In 2005, Craig and I made a quick stop in Daytona Beach during a road trip and left thinking, “Wait…we really liked that?” It surprised us in the best kind of way. Fast forward nearly 20 years, and we decided to go back — this time flying directly from RDU to Daytona Beach International Airport on Breeze Airways to see if the magic still held up. Spoiler: It absolutely did.
In fact, this trip may have been even better – we experienced a lot more of the adventure and beauty on offer, including our new favorite town, New Smyrna Beach. We visited in partnership with Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB) to highlight the new nonstop flight from RDU which makes it easy to reach not just one, but three incredible destinations: Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach, and West Volusia.
In just a few days, we experienced the unique vibe of each area — from stunning beach scenes and serene sunrises to epic seafood and even a magical moment with a manatee. And the best part? We were sipping cocktails by the ocean less than three hours after leaving Raleigh.
Below is everything we experienced — and what we think you’ll love on your own long weekend escape to Daytona Beach on the Florida coast.
Getting There is a Breeze (Literally)
We flew out of Raleigh-Durham Airport (RDU) at 3:10pm on a Thursday afternoon and landed in Daytona Beach at 4:50pm. By 5:30pm, we were checked into our oceanfront suite at the Renaissance Hotel. That flight time is faster than driving to the beaches on the NC coast, without the traffic, parking headaches, or road trip fatigue.
Flights leave for DAB on Thursday afternoon, and return to RDU on Sunday evening – giving you a perfect 3-night weekend of fun!
Love the race car at the baggage carousel at DAB
Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB) might be small, but that’s its superpower. It’s quiet, clean, modern, and efficient. No long lines. Parking is close. The rental car counter is near the baggage carousels and pickup is just steps away outside. And the drive to our beachside accommodation was just under 20-minutes. That’s the kind of airport experience we yearn for!
Day 1: Welcome to Daytona Beach
With that quick arrival, you have time for a late afternoon beach swim or poolside cocktail before heading out for dinner!
Check in: Renaissance Daytona Beach Oceanfront Hotel
We loved our king ocean view balcony suite at the new and stylish Renaissance Daytona Beach. It had an angular layout that gave us incredible wraparound views, and a balcony where we left the door open to sleep to the sound of the waves.
The pool area is lush and stylish, with palms, submerged loungers, and a bar slinging tasty cocktails. At night, the pool glows red; in the morning, blue, all of which looks stunning from your balcony.
Tip: $15 of your daily destination fee goes toward food and drink at the bar, which is enough to cover a cocktail or two beers. Plus, this hotel fee includes free boogie board and bike rentals.
Only downsides: bad Keurig Starbucks coffee (I couldn’t drink it) and an empty body wash in the shower on arrival. Small annoyances, but worth noting when staying somewhere at a higher price point.
Here is our more in-depth review of the Renaissnace Daytona Beach Oceanfront hotel.
Sunset Dinner at Our Deck Down Under
We kicked off our weekend with dinner at Our Deck Down Under, a laid-back, over-the-water seafood joint with sunset views and food that absolutely delivered. If you only take one food tip from me: order the bacon cheddar jalapeño grits.
As travel content creators living in the South, we’ve tried our fair share of grits, but these were next level, “please sir, can I have some more? And the recipe too?” Smoky, cheesy, just the right amount of heat. They completely outshone my (already great) blackened mahi salad. Craig’s seafood platter was stacked with crab, shrimp, calamari, and fish — perfect if you want to share or sample a little of everything.
The sunset behind the bridge was a little clouded, but the glowing pinks and lightning storms off in the distance gave us quite the atmospheric welcome. NOTE: You may have to wait for a table, but there is a bar you can order from and plenty of places outside to wait and enjoy the water views.
Moon Rise over the ocean
With chamomile tea in hand, we ended our evening on the balcony of our ocean view suite (why would you book anything but) watching the full moon rising over the ocean and the pool lit up below. This is what beach getaways are made of.
Day 2: Exploring Daytona Beach & Ponce Inlet
Sunrise and a Swim
There’s no better way to start the day than with a sunrise swim. The colors were spectacular, even with cloud cover. At the Renaissance you have options: Sunrise on your balcony, or sunrise on the beach just steps away.
We caught sunrise from our hotel balcony on the first morning and the next with our toes in the sand before diving into the waves. Oh, and dolphins joined us in the distance both times!
Breakfast at Crabby Joe’s
Crabby Joe’s sits out on a private pier over the water about 15-minutes from the Renaissance hotel. We ate breakfast while watching surfers catch waves. It was energizing and peaceful — and reminded me of mornings back at Burleigh Beach in Australia with coffee in hand watching the surfers.
Surf culture here is strong — you’ll feel it everywhere in Daytona Beach and even more so in New Smyrna Beach. Oh, and the service and food were great. You won’t be disappointed with a meat lovers’ omelet and crab benedict.
Ponce Inlet Lighthouse
“Did you go to Ponce Inlet?” seemed to be every local’s first question. We’re glad we could say yes — and you should go, too. Climb to the top of Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, Florida’s tallest lighthouse for sweeping 360-degree views over the inlet, waterways, and barrier islands. The snowy white sand bar island felt straight out of the Whitsundays.
The old buildings on the lighthouse grounds house small museums that share the Lighthouse’s 135-year history. My favorites were the lens exhibit building, and the kerosene storage building.
Don’t miss the Constance D Hunter Historic Pacetti Hotel, which recently reopened after a four-year restoration into a public museum. They had a fascinating shark exhibit when we visited in partnership with the nearby Marine Science Center.
Lunch at Racing’s North Turn
This legendary NASCAR-themed restaurant sits right where Daytona Breach’s original beach races took place. North Turn is where racing history began with beach races starting in 1936 and held each year until 1958 when NASCAR relocated to the Daytona Speedway. The restaurant has a small museum in front with lots of photos that tell the story. You can also hop in vintage cars and motorbikes for fun photos.
Racing’s North Turn has a diverse seafood-centric menu and unbeatable ocean views. This pairs beautifully on a hot day with their spicy margarita. On Fridays (when we visited) they do a live recording of the Legends of Racing Radio Show.
Beach Bike Ride
We timed our beach bike ride for low tide (around 2:49pm) and it made all the difference. The sand was firm, the breeze was refreshing, and we cruised for 30 minutes one way before doubling back. The Renaissance hotel offers two-hour complimentary rentals (or you can rent e-bikes in Daytona Beach). There are plenty of bars along the beach if you want to turn it into a pedal-and-sip. And you can also take your bikes up to the “Daytona Beach World’s Most Famous Beach” sign on the boardwalk.
We originally wanted to ebike all the way down to Ponce Inlet, but at 18 miles return, it felt too ambitious for this trip, even with ebikes (that are speed limit capped on the beach itself).
Beach, Pool & Cocktail Time
After the day’s active adventures, we needed some rest time. So, we spent the afternoon split between the hotel pool at the Renaissance and the beach out the front.
Daytona Beach has 23 miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline with wide, hard-packed sand to enjoy beach driving, bike riding, running, and games. Opportunities abound for surfing, paddleboarding, and swimming. I loved seeing food trucks parked on the beach, and the very important ice cream truck driving up and down serving beach goers!
The hotel pool is gorgeous — stylish and tropical, with palms, water loungers, and ocean views. Don’t miss the ube bae cocktail from the bar. It took me straight back to Thailand with its Southeast Asian flavors. And considering it was a beachfront hotel bar, I found the $14 price of this unique cocktail very reasonable.
Tip: On Fridays, pool bar drinks are 50% off — just double-check your bill because our discount was missed and then did not appear corrected on our final hotel bill.
Dinner at Ocean Deck
Another fantastic Daytona Beach oceanfront restaurant with a laid-back vibe. Ocean Deck is a 15-minute beach walk from the hotel (15 mins) but we were running late so caught an Uber.
Upstairs is a quieter family dining space (with a host) and great window views of the beach. Downstairs is a more casual seat yourself with live music to enjoy. The bar has live music every day 4pm – 7pm featuring local acoustic musicians, then bands (often reggae) play 9pm – 1am.
Ocean Deck has a variety of dishes from burgers to salads and seafood, which is fresh and locally sourced. I had a mango, walnut, and cranberry chicken salad that hit the spot and Craig enjoyed his mahi mahi sandwich.
Daytona Beach Bandshell Beach Concert
We ended the night with a live concert (cover bands) at the Daytona Beach Bandshell, which is held every Friday and Saturday night during the summer. Lynyrd Skynyrd was playing the night we went. We’re not huge fans but really enjoyed the high energy, local experience. We were disappointed to miss the next week’s amazing lineup – Prince on the Friday, Bon Jovi on the Saturday!!
You can get VIP seats up close (which we did) or just bring a chair and sit further back. Some people watched from balconies at Ocean Walk Shoppes. It was an easy 5-minute walk home along the beach. We ended the day again with chamomile tea and moonrises from our hotel balcony. Bonus: Saturday concerts include fireworks!
Day 3: Blue Springs & New Smyrna Beach
New Smyrna Beach completely stole our hearts and has officially earned the title of our new favorite beach town in Florida. While Daytona Beach offers more of a lively, touristy vibe, New Smyrna Beach feels like a relaxed coastal community where locals still outnumber visitors. It reminded us so much of the Australian beach towns we grew up with — where surfboards are strapped to bikes, the music drifts out of breezy open bars, and the energy is laid-back but buzzing with soul.
From live music at Flagler Tavern to kayaking past manatees, and one of the most memorable meals we’ve ever had at The Garlic, New Smyrna Beach delivered unforgettable experiences at every turn. It’s small enough to feel personal, cool enough to keep you entertained, and beachy enough to never want to leave. But first, let’s have some adventures along the way.
Breakfast: Casual Bird
After checking out (sad I know, but just-as-great is coming) head to Casual Bird for a quick and casual breakfast. You’ll find your typical breakfast items of eggs, bacon, different kinds of toasts (including Nutella and French), and fried chicken sandwiches as well as coffee and a nice umbrella covered patio. My beach style avocado toast (gluten free) was the perfect start to another beautiful day in paradise.
If you want to get to the next spot faster, you can order your food on your drive to Casual Bird and pick it up to eat on the way!
Blue Spring State Park
If there’s one nature experience to add to your list in this region of Florida, it’s the Blue Spring State Park. It’s about an hours drive inland from Daytona Beach but oh so worth it.
The Blue Spring, located along the St John’s River, is a crisp 72 degrees which matched the 90-degree air temps just heavenly. We tubed the spring run (about 1/8 of a mile) a few times, but I ditched the tube for a swim and was rewarded with the most magical moment: a manatee popped up right beside me.
I floated hands-up, legs-kicking to stay clear, and she brushed past my belly before lifting her nose next to mine. It was wild. Reminder: Do not touch the manatees. I had to yell at a few people who were. There are hefty fines and bans, and more importantly, it’s their home — we’re just visitors.
The spring and run are closed during the winter to provide a safe refuge for the manatees. We also saw river otters, turtles, and lots of birds.
Tips for visiting Blue Spring State Park:
- Arrive early — they cap entry and weekends get busy. It opens at 8am and people start lining up at dawn. If you can, visit mid-week or early Sun (afternoons are busier then)
- You can bring your own tubes or rent them on site – they had ample. Rent them from the Gift Locker from Blue Spring Adventures. There are also lockers for rent – we recommend the key lockers near the tube rental instead of the code lockers at the beginning of the spring run. Bring food or a picnic lunch as there are several picnic and grill areas.
- Costs: $6 fee per vehicle. Tubing costs $7+. Locker $5+
Lunch at Outriggers
Process the manatee buzz with a fantastic lunch overlooking the marina at Outriggers in New Smyrna Beach – your destination for this evening, and possibly now my favorite coastal town in Florida.
Here at Outriggers, you can enjoy shrimp tacos, fish sandwiches, and views of fishermen scaling their catches of snapper. It’s a lively spot with great service. And keeping me connected to my homeland, I had a Kylie Minogue non-alcoholic sparkling rose. I should be so lucky!
Kayaking in Mosquito Lagoon
We rented kayaks from River Witch and paddled for an hour through quiet jungle-like waterways and mangrove-lined canals of the Mosquito Lagoon and the Canaveral National Seashore. These pristine waterways teeming with wildlife and natural beauty are tucked away from the crowds.
The owners of River Witch pointed us toward a cove often visited by manatees and dolphins. We didn’t see dolphins, but we did spot several manatees surfacing and waving their tails hello. Single Kayaks are $20 for an hour. They have different types of kayaks to rent and also offer guided tours.
Explore Canal St & Flagler Ave
New Smyrna Beach has two main hubs for exploring, and each offers its own unique flavor. If you have time before dinner, then explore its two main hubs.
Canal Street is the town’s charming historic arts district, known for its artsy energy, colorful murals, and a mix of galleries, boutique shops, and breweries. It’s a great place to slow down, sip a local craft beer, and soak up the creative spirit of the town.
Don’t miss the Hub on Canal, one of the most creative art studio spaces we’ve visited. Footprints on the floor weave around studio spaces and up mural-covered stairs to peruse the artwork and possibly see artists at work. Outside is a bright mural covering the pedestrian crossing reminding you that “art is life is art!”
Over on the coast side, Flagler Avenue brings the beach town buzz — think surf shops, seafood shacks, live music bars, and the kind of laid-back nightlife that pulls you in and keeps you out longer than you planned.
You can stroll from the beach straight into a wine bar, catch a sunset concert, or dance under the stars at Flagler Tavern. Whether you’re after art or action, these two streets show off the best of what New Smyrna Beach has to offer.
Stay at New Symrna Beach
Consider staying in New Smyrna Beach at the award-winning Black Dolphin Inn (it has a 2-night min). Or the SpringHill Suites by Marriott in town and walking distance to everything also looked great.
Dinner at The Garlic
The Garlic is hands down one of the best restaurant experiences of my life. This Italian restaurant in New Smyrna Beach is wildly creative — built around trees, lots of different rooms and sections with differing vibes and eclectic decorations (think spectacles hanging from the bar, crazy masks, and papier Mache figurines) buzzing with two different live music performers, people sipping wine at outdoor bars while waiting for tables. And of course, garlic hanging everywhere – the smell is divine. To add to the crazy, we had a wild storm dumping rain forcing us to cozy up more together.
We explored every corner while we waited (with a decent Aperol Spritz), then devoured our meal: mussels with a slurp-worthy broth, lamb chops with spicy jelly, highly-praised Ravioli Bolognaise, wood-fired salmon, and bread served with a whole roasted garlic head.
Our waiter Nate even brought me cucumber slices instead of bread (gluten-free friendly). He was an exceptional waiter, friendly yet efficient, and offered great suggestions including a Super Tuscan red that paired perfectly with all our dishes. As if I needed another reason to return to New Smyrna Beach.
Live Music at Flagler Tavern
Our Uber driver dropped us off at Flagler Tavern with these words: “Go straight to the back.” We did. And we didn’t leave. It was packed with people of all ages dancing to an eclectic rock band, Stereo FM. We turned to each other yelling, “Why doesn’t Raleigh have this!?”
It felt like New Smyrna Beach turned into a beach party — fun, unpretentious, and full of life. We had such a fun time, and thankfully walked home at a respectful hour when they finished. You could bar hop and stay out later if you wanted.
Day 4: Farewell With a Few Final Stops
We enjoyed having a chilled morning to enjoy New Smyrna Beach, starting with an early morning beach walk before heading down Flagler Ave.
Breakfast at Third Wave Café & Wine Bar
Tucked away under bamboo trees, Third Wave is charming and peaceful. I had a delicious wood fired brisket breakfast bowl with roasted potatoes, roasted red pepper, corn mozzarella blend, over easy eggs, and red pepper coulis, Craig went with the southwestern hash version.
Prices are higher here, but the quality of the innovative global flavors fused with Southern coastal traditions and ambiance may make it worth it.
Banyan tree – A real stunner!
Hot Tip: Cross the road to admire the ginormous Banyan tree – a favorite of ours from Southeast Asia (even back home in Australia). This is the first one we’ve seen in the USA.
Coffee at Lumina
If you like to take your morning coffee in an open bohemian space with swinging chairs, comfy couches, and giant jenga, Lumina on Flagler Ave is your next stop. The coffee wasn’t that bad either!
Smyrna Dunes Park
A last-minute decision to the Smyrna Dunes Park located on the northern end of the New Smyrna Island turned into a hidden gem. 1.5 miles of wide boardwalks loop through dunes with amazing views of Ponce Inlet, the lighthouse, and dog-friendly beaches. It’s a haven for nature lovers due to its five ecosystems: ocean, river, dunes, scrub and saltwater marsh. Keep a look out for gopher tortoises sunning themselves amongst the dunes. We loved the views of the lighthouse from here.
It’s an $11 entrance fee, which also covers the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse admission. We found this out too late to use it, but that’s why we go before you – to make the mistakes and help you avoid them! Inside the park is a small red Espresso truck selling fairly decent coffee, smoothies, and light bites.
Lunch at Blue Flame (ONE DAYTONA)
For a convenient lunch stop near the Daytona International Speedway pop into Blue Flame inside The DAYTONA hotel. This is a great lunch option if you’re squeezing in a race tour — NASCAR fans will love sitting amongst race cars and motorbikes and its views overlooking Victory Circle. I had a delicious shrimp and mango salad, and Craig a flavorful (and huge) grilled chicken trashcan nachos (which you can get with buttermilk fried chicken instead.)
Daytona International Speedway Tour
Unfortunately, our tour of the Daytona International Speedway was cancelled due to a lightning storm just as wae arrived for our scheduled tour — a common occurrence in Florida in the afternoons.
So, if you’re planning this popular Daytona Beach attraction, book the morning tour, as storms are frequent in the summer afternoons. We did explore the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, though, which is worth a stop for racing fans. The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is the only place where you’ll find all forms of racing honored under one roof — from stock cars to aviation. It features classic vehicles, historic artifacts, and bronze sculptures of over 250 legendary inductees, including a special tribute to the most recent honorees.
If your tour is cancelled, you will receive raincheck tickets. Yay! Now we just HAVE to go back to Daytona Beach – thankfully we have Breeze Airways making the trip short and effortless!
Need an afternoon coffee?
Right near the speedway in One Daytona is Foxtail Coffee Co (we have a new location in Apex). It had the best coffee we found in the Daytona Beach area. We had time before our flight thanks to the canceled tour, and some flight delays, so we hunkered down away from the storm with a noteworthy flat white.
Final Thoughts on our Daytona Beach getaway
This trip left me surprised all over again — not just by how much I enjoyed Daytona Beach, but by how easy it was to get there. Between Breeze Airways and DAB, we bypassed all the usual travel stress and traded it for sand, surf, sunsets, and seafood.
New Smyrna Beach captured my heart — a smaller, surfer-vibe beach town that reminded me of home in Australia. But every stop had something special – hello to my new manatee friends, I got you! We’re already dreaming of going back.
If you’re in Raleigh and craving a beach escape that feels far away without being far — Daytona Beach is it.
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