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The sand beach in the area is an impressive 27 km (17 mi) with many points of interest and activities.
Words by Kathleen Walls
The City of New Smyrna Beach’s 27 km (17 mi) sand shore draws visitors, surfers and snowbirds like a magnet every winter even though almost all surveys report it’s the most dangerous beach for shark attacks and surfing accidents.
Does that mean you should avoid New Smyrna Beach? Let’s look at some facts first. More than 400,000 people visit the area annually. Plus, it’s one of Florida’s most popular places to surf. According to the International Wildlife Museum, the chances of a shark attack fatality are one in 3,748,067, making the odds more likely of being killed by lightning or fireworks.
Still, use common sense when swimming at any ocean beach. Avoid murky waters, don’t wear shiny jewelry, don’t swim at night, and don’t go into ocean inlets like the Ponce de Leon Inlet where sharks are commonly known to feed on baitfish. If you are still concerned, do what I did and enjoy the water in a different way.
Kayaking New Smyrna Beach
I took a paddling trip into the Indian River and Mosquito Lagoons. Eric, our certified wildlife guide with Viking Eco Tours, met us at the Apollo Beach Visitors Center in Canaveral National Seashore.
He had kayaks propelled with foot paddles and we toured Turtle Mound, a shell midden and aboriginal burial site, which is believed to date back to 800-1400 CE. As we kayaked through the Indian River and Mosquito lagoons, we saw a variety of bird species including pelicans, terns, herons, egrets, ospreys, and dolphins, but no sharks.
Kathleen Walls
Kayaking is a popular pastime on the ICW and other local waterways.
Canaveral National Seashore
The Eldora State House (c. 1913.) at the Canaveral National Seashore is all that remains of what was once an agricultural community and steamboat stop. If you’re lucky, you may spot a Florida Scrub Jay. Central Florida is the only place in the world where these birds exist.
New Smyrna Museum of History
New Smyrna Beach is a small city, but it has many attractions to see and history to discover. The region dates back to 1766. Linda Cole, a docent at the New Smyrna Museum of History, told me about some recently discovered papers from the early development of the community.
The museum received a call from Dundee in Eastern Scotland, asking if they were ‘the Smyrna’ referred to in letters between Andrew Turnbull and his partners. Besides an exhibit of this new information, the museum tells the history of New Smyrna Beach.
For those not familiar with New Smyrna’s past, Andrew Turnbull founded an indigo plantation in 1767, which ended in 1777. Turnbull engaged 1,400 colonists as indentured servants - mainly from Menorca - to work the plantation on a tract of land that was granted to him by King George.
Many settlers died on the ship before they reached Florida. When the rest arrived in 1768, there were few of the promised accommodations and conditions were brutal. Many died over the next few years. The remaining colonists fled to St. Augustine in 1777.
Kathleen Walls
The historic site of the New Smyrna Beach Sugar Mills Ruins.
Old Fort Park
The oldest evidence of European settlement is at Old Fort Park where there are remnants of a 12 x 24 m (40 x 80 ft) coquina wall next to the Intracoastal Waterway. It’s believed to be the ruins of Sir William Duncan’s home. He was a partner of Turnbull in the indigo plantation.
In later years, people built atop those ruins. A plaque tells about the Sheldon House, a 40-room hotel built in 1854 by John D. Sheldon. Union ships destroyed the building during the Civil War yet he rebuilt and that hotel was demolished in 1896.
The Sugar Mill Ruins
The New Smyrna Sugar Mill Ruins are on what was the Cruger and DePeyster Plantation and date back to 1830. It was destroyed by Native Americans in 1835 during the Second Seminole War. There’s a plaque revealing how they processed the cane. The coquina walls still stand and inside are several large kettles that show how the workers boiled cane juice to create raw sugar. It was done by slave labour and was a dangerous process.
Discover Sugar Mill Gardens
Despite similar names, the Sugar Mill Ruins and the Gardens are about 19 km (12 mi) apart. The gardens are actually in Port Orange and are also called Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens. The plantation was burned down twice in the second and third Seminole Wars. In the 1940s and 1950s, it was an amusement park called Bongoland and you’ll still see remains there today.
Ponce Inlet Lighthouse and Museum
The world-famous Ponce Inlet Lighthouse was built in 1887 and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1998. Today, you can climb to the top of the 175-foot tower, which is the tallest in Florida and one of the tallest in the US.
Kathleen Walls
You can’t miss Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, the local landmark and the second-tallest masonry lighthouse in the country.
Annual Events
There is always something to do in New Smyrna Beach. Art lovers will be delighted here. The Hub on Canal art gallery on Canal Street in the heart of the historic district showcases more than 70 artists and several art events. The annual IMAGES: A Festival of the Arts takes place January 26-28, 2024, at the intersection of Canal Street and Riverside Drive.
Other events include the Flagler Avenue Wine Walk that’s held on the fourth Saturday of each month and where you can stroll from venue to venue. There’s also a Classic Cruise Car Show in Port Orange City Center on the second Saturday of every month.
RV Parks
The region has several choices to stay in the area. A popular choice is Sugar Mill Ruins Travel Park next to the Old Sugar Mill Ruin. It’s closest to the city and has full hook-up sites for any size RV. Amenities include a swimming pool, convenience store, mail service, activities like canoeing and scheduled park events.
Another option is Daytona Beach Sun RV Resorts. With 235 full-hookup sites, the park features a large clubhouse, spacious sites, a pool as well as shuffleboard, and bocce ball courts. The community game room hosts bingo, line dancing, and karaoke.
Dining and More
New Smyrna Beach has a variety of dining options. Some great choices include the CorkScrew Bar and Grill, City Market Bistro, Yellow Dog Eats, and Café del Soul. The CorkScrew offers true southern classics; the City Market Bistro serves seafood, burgers, or steak and both have a variety of craft beers and wine. Yellow Dog Eats has pub-style food while Café del Soul’s specialty is vegetarian and vegan dishes.
It’s worthwhile to plan a winter trip to New Smyrna Beach. It’s always best to plan ahead to not only ensure an RV reservation but also to make the most of your time in this active Florida coastal community.
For more information visit www.visitnsbfl.com