The Ultimate Guide To Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, a lively beach town and a paradise for motorsports fanatics!
Daytona Beach, popularly known for its Daytona International Speedway, the host of the annual Daytona 500 NASCAR Cup Series motor race, is also a popular beach destination in the US!
Daytona Beach, a coastal city located in northeast Florida, approximately 60 miles northeast of Orlando, is home to several miles of coastline featuring sandy beaches lined with resorts, boardwalks, amusement parks, and promenades. The town’s other significant attraction is the Daytona International Speedway, a historical racecourse hosting several prestigious motorcar races, including Daytona 500 National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), and few others since 1959.
The motorcar racing history of Daytona Beach dates back to 1902, when motorcar races were held on a race track on the beach along the ocean, known as the Daytona Beach Road Course. Soon, it became a popular sport in the town, luring tourists and motorsports enthusiasts from all over the globe to see and participate in the several races held at Daytona Beach Road Course. Seeing the potential of the motorcar racing industry, the Daytona International Speedway was built, which replaced the Daytona Beach Road Course in 1959.
Undeniably, a trip to Daytona Beach is incomplete without visiting the Daytona International Speedway, but the town also features several other beachside attractions and watersports!
You don’t necessarily need to attend a racing event to explore the Daytona International Speedway, as when there’re no racing events, the Speedway offers guided tram tours, behind-the-scenes tours, and even ride-along or self-drive NASCAR racing experiences. Once you get your speed fix at Daytona International Speedway, you can explore the several other attraction of the town, including several miles of beaches, a bustling boardwalk, beachside rides, a historical lighthouse, a waterpark, and a few excellent museums!
Here is my ultimate guide to Daytona Beach, featuring essential trip-planning information, major attractions, and recommendations on hotels and restaurants in Daytona Beach!
Planning Your Trip To Daytona Beach
Directly flying into Daytona Beach, renting a car, and staying in one of the oceanfront resorts is the best way to get the most out of your trip to Daytona Beach!
Best Time To Visit Daytona Beach: Daytona Beach, with warm weather throughout the year, is a year-round destination! However, winter is the busiest season in Daytona Beach as tourists come to enjoy warm weather and beach when most of the country is covered in snow, and also February is when the major motorcar races, including Daytona 500 and Speedweeks, are held in the Daytona International Speedway. Spring with mild temperatures is the second busiest season in Daytona Beach, but if you plan to travel during winter or spring, you must make your lodging reservations in advance and be prepared for huge crowds. The best way to avoid the crowds in Daytona Beach is by visiting during the shoulder seasons, summer and fall, when there’re fewer crowds due to the high temperatures, humidity, and rainfall.
Time Required In Daytona Beach: If you’re traveling to Dayton Beach for sightseeing, I recommend spending a minimum of two days in Daytona Beach to see the town’s significant attractions, including some beach time and time to explore the Daytona International Speedway. But if you’re planning a leisurely beach vacation, you could spend a week in Daytona Beach and still not run out of places to see and things to do in Daytona Beach.
Getting To Daytona Beach: The best and most comfortable way to get to Daytona Beach is by flying directly into Daytona Beach International Airport. Alternatively, you could also take an Amtrak train to DeLand and then drive to Daytona Beach or take a Greyhound bus to Daytona Beach.
- Flight: Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB), Daytona Beach, Florida, is located right in the heart of the city and is the closest and most convenient airport to Daytona Beach. Alternatively, you could also fly into Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB), Sanford, Florida, about 46 miles from Daytona Beach, or Orlando International Airport (MCO), Orlando, Florida, approximately 75 miles from Daytona Beach.
- Train: There’s no direct train service to Daytona Beach, but you could take an Amtrak train to DeLand, Florida, just 25 miles west of Daytona Beach, and then take a connecting Amtrak bus service to Daytona Beach.
- Bus: Greyhound offers bus services to Daytona Beach, with the closest Greyhound bus stop located on 138 S Ridgewood Avenue, Daytona Beach.
Parking & Transportation In Daytona Beach: Parking isn’t a problem in Daytona Beach as most resorts and attractions offer onsite parking in Dayton Beach. However, if you’re traveling during the peak seasons, winter & spring, or planning to attend one of the automobile races in Daytona International Speedway, you may need to park in remote parking lots and then walk to the venue. Though Volusia County’s Public Transit System (Votran) offers bus services in Daytona Beach, I highly recommend renting a car when visiting Daytona Beach.
Lodging & Dining In Daytona Beach: Given Daytona Beach is a popular beach destination, there’re numerous lodging options in the city, ranging from luxury seaside resorts to locally owned bread and breakfasts. The town, popularly known for its seafood, also offers a wide range of excellent dining options, including romantic seaside restaurants, family-friendly dinner shows, and fine dining venues. I have reviewed the lodging and dining options in Daytona Beach in detail in the later section of this post.
Things To Do In Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach Attractions Map
Daytona Beach is a small town and easy to navigate, so I recommend renting a car when visiting Daytona Beach. If you’re visiting Daytona Beach for sightseeing, I recommend spending a minimum of two days in the town, allocating half a day for exploring the Daytona International Speedway and the rest day and a half for the other attractions in the city.
Undeniably, seeing a motorcar race in Daytona International Speedway is a thrilling experience, but you can still explore the Speedway when there’re no events via the tram tours offered by Daytona International Speedway. So, I recommend you start with the Speedway tour, then enjoy the beach, lighthouse, and the water park, and if you’ve time or would like to take a break from the beach, head to the Museum of Arts & Sciences and explore the wilderness in Tomoka State Park.
Here’re the must-see places on a trip to Daytona Beach, starting with the most popular attractions of this lively beach town!
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway, a historical racecourse that hosts several prestigious motorcar races, including the famous Daytona 500 NASCAR, is a must-see on a trip to Daytona Beach. You can either attend a racing event or take a guided tram tour of the race track, media room, and the Gatorade Victory Lane offered by the Speedway during the off-seasons.
Daytona Beach Boardwalk
Daytona Beach Boardwalk
The Daytona Beach Boardwalk, an oceanside concrete boardwalk, and promenade with several shops, eateries, gaming arcades, thrill rides, and the Daytona Beach Pier, is one of the best year-round family-friendly attractions in Daytona Beach! The Boardwalk is also home to the Daytona Beach Bandshell, which hosts live concerts every Saturday, June – September.
Daytona Lagoon
Daytona Lagoon
Daytona Lagoon, located adjacent to the Daytona Beach Boardwalk, is a family-friendly waterpark and an entertainment center featuring several fun-filled activities for all age groups, including water slides, wave pools, lazy river floats, kid’s play area, go-karts, mini-golf, gaming arcades, a laser tag arena, and much more.
Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse
Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse
The Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse, one of the oldest and tallest lighthouses in the US, was constructed in 1887 and is located along Florida’s coastline, just 10 miles south of Daytona Beach. The Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse features a museum and offers self-guided and guided tours offering access to the top of the lighthouse tower.
Museum of Arts & Sciences
Museum of Arts & Sciences
The Museum of Arts & Sciences (MOAS) is one of the largest museums in Florida, featuring a massive collection of paintings, artwork, and decorative art from all over the globe, a section dedicated to the prehistory of Florida, which is home to the Giant Ground Sloth skeleton, an area with restored railroad cars, and several other interactive exhibits.
Tomoka State Park
Tomoka State Park
Tomoka State Park, located approximately 15 miles north of Daytona Beach, was once home to Native Americans is now a sanctuary protecting wildlife and nature. Tomoka State Park is a popular spot for canoeing, boating, hiking, and bird-watching, and the Park also features a nature trail, a boat ramp, and campgrounds.
Lodging & Dining In Daytona Beach
I recommend staying in one of the oceanfront properties with gorgeous coastal views and access to the beach for an authentic Daytona Beach experience!
Hotels In Daytona Beach: Daytona Beach, being a famous beach destination, features many oceanfront resorts, luxury hotels, and locally owned charming bread and breakfasts. Given the city’s small size, you can stay anywhere and still easily access all attractions in Daytona Beach. However, when deciding on hotels or resorts in Daytona Beach, there’re primarily two choices – oceanfront and non-oceanfront properties. Here’re my top picks for hotels and resorts in Daytona Beach –
- The Shores Resort & Spa: Hugging the Atlantic Ocean, the Shores Resort & Spa is a boutique resort featuring stylish and luxurious sea-facing accommodation, excellent guest service, and quite a few dining options.
- Hilton Daytona Beach Resort/Ocean Walk Village: Located within two minutes from the Daytona Beach Boardwalk, Hilton Daytona Beach Resort/Ocean Walk Village with luxury accommodation and fantastic views is a great place to spend your beach vacation.
- Perry’s Ocean Edge Resort: Featuring contemporary decor and modern amenities, Perry’s Ocean Edge Resort is also an excellent oceanfront property in Daytona Beach.
- Holiday Inn Resort: The Holiday Inn Resort featuring a large oceanfront property with several sea-facing suites and guest rooms, is also a great choice of lodging in Daytona Beach.
- Hilton Garden Inn Daytona Beach Airport: If staying in an oceanfront property is not a must for you, Hilton Garden Inn Daytona Beach Airport, located right next to Daytona International Speedway, is an excellent choice with modern amenities and outstanding guest services.
Restaurants In Daytona Beach: Exceptional seafood, fine dining, romantic seaside restaurants, dinner shows, and charming local eateries, Daytona Beach offers several excellent dining options. With so many options, it’s challenging to pick one over the other, but to help you decide, here’re some of the cuisines, restaurants, and dinner shows that you must try in Daytona Beach – Polynesian Fire Luau & Fire Show, great seafood at Ocean Deck Restaurant & Beach Club and Joe’s Crab Shack, Starlite Diner for a retro setting and excellent American fare, and Stonewood Grill & Tavern and Chart House for fine dining.
Other Florida Attractions & Related Posts
I hope you enjoyed reading the post, The Ultimate Guide To Daytona Beach, and I hope this will help you plan your trip to Daytona Beach. You can find other attractions in Florida in my Florida Travel Guide.
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