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 20m |
| June | 6:10 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 40m |
| July | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 32m |
| August | 6:35 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 00m |
| September | 6:48 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 18m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:28 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 36m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 57m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 37m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Cocoa Plum Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 36° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| February | 4:26 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.2 | 23° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:29 AM – 6:09 AM | 2.7 | 32° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:35 AM – 5:35 AM | 4.0 | 36° | SE → S |
| May | 11:36 PM – 5:16 AM | 5.7 | 36° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:44 PM – 5:04 AM | 7.3 | 36° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:43 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.8 | 36° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:20 PM – 1:30 AM | 4.2 | 36° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 11:36 PM | 2.8 | 33° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:14 PM – 9:34 PM | 1.3 | 24° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.45 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and September as the cloudiest (62%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 80 | 80 | 82 | 85 | 85 | 88 | 88 | 89 | 88 | 86 | 84 | 81 |
| Low °F | 50 | 53 | 59 | 64 | 72 | 77 | 79 | 80 | 76 | 66 | 64 | 54 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 6.7 | 4.2 | 2.0 | 1.3 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this beach
- Slow shutter speeds (0.5–2 s) turn receding waves into streaks that lead toward the horizon.
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- Salt spray coats lenses quickly; wipe often and rinse gear afterward.
- Fog and marine layers can make minimalist images; don't give up on grey days.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Winter storms bring dramatic surf on Pacific coasts; summer and autumn sunsets are popular on Atlantic and Gulf beaches.
Suggested gear: Tripod, ND filters, Rain cover, Lens cloths. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Fat Deer Key, Florida Bay, 1.4 km (0.9 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cocoa Plum Beach, closest first.
State Park
LighthouseState Park
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cocoa Plum Beach?
What time is golden hour at Cocoa Plum Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cocoa Plum Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cocoa Plum Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cocoa Plum Beach?
How far is Cocoa Plum Beach from Marathon?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.