Last Updated on July 19, 2012 by Mike

Located roughly between Jacksonville and Orlando, Daytona Beach is best known for either its 23 miles of driveable beach, or for its motorsports.  The city acts as the headquarters for both NASCAR and the Grand American Road Racing Association, and its Speed weeks attract hundreds of thousands of car enthusiasts every year.

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona International Speedway was constructed in 1959 and is best known as the home of the esteemed Daytona 500, as well as the Winston Cup and Pepsi 400. You can take short or extended tours on open trams, but if you really want the full experience try and get tickets to an event, where so many racing legends have wowed the crowds.

And if you want a once-in-a-lifetime experience (and let’s face it – who doesn’t) then the Richard Petty Driving Experience is for you.

This amazing experience gives you the opportunity to either be driven as a passenger for a few laps around the circuit, the amazing opportunity to actually drive one of the NASCARs. You will receive a full briefing and instructions on how to use the car, and can then go at speeds of 150 – 170mph for 8 laps round the track. Pure adrenaline!

If you’re spending your holidays in Orlando , Disney World also offers the Richard Petty Driving Experience, so fear not if you aren’t able to do it at Daytona Beach.

Daytona Beach

The beach that made Daytona one of the motorsports capitals of the world. The compacted sand makes it a dream to drive on and it stretches for 23 miles along the coast. There’s white sand, water sports, restaurants and bars, and if you’re lucky, you might even see the odd dolphin in the waves! The waves themselves are bigger than what you’ll find on the west coast of Florida, so bring your boogie boards if you have them with you.

Beach patrols are common, and are there to keep you safe!

Ponce Inlet

A famous lighthouse offers a fantastic view (after 203 steps, that is) of Ponce Inlet and surrounding beach community. The grounds outside are perfect for a picnic, and Ponce Inlet is known as a popular snook fishing location, with other waters ports including parasailing, jet skiing, and fishing charters. Great for a day trip.

Daytona Beach is a wonderful place to spend a day, or even a few nights. Twin centre holidays are incredibly popular at the moment, especially ones that combine the east and west coasts of Florida. Pairing a city like Miami with Tampa, or the Florida Keys is the best way to get the real Florida experience. And with fantastic deals on accommodation, from Miami hotels to Gulf Coast villas, you can’t really go wrong.

My name is Jake and I work as a copywriter for the Ocean Florida, an independent UK-based tour operator specializing in the USA.