From Ponce Inlet at the north end to Canaveral National Seashore to the south, New Smyrna Beach is home to 13 miles of wide unbroken sand. Seven miles of that span, at the north end of the barrier island, is a "transition zone," which means beach driving and parking are allowed 30 feet seaward of the dunes or seawalls. Even at peak season, the crush on the area's beaches never achieves the intensity of Daytona, but it's a popular and busy beach all the same.

The best surfing spot in Volusia County is at the north end of New Smyrna Beach, on the south side of Ponce Inlet. The waves are said to peak two feet higher here than anywhere else in the county. This surfer's paradise is accessed by way of Smyrna Dunes Park. The pristine, dune-covered park showcases a shaded picnic area, showers and a 1-1/2 mile boardwalk, which runs to and around Ponce Inlet. A wetlands observation deck offers a great view of the secluded beach.

Prior to European colonization, the area around New Smyrna Beach had been the longtime homeland of the Timucuan Indians. Ponce de Leon landed somewhere in the vicinity in 1513 (thus the name "Ponce Inlet"). Interestingly, the town has changed hands four times in its existence and was briefly the most lucrative of the British colonies in the New World, being three times larger than Jamestown.