|
NEW SMYRNA BEACH VACATION RENTALS, FLORIDA |
 |
 |
Sights and Attractions in New Smyrna Beach |
| |
| Whether you are a beach and nature enthusiast, art aficionado or a history buff, New Smyrna Beach and its surrounding areas will astound you with its vivid choices of some of the best sights and attractions. |
| |
|
Beaches
Smyrna Dunes Park
Canaveral National Seashore
The Ponce de Leon Lighthouse
The Atlantic Center for the Arts |
|
 |
| |
| Beaches |
Unspoiled white sands reflecting the bright sun with water lapping its shores is how you can picture the beaches of New Smyrna. Christened to be the
“World's Safest Bathing Beach,” 13 miles of shoreline at New Smyrna promises to leave life long memories of a tranquil beach experience in your mind. The safety of the coast from the dangerous under water currents is ensured by nature itself through an arresting rock jetty on the north, while Canaveral National Seashore Park stands guard on the south. Readers of Florida Monthly Magazine designated New Smyrna Beach as the “Best Beach in Florida.” Beach lovers can simply rock some tan here or laze around while some nesting sea turtles might come to greet them!
What’s more your four-wheeled cars allowed on the beach! Certain precautions that you can take while driving though are speed of the car should be low. You should not try to overtake any vehicle there and look for pedestrians first. Also, your car should not be found any of the non-designated car areas. Beaches here are not Fido-friendly, so do not even think of carrying your four-legged friend along. You can spot a lifeguard on duty daily from 9:30AM to 5:30 PM, while it is patrolled 24-hours, 7-days-a-week. |
| |
| Smyrna Dunes Park |
Nestled on the northern end of New Smyrna Beach is this Smyrna Dunes Park. The park severs as an ideal spot for surfing as the waves here swell at least 2 feet higher than anywhere else in the whole of New Smyrna Beach. The Park is houses 3-miles of elevated walkways meandering through the wilderness, leading out to the vastness of the ocean, at this preserve. Take in some amazing views of the diverse ecology of nature, while enjoying a walk over here.
You can even climb up the stairs of the observation tower, which is open to public, to soak in some of the most awe-inspiring views of the land, air and water meeting on the horizon. An entry fee of $3.50 per vehicle is charged at Smyrna Dunes Park, while an additional $5 fee is charged towards parking of vehicles on the designated drivable beach areas out here. |
| |
| Canaveral National Seashore |
To the south of New Smyrna Beach lies Canaveral National Seashore, which is a protected 13-mile stretch of barrier island beach. Nature lovers, bird-watchers and wildlife enthusiasts can explore and observe a variety of birds and animals. Nature lovers can feast their eyes on 1,045 species of plants and 310 species of birds, and endangered species that include loggerhead, green and leatherback sea turtles, West Indian Manatee, Southern bald eagle, wood stork, peregrine falcon, eastern indigo snake, and Florida scrub jay. Several endangered animals use the area as their natural habitat.
Boaters, hikers, anglers and horseback riding enthusiasts too can enjoy Canaveral National Seashore’s amenities. For those keen on hiking, self-guided trails are located at the North District, near New Smyrna Beach and at Seminole Rest, in Oak Hill. For those wanting to enjoy the beach, lifeguards are on duty Memorial Day through Labor Day. Horseback riding is permitted, with a special use permit issued by the facility, from November 1 through April 30.
Turtle Watches are available in June and July, when you can join a ranger and watch a loggerhead sea turtle nesting on the beach. You will need to reserve your tour one month in advance of your visit.
Fishing piers are located at Parking Areas #7 and # 8 in the North District. In the South District, there is a fishing pier at Eddy Creek Parking Area. A paved boat ramp to Mosquito Lagoon is north of the Information Center, while primitive boat ramps to the lagoon are at Parking Area #5 in the North District and at Eddy Creek in the South District.
Daily entrance fee to the Seashore is $3 per day, per person. For more information, contact the Visitor’s Center, which is open year-round from 9 AM to 5 PM. |
| |
| The Ponce de Leon Lighthouse |
Visit the nearby Ponce de Leon lighthouse, built in 1887, which is only building among the few that still retain the original architecture. It is located 12 miles south of Daytona Beach and is open to public throughout the year. It is the tallest lighthouse in Florida and visitors can climb the 175-feet lighthouse and get a stunning and panoramic view of the Florida coastline, Halifax River, Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach.
Ponce de Leon Lighthouse is a museum now and has incredible exhibits on lighthouse life, Daytona Beach and Florida history, lighthouse and Fresnel lens restoration, shipwrecks, and the lighthouse keepers and their families. The Ayres Davies Lens Exhibit Building has one of the finest collections of restored Fresnel lenses in the world, including the rotating first order Fresnel lens from the Cape Canaveral lighthouse.
Ponce Inlet Lighthouse organizes a program called Climb with the Keepers, a tour of the Lighthouse with escorts giving you an insight in to the history of the lighthouse as well as the lighthouse keepers who take care of it. The program also gives you an opportunity to enter the historic lantern room where you get the finest details about lens construction and maintenance. The fee for the program is $50 out of which $45 is tax-deductible. There is also a registration fee for the program. A maximum of 8 are allowed inside at a time to avoid a crush. There is also a gift shop and restrooms at the entrance of the Lighthouse. There is a $3.50 per vehicle fee to get into Lighthouse Point Park. |
| |
| The Atlantic Center for the Arts |
| To mix fun with the arts, visit The Atlantic Center for the Arts. New Smyrna Beach has even earned the status of the “Top Small Cities for the Arts,” which marks its deep interest in arts. The Atlantic Center for the Arts is an isolated retreat nestled in 69 acres of waterfront jungle, which is a treat for art enthusiasts. It is open all year to the public except on Sundays and holidays. |
| |
| Previous |
|
| |
|
| |
|
