Welcome to Daytona Beach

Daytona Beach Florida is a seaside town with everything you need including the famous Florida weather.
Summers are hot and humid with temps in the early 30sC. Winters drop to around the 20 mark. All in all, Daytona is comfortable all year round. Summer brings the occasional thunderstorm but these are usually over and done within an hour in the late afternoon.  Spring and autumn are great times of year to visit because you don't get the extremes of summer.

Cheap, expensive and everything in between.

Daytona is geared towards a more relaxed tourist vibe. Much of the eating is outdoors close to the beach, although the back streets are full of the local favourites where you'll get American specialties like barbecue and rib shacks, plus bars where the beer is good and cold.

The budget options - almost all of your eating options are on S Atlantic Ave, the beachfront road. The Cracked Egg Diner does what America does so well - breakfast! Plus good bagels for lunch and light meals for dinner. Tia Cori's Tacos is on Bay St and serves up the best Mexican on this part of the coast. Light tacos, tasty, fresh toppings and plenty of corn chips to go around, plus an energetic young crew doing the serving.

Mid price options - Mike's Galley is on the Avenue and does a good line in home-cooked style meals of the omelettes and French toast variety. Don Vito's Italian Restaurant is back in Daytona proper on the W International Speedway Boulevard. It serves fresh pasta, glorious seafood and plenty of veal, plus pizza. Brilliant food, great staff.

Splurge - because Daytona caters to an international crowd there are many upmarket restaurants, including The Cellar. It's on Magnolia Avenue in the basement area of a historic home. Run by a husband and wife team, it's the full Italian experience with an excellent wine list and gracious service. You won't be disappointed.

Daytona is way more than racing cars

That said, racing is a key part of the attraction. If you're here in January and February, you'll likely hit one of the major events on the bike racing or speedway calendar. The Daytona 500 kicks off in early Feb and the place is awash with car fans. If you love your speed, this is the time of year for you.

Daytona International Speedway - you can take a 90 minute tour of this famous track on almost every day except race day. For a car fan there is no better way to spend a morning. Go behind the scenes, tour Victory Lane and stand in the middle of the track. Pure petrol-head pleasure.

Richard Petty Driving Experience - of course even better than touring the place is driving like a race car driver. You can choose to go as passenger or you take the wheel yourself and howl around the track at speeds of up to 160mph. It's a real thrill, a supercharged experienced and as close to the real thing as most of us will get. (Great gift idea - just sayin'!)

The Beach - there's nothing quite like Daytona Beach itself. You can drive along a 27km stretch or just enjoy every watersport imaginable. The beach is hard-packed white sand and is a delight to walk on - especially at sunrise, watching the glow fill the eastern sky and feel the warm breeze pick up.

Marine Science Centre - the huge facility is part museum and attraction and part rescue centre for marine wildlife. You can get hands on with the stingrays, help feed the other fish and learn all about the centre's work in the interactive exhibits. They started out as a bird rescue place so there's plenty for the amateur ornithologist too! It's a great place for little kids.

Halifax Historical Museum - is on South Beach St and is a gem of a place set inside an old bank. It's a community run place and the charming staff go out of their way to make you welcome. The exhibits and displays give you a good look at old Florida and the changing face of Daytona.

The must see - the Lighthouse Point Park is a historic monument set in park like grounds with a ton of things to see. Explore the early lives of the lighthouse keepers and the people who made the area safe for seafarers. Make the climb up the 203 steps and you'll get the best view of Daytona and surrounds.