As travelers begin to pack their suitcases with swimsuits, sunscreen and flip-flops, visitors to the New Smyrna Beach Area should prepare to gear up for more than just a beach getaway. With rich history, winding trails, wildlife viewing, fishing charters and paddling adventures, the New Smyrna Beach Area invites summer vacationers to experience the magic beyond its 17 miles of stunning beaches.
Boat rentals and fishing guides provide beachgoers a front-row seat to Florida’s coastal marine wildlife and a chance to reel in catches of their own. The area is home to the best of both best of flats fishing and deep-sea fishing, where anglers can have their pick of the yellowfin tuna, cobia, redfish and snapper that populate the waters. Experts with Ponce Inlet Fishing Charters and Sea Spirit Deep Sea Fishing provide guests with the tools and knowledge they need to find and catch the best fish in the area. After a day on the water, visitors can take their catches to local restaurants to be prepared as part of the Catch ’N’ Cook program, which includes favorites such as Outriggers Tiki Bar and Grille, JB’s Fish Camp and Goodrich Seafood Restaurant and Oyster House.
For a change of scenery, kayak and paddling rental outfitters can lead paddlers through the Indian River Lagoon, the most biologically diverse estuary in North America which has earned a designation as an Outstanding Florida Water and an Estuary of National Significance. In addition to serving as the home for abundant wildlife, the estuary’s salt marshes and mangroves protect shorelines from erosion and maintain water quality. Local paddling guides from Viking EcoTours and the Marine Discovery Center offer tours, equipment and extensive knowledge of the paddling opportunities and wildlife in the estuary.
Those looking to explore on foot will be impressed by the number of trails and paths winding through the lush coastal landscape. Spruce Creek Park is a favorite for its trailheads, including the Doris Leeper Trail, Spruce Creek Trail and the Westside Trail, each of which offers an easy, unique experience for hikers, cyclists and wildlife seekers. Deep Creek Preserve offers longer trails such as the Yellow Trail Loop and Extended Loop, which weave through pine and oak forests and offer an uncrowded, serene nature retreat.
Whether on the water or on foot, visitors to the New Smyrna Beach area are bound to encounter one of the many historic sites throughout its five communities. At the heart of Port Orange, learn more about a 19th century African American community known as Freemanville. founded after the Civil War by formerly enslaved people and their families. The Freemanville Settlement and its church, Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, is the last remaining structure from the original town and has been named a Florida Heritage Site. Nearby Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens is home to beautiful gardens, an herb garden shaped like the state of Florida and the ruins of a 19th-century sugar factory. Visitors will also enjoy finding the full-size stone dinosaurs which remain from its days as an amusement park, Bongoland, that closed in 1952. Another popular historic site is the colorful and eye-catching Dairy Queen, opened in 1953 by Mary McGuirk and later run by her son. The restaurant has been a source of pride for locals as a friendly, family-owned business for nearly 70 years and was awarded the Donnadine Miller Memorial Historic Preservation Award by the Historic New Smyrna Beach Preservation Commission in 2009. For more information about the area’s history and other sites of significance, visitors can head to the Mary S. Harrell Black Heritage Museum or the New Smyrna Museum of History.
For more information on all of the unique experiences beyond the beach and trip planning to the New Smyrna Beach Area, please visit www.visitnsbfl.com.
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About the New Smyrna Beach Area
The New Smyrna Beach area includes the communities of New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater, Oak Hill, Osteen and Port Orange in east Central Florida. New Smyrna Beach is an eclectic mix of old and new; of subtle sophistication and bohemian soul that is as “real” as Florida gets. It occupies a notable place in history as the second oldest city in Florida, site of the largest single attempt at British colonization in the new world. The city’s barrier island is recognized worldwide for its incredible surf with Surfer magazine recently touting it one of the “Best Surf Towns in America” and National Geographic magazine including it in its “World’s Top 20 Surf Towns.”
Accommodations range from charming bed and breakfast inns to family-size condominium units and oceanfront hotels. Natural attractions include 17 miles of sandy beaches from Ponce de Leon Inlet to Canaveral National Seashore and North America’s most diverse estuary – the Indian River Lagoon.
Two distinct downtowns along Flagler Avenue and Canal Street and connected via the Waterfront Loop welcome visitors with independent restaurants, unique shops, artisanal coffee shops and art galleries.
For more information, please visit www.VisitNSBfl.com or call 386-428-1600. Follow @NewSmyrnaBeach1 on Twitter, Facebook.com/VisitNewSmyrnaBeach or @visitnewsmyrnabeach on Instagram for the latest news. Download the free New Smyrna Beach Mobile App for iPhone and Android to receive this information on-the-go.
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