New Smyrna Beach

New Smyrna Beach is a beach town with a 17-mile sandy coastline and vacation-mode ambiance – a great place for park and water recreation including swimming, sunbathing, surfing, fishing, boating, and golfing. There is a park with sand dunes in the north of the town. New Smyrna Beach is also a place to visit cultural events and historical sites and indulge in shopping and dining experiences.

History and Culture

New Smyrna Beach is noteworthy for its historical and cultural sites including Sugar Mill Ruins, the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, the Turnbull and the Eldora State House. It is also called one of America’s best small cities for the arts. Numerous visual and performing art events take place here. Art lovers flock to the Atlantic Center for Arts, the Little Theatre, the Harris House, and the Hub on Canal.

Culinary Delights

In addition to its historical and cultural attractions, New Smyrna Beach is known for its dining places offering delicious dishes for every taste and budget – from internationally recognized chefs to local seafood shacks. If you’re not sure where to go, start from Canal Street and Flagler Avenue where you can complement your dinner with the most eclectic shopping.

Accommodation

Naturally, as a popular tourist destination, New Smyrna Beach offers all kinds of accommodation from little bed and breakfast inns to huge hotels and condominiums.

Parking Opportunities

There is a beach parking lot but you may want to consider such a rare opportunity as driving directly onto the beach and parking on the sand. The beach is very drivable – and very long. You will have to pay for parking – $10 for day parking and $10 for driving on the beach. However, if you come and leave before 9 a.m., you can park for free.

Beach Access

Featuring 17 miles of beaches, New Smyrna Beach offers a wide range of beach experiences. There are well-maintained public restrooms and showers available. Although there is plenty of space, the beach often gets crowded – it’s a very touristy area.

The beach is wide, white-sand, great for walking as well as driving. Once you choose a spot you can rent umbrellas and lounge chairs. The water is gorgeous, warm and clean, and swimming is enjoyable and relaxing. There is easy access to the water with a very gentle slope without sudden drop-offs.

However, always be mindful of possible strong currents and sharks – New Smyrna Beach is in the top list for shark bites. The good news is that in the dedicated swimming areas, vacationers are supervised by professional lifeguards.

Driving Time

• 1 hour from Orlando, FL
• 1 hour 40 minutes from Jacksonville, FL
• 2 hours 35 minutes from Tampa, FL

Hotels and rentals

If you're considering staying for one or even a few nights, there are plenty of options available near the beach. Chose your preferred accomodation type and your favourite room provider:

• Nearby rentals from VRBO.
• Nearby rooms and properties from Booking.com.

Beaches nearby

Additionally, there's a number of beaches near New Smyrna Beach which you can visit:

• Apollo Beach (14 miles)
• Daytona Beach (14 miles)
• Canaveral National Seashore Beach (19 miles)
• Michael Crotty Bicentennial Park Beach (23 miles)
• Playalinda Beach (27 miles)