Have you ever dreamed about driving down the beach in a convertible with the roof down and your hair whipped by the wind? This is the place where you really could do this. It’s one of the few places where you are allowed to drive on the hard packed sands here during specific times and seasons. For safety’s sake you can only do about 10 miles an hour, but the stretch is 18 miles long and great fun.

There’s more to Daytona than just cars too, white sand, sparkling blue water and plenty of people to enjoy life with as you sunbathe, surf, play volleyball, swim, look for seashells and more. This is a great place to socialise and people watch.

The legacy of car racing at Daytona began in the early 1900s with the hard packed sand and the party-hearty atmosphere of the spring break tradition. For a time it stopped the area being a family tourist destination, however today this no longer holds true and Daytona beach is considered a premier family holiday location. This said, Bike Week is now the biggest event on the Daytona calendar along with the world famous Daytona International Speedway which is home to the Daytona 500 part of the NASCAR calendar.

It may be beach and cars that draw people here, but there’s much more once you’ve arrived. Theatre, concerts, museums and international music festivals all take place here. The museum of Arts and Sciences is located in 90 acres of natural land and features permanent and travelling exhibitions, 18th, 19th and 20th century furniture, paintings, sculpture and decorative arts and more. Other museums of interest include the Halifax Historical Museum, the Southeast Museum of Photography and the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse and Museum.

There’s plenty of recreational activities to be found here from swimming in the sparkling waters to scuba diving in the off shore reefs. There are a number of golf course that will appeal to pro’s and amateurs alike as well as deep sea fishing. Divers will be in their element as there are over a dozen well known wrecks here that are great for underwater exploration as well as many reefs and plenty of sea life.

Shopping may not be the main attraction here, but there’s plenty of retail therapy to be found with shopping malls and boutiques. The Riverfront Market place along Beach Street in the downtown historic district gives a great experience of strolling amid lush palm lined avenues, and the Volusia Mall is one of the most popular locally with all the big name brands represented.

Free concerts are held at the Oceanfront band shell every spring and summer. This historic landmark was built over 60 years ago and you can experience everything from jazz to Dixieland, blues, folk and more here. There are also other venues hosting big name acts through the year too.

So if someone says to you that Daytona is just where the spring break partiers go, and where racing enthusiasts meet, you can quickly correct them and tell them all the exciting things that can be found here on a fun family break.