Florida Guide > Days Out
Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach is located on Florida’s Central East Coast, just an hour’s drive from Orlando, and is accessible from Interstates 4 and 95. This is a reasonable distance for a day trip although some families like to stay overnight to enjoy everything Daytona has to offer. If you are travelling to Daytona direct from Orlando International Airport the journey will only take you 15 minutes.
Daytona came into being 125 years ago as visionary Mathias Day mapped out the beginnings of the city of Daytona Beach. Then along came the railroads followed by Hotels and Golf Courses. Daytona Beach area today comprises 23 miles of beach with many family attractions.
The beach is accessible 24 hours a day although driving on the hard packed sand is only allowed during daytime hours and in designated sections. Drivers must follow a strict 10 mile per hour speed limit. There are also four pedestrian only sections including a one mile stretch around the Main Street Pier.
You may choose whether to totally relax or enjoy some of the activities on offer such as parasailing, fishing or surfing. You can buy the usual beach offerings from hamburgers to ice creams and beach umbrellas or even rent boogie boards.
Daytona of course is famous for its numerous Bike and Car Races and the area can be very busy when these events are on. If you are an enthusiast it is a great experience but if you are looking for a quieter times these periods are best avoided. Nowadays there are also several Musical festivals during the year in Daytona. For information on the racing or other festivals contact 800 854 1234.
You will enjoy strolling down historic Main Street, Daytona’s shopping and entertainment district. You can browse in the varied shops where you can find unique gifts as well as clothing. The world’s largest Harley Davidson dealer can be found on Main Street Bridge. There are also many famous restaurants and bars here as well
as plenty of live entertainment.
Our children love the Daytona Lagoon Premiers, a water-park that is open only at weekends. Here as well as the water activities they also enjoy Grand Prix go kart racing, mini golf and the eldest loves the rock climbing. This waterpark is located in Ocenwalk Village which is the area’s newest shopping, dining and entertainment district overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. We nearly always take a trip on the “Trolley Boats” from here which as the name indicates are trolley buses that can travel on water!
You can also visit Downtown Daytona Beach where you will find an array of shops and restaurants in Riverfront Marketplace. If you stroll along the riverside you will find friendly cafes, unique restaurants and several nightspots.
For those members of your party interested in History there are several historical attractions including Historic Home tours, African- American heritage sites as well as Plantation ruins.
Finally for the golfers Daytona has nearly twenty golf courses!
This area really does have something for a family of all ages and is well worth visiting for at least a day if not more.
I hope you and your family get as much enjoyment there as we do. We did not have time to visit Daytona on our last trip but we will go back again next year.
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