Called “the world's most famous beach” in the 1920s, Daytona has long been synonymous with seaside fun after its solid sand began to attract crowds of race enthusiasts. This storied destination on Florida's Atlantic coast has been particularly popular with beach fans, offering sunshine and mild tropical weather all year round.
The wide white sandy beach remains a major draw, but Daytona's charm goes far beyond the beach. Thanks to decades of conservation and trail building, the surrounding area is densely packed with state parks, nature trails, museums and landmarks that should not be missed to mention the world-famous Daytona International Speedway. There is a network.
From tours of historic venues to discovering scenic springs and taking part in adrenaline-filled race events, we present three of the best beyond beehive adventures in the Daytona region.
History and Wildlife Exploration in Ponce Inlet
The imposing brick red lighthouse highlights the landscape less than 10 miles south of Daytona Beach. Built in the late 1800s, the 175-foot Ponce Inlet Lighthouse is Florida's tallest lighthouse. The modest admission offers access to the lighthouse and museum along with Constance D. Hunter's historic Passetti Hotel Museum, located across the street. Open to the public in the summer of 2024, the Passetti Hotel was a bustling resort in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Today, it is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the area, giving visitors a glimpse into what life in the resort was like many years ago.
The 175-foot Ponce Inlet Lighthouse is Florida's tallest and offers a wide view of the coastline. Wangkun Jia / Shutterstock
Check out the Marine Science Center around the corner after taking a self-guided tour of the lighthouse grounds. The facility was closed to the public for renovations in September 2024 and will reopen to visitors on May 31, 2025 (continuing to recognize Seabird and Sea Giro rehabilitation patients). The center features a new indoor touch pool with stintrays (no barbs) and a sheltered outdoor terrace offering views of turtles being treated at the center's rehabilitation facility. If you want more wildlife and views in the Ponce Inlet area, see Lighthouse Point Park, a 52-acre coastal reserve, dolphins, coastal birds, sea turtles, and explore muscular waterways in Ponce's entrance waters. There are often things you can do. It offers guided boat tours and kayaking and paddle board rentals.
Race for fun at Daytona International Speedway
Every year, racing fans gather at Daytona International Speedway for a race of the same name that opens the NASCAR season. Daytona 500 tickets (500 miles on a 2.5-mile course, 200 lap race) have sold out in recent years, so book early if you're interested in going. However, February's race has been packed with action for all ages at speedways that have evolved since opening in 1959 from the racetrack surrounding the 29-acre artificial lake Lloyd to the 500-acre motorsport complex. One event on the calendar. Other signature race events include the Daytona Rolex 24 and the Daytona 200 for motorcycles.
Becoming a racing star will get you behind the wheel of a real race car for timing racing sessions at the NASCAR Racing Experience, which takes place multiple days a month. (If you want to leave driving to the experts, there is also a ride option.) The one-hour speedway tour features the American Motorsport Hall of America, featuring exhibits on feats related to all forms of motorsport. Includes or upgrades to a 2.5-hour VIP tour with exclusive stops at the NASCAR Archives and Research Center and Press Box. It will also allow waterfront RVs and trailer camps at Lloyd Lake.
Discover Daytona's vast network of trails
From open sky and ocean breezes on the coast to shaded marsh and springs filled with manatees, visitors to the Daytona Beach area will be able to sing together with a variety of scenery and wildlife along the 70-mile hiking and bike trails. Find it.
Don't miss the scenic Spring-to-Spring Trail. It currently consists of approximately 15 miles of completed segments in total, with the trail ultimately linking to 26 miles. Starting at the southern tip of the Monroe Park trail, which offers campsite and boat access, it passes through the lush 212-acre Gemini Springs Park, and heads towards Green Springs Park, one of Florida's few Green Sulphur Springs home to You can cycle through the curve. . Another section of the trail connects Lake Beresford Park and Blue Spring State Park, where hundreds of manatees live from November to March. Visitors to Blue Springs tend to use calm, peaceful, calm and quiet words to describe the sense of walking, horseback riding and paddling on this site along the St. John's River.
Blue Spring State Park has hundreds of manatees from November to March. jhvephoto / shutterstock
For rides or walks, including access to shops and restaurants in the historic downtown of Park Vista and Daytona Beach, take the 4.5-mile lovers trail from Sickler Park on the Halifax River to the historic downtown. The trail is part of the East Coast Greenway, a 2,900-mile walking and cycling trail that stretches from Maine to Florida.
