Travel Guide
Move Over Miami! This Florida Destination Is Surging With New Flights & Epic Attractions
Feb
Miami might have a reputation as Florida’s party capital, but if you’re looking for vibrant nightlife, beautiful smooth sand beaches, and epic attractions, then Daytona Beach is a much more exciting alternative.
As well as being one of America’s most famous beach destinations, Daytona is packed full of fun things to see and do.
You’ll find beachside bites and fine dining experiences, historic sites, and the traditional fun of Daytona Beach Boardwalk and Pier.
Here’s why this fun Florida destination is surging in popularity.
Epic Attractions
One of the most well-known attractions in Daytona Beach is the iconic Daytona 500 NASCAR race, which will be held on February 16 this year.
This is the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series race, but there are other races taking place at the Daytona Beach Speedway throughout the year, too.
If you’re not interested in car racing then don’t worry, Daytona Beach is home to a beautiful boardwalk. You’ll find rides, games, gift shops, and snack bars here. It’s all the traditional fun of the fair!
Away from these iconic attractions, 2025 is a great year to visit Daytona Beach, thanks to the huge number of new attractions opening in the area this year.
The Daytona Aquarium & Rainforest Adventure will open its second development phase this year. This will see a 55,000-square-foot indoor rainforest open where you can see primates, sloths, and tropical birds.
The aquarium aspect of the attraction is already open (this opened in 2024) with a huge shark tank and two touch pools. Admission costs $28.95 per adult.
If you’re more interested in historical attractions, then the much-anticipated Constance D. Hunter Historic Hotel Museum will open in Daytona this year.
Originally a hotel that was constructed in the 1880s, this is one of the oldest standing structures in the area and has been restored to showcase original late 19th-century furnishings and decor.
New And Convenient Flight Routes
Daytona Beach boasts its own convenient airport. The Daytona Beach International Airport is located close to the International Speedway and just 3.4 miles away from the beach.
You can fly into Daytona Beach International Airport from Westchester County in New York.
From February 13, you can fly from Hartford, Connecticut, and Raleigh-Durham in North Carolina. From February 14 an additional flight will be introduced from Providence, Rhode Island.
All four of these flights will be operated by Breeze Airways.
Avelo Airlines has also announced two new services to Daytona Beach. They will run new nonstop services from Hartford Connecticut and Concord-Padgett Regional Airport (which is close to Charlotte).
Avelo will also resume its nonstop service between Daytona Beach and Wilmington Airport in Delaware.
Prices vary depending on your departure airport, but a nonstop return flight from Hartford to Daytona Beach will cost $77 based on a week’s day from April 3 – April 10.
A Beautiful Beach
It would be impossible to talk about visiting Daytona Beach without mentioning the beach itself.
This is a huge beach covering 23 miles with white sand that is a whopping 500 feet wide at low tide.
One of the things that makes Daytona Beach unique is that you can drive on parts of the beach, which attracts motor enthusiasts from across the country.
But if you’re more interested in watersports than motorsports, then you can also learn to surf on the waves here, or on calmer days, you could hire a paddleboard, kayak, or canoe.
The Daytona Beach Surfing School offers lessons to novices with prices starting from $60 for a one-hour session or $100 for a two-hour session.
And if you’re an adrenaline junkie looking for something a little more exciting, then you could also enjoy the thrill of jet skiing, parasailing, or even take a banana boat ride here.
This is a busy beach that can become crowded during high season thanks to the abundance of things to do. But with so much space and so many different options, there’s a side of Daytona Beach that will work for everyone.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
