The quiet beach town with the deep backstory

New Smyrna Beach, about an hour east of Orlando, is the locals' alternative to Daytona's roar — and the resident's ten-best guide on this page opens with why the ground itself is historic: in 1768, Dr. Andrew Turnbull landed some 1,300 Mediterranean settlers here in the largest attempt at British colonization in the New World. The colony collapsed under mistreatment; the town that grew back kept the charm.

10 Best Things to Do in New Smyrna Beach // Travel Guide 2022

ChadGallivanter

Local resident ChadGallivanter's ten best things in New Smyrna Beach come with the town's deep backstory: Dr. Andrew Turnbull's 1768 colony of some 1,300 Mediterranean settlers was the largest attempt at British colonization in the New World, and its collapse under mistreatment still shapes the town's identity. Today the town of 30,000-plus, just south of Daytona, pairs that history with a classic, laid-back beach scene.

Key takeaways
  • New Smyrna began as the largest British colonization attempt in the New World (1768)
  • The Turnbull colony's collapse is the founding story locals still tell
  • Classic and laid-back is the local verdict — and the local bias is admitted up front

Best Things to do in New Smyrna Beach, Florida

AikenAdventures

AikenAdventures' favorite-things tour of New Smyrna Beach detours early to the Cruger-DePeyster Sugar Mill Ruins, where signage recounts how dangerous 1830s sugar making was — workers fell into the works — before the video returns to the town's picturesque beaches, charming main streets and rich history.

Key takeaways
  • The Sugar Mill Ruins are the history stop most beach visitors skip
  • Sugar production in the 1830s was brutally dangerous work
  • Beaches plus two main-street districts give the town its range

New Smyrna Beach, Florida: Best Things to do in ONE DAY in New Smyrna Beach

Suite Life Sanburg

Suite Life Sanburg packs their favorite New Smyrna Beach experiences into a single day. (Transcript not stored: Supadata returned an Arabic auto-translated caption track for this English video.)

The day, built

  • Smyrna Dunes Park — 73 acres at the peninsula's tip, water on three sides, five ecosystems (ocean, river, dunes, scrub, saltwater marsh) on elevated boardwalks, with views to the Ponce Inlet lighthouse
  • Flagler Avenue and Canal Street — the twin main streets: brunch at the Mermaid Cafe by the river (Dole Whip on the menu), then a walk over the bridge to the beach
  • Cruger-DePeyster Sugar Mill Ruins — 1830s ruins where the signage recounts how dangerous sugar making was; workers fell into the works
  • Marine Discovery Center — rated a standout by the 12-best list here, for the lagoon side of the town

The feel of it

The Barefoot Vlogger's long walk on this page nails the appeal: free beach parking, hotels a short walk from the sand, and a little sailing-and-fishing-village feel that bigger beach towns have paved over. Come here when the plan is a beach day at human volume.

Sources: the eight videos on this page — a resident's ten-best, a 12-best list, two favorite-things tours, a full family day, and a bridge-to-beach walking tour — summarized from their entries in our catalog.

New Smyrna Beach Day Trip Guide | Best Things To Do in NSB, Florida

Spinnaker Resorts

Spinnaker Resorts' day trip runs down A1A from Ormond Beach to New Smyrna: breakfast at Beach Bros Coffee, then Smyrna Dunes Park at the southern tip along Ponce Inlet, where elevated boardwalks cross protected dunes and shoreline with views to the inlet lighthouse — a wildlife-and-boardwalk start to a beach day.

Key takeaways
  • Smyrna Dunes Park's boardwalks are the scenic way onto the beach
  • The park sits at Ponce Inlet, with lighthouse views
  • An easy add-on drive from Daytona-area stays down A1A

Florida's Hidden Gem 🌴 New Smyrna Beach! 🌊 Explore Canal St and Flagler Ave

Leah Robinson

Leah Robinson explores Canal Street and Flagler Avenue in her case for New Smyrna Beach as Florida's hidden gem. (No transcript available for this video.)

Exploring New Smyrna Beach || NSB || Flagler Avenue

Joey Foo And Friends

Joey Foo and family spend a full day vlogging New Smyrna Beach in depth, starting on Flagler Avenue at the Mermaid Cafe — one of the town's highest-rated brunch spots, tucked by the river with Dole Whip on the menu — and working through what a real family day in NSB looks like.

Key takeaways
  • Flagler Avenue is the beachside main street to build the day around
  • The Mermaid Cafe rates among the town's top brunch picks
  • A family-pace day, not a highlight sprint

Watch: New Smyrna Beach Day Trip, guided

2 videos · summaries from the actual guides

12 Best Things to do in New Smyrna Beach (Florida) ᐈ New Smyrna Beach Travel Guide 4K

Tripoyer

Tripoyer's 12-best list for New Smyrna Beach opens with Smyrna Dunes Park — a 73-acre county park at the peninsula's tip, surrounded by water on three sides and holding five ecosystems: ocean, river, dunes, scrub and saltwater marsh — and rates the Marine Discovery Center as a standout for visitors of all ages.

Key takeaways
  • Smyrna Dunes Park packs five ecosystems into 73 acres
  • The Marine Discovery Center is the list's top family pick
  • Arts scene and history share the bill with the beach

Discovering Florida's NEW SMYRNA BEACH Walking Tour | Flagler Ave to Beach

Barefoot Vlogger

The Barefoot Vlogger's long walking tour crosses the George Musson Memorial Bridge onto Flagler Avenue and walks it to the beach, pointing out the Hampton Inn and Courtyard a short walk from the sand, the free beach parking, and the little sailing-and-fishing-village feel that sets New Smyrna apart from busier South Florida beach towns.

Key takeaways
  • Flagler Avenue runs from the bridge straight to the beach
  • Free parking near the beach is a genuine local advantage
  • Hotels sit within a short walk of the sand on the avenue

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