New Smyrna Beach, Florida

You might have heard of New Smyrna Beach; it’s a small beach town about an hour away from Orlando, and about a 30-minute drive from the very famous Daytona Beach.

We spent some time in New Smyrna Beach, and I can only describe it as the epitome of a beach town: slow-paced, quiet, yet quaint… or, at the very least, that’s what our experience there was.

Canal Street, considered the historic downtown of New Smyrna Beach is a cute street filled with local shops and restaurants. While we haven’t eaten there, we always found the CorkScrew Bar & Grille packed with people having a good time.

Normally, there are interesting events happening, including the famous “Images: A Festival of the Arts” which attracts large crowds, and artists from all over the country selling their work - a must for unique pieces to add to your home. We also enjoyed watching and cheering for the participants of the Shark Bite Half Marathon & 5k, which also takes place in January. For a true beach town experience, visit The Shops at the Colony area.

While its beaches seem to be known for shark-infested waters, we haven’t seen any during our 5-week stay there, but we did see dolphins swimming happily in the Indian River almost on a daily basis, as well as while visiting the beaches. Sadly, even though there are signs stating that manatees love to hang there as well, we haven’t had the luck to see them.

We made the habit of walking to the Marina and the Riverside Park on a daily basis to see the dolphins, sea turtles, pelicans fishing, as well as other wildlife. This is hands-down my favorite place in New Smyrna Beach. Some days it was packed with people fishing, but many times we had it all to ourselves, taking our time to enjoy it. If you find yourself there, stop and watch the birds, especially if there are fishing boats present- you’re bound to have some good laughs.

While there, my favorite thing became capturing the daily-changing view on the Indian River. On sunny and calm days, the water reflected the blue sky, forming the most gorgeous picture. On cloudy or stormy days the view changed completely.

For a wider view, I recommend getting on the Harris Saxon Bridge (it has a walkway), which offers panoramic views of the river and surrounding land. If you get lucky, you may see the dolphins from up there as well.

If you visit the Smyrna Dunes Park, you might get a sighting of a bald eagle or two; just be aware that there’s a charge of $10 per vehicle for entering the park (for more info, check their website). For other places in the area worth a visit, check this post.

If visiting the beaches, please be aware that the sea turtles nesting season is taking place now; please check this page for the info to ensure that we’re not disturbing these endangered species.