Ponce Inlet

Just south of Daytona Beach and Daytona Beach Shores, you'll find the scenic fishing town of Ponce Inlet. While much of the Daytona Beach area coastline has been developed to great extent, this small town has essentially shunned developmental exploitation. As such, Ponce Inlet vacations are ideal for those who want to enjoy a more relaxed Daytona Beach area vacation. The Ponce Inlet beaches are some of the most inviting beaches in north-central Florida, and they certainly attract their fair share of visitors. In addition hanging out at the beach, many Ponce Inlet visitors also come to see the town's lighthouse, which is a national historic landmark. There are many reasons why Ponce Inlet vacations can be ideal, so start planning yours today and see for yourself just how rich the possibilities are.

If you're looking for a good beach in Ponce Inlet to spend the day on, then you might head directly to Lighthouse Point Park, which boasts what many consider to be one of the best beaches in Florida. In addition to being wide, the beach at Lighthouse Point Park has an extensive collection of dunes, which add to the scenic beauty. As is true at some of the other beaches in the Daytona Beach area, visitors to Lighthouse Point Park can drive on the sand and park their vehicles close to the water if they please. This means that you won't have to lug your beach equipment very far. Typically, the water conditions at the Ponce Inlet beaches are fairly calm, though the surf does go up at times, encouraging some visitors to go surfing. If surfing isn't your thing, you might venture over to the rock jetty at Lighthouse Point Park to try a little fishing. There is a fishing and observation deck at the jetty, so you don't have to venture out onto the precarious rocks, unless you want to.

The Ponce Inlet beaches essentially form one large beach that is connected to the beaches due north in Daytona Beach Shores and Daytona Beach. Ponce Inlet is at the southern end of the peninsula that is home to this extended, inter-community beach, which has often been referred to as the "World's Most Famous Beach." The beaches, or beach in Ponce Inlet, if you prefer, are more relaxed than the beaches to the north, and as such, many couples look to escape to them to enjoy some peace and quiet. The relative lack of traffic and business activity in Ponce Inlet helps to keep it more peaceful than some of the other nearby coastal communities. Since the Ponce Inlet beaches are mostly undeveloped, there isn't a lot in the way of food concessions or beach facilities here. Thankfully, you can pack your vehicle full of beach gear and supplies and park it on the sand.

When you're not hanging out at the beach in Ponce Inlet, visiting the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse is recommended. More than 100,000 people visit this historic landmark and museum every year, and you might be interested to know that it's the tallest lighthouse in the state. Topping out at 175 feet, the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse is actually the second-tallest lighthouse in the entire country! Only the Cape Hatteras Light, which can be found in North Carolina, is taller. Built in the 1880s, the lighthouse in Ponce Inlet has seen its fair share of wear and tear over time, though renovations have done well to restore it.

Ponce Inlet is home to a few marinas, and since it is one of the area's best fishing destinations, fishing excursions are relatively easy to arrange here. Some of the fishing charters here offer inshore and near shore sport fishing opportunities, and some of the species that you can hope to snag include cobia, snook, trout, and tarpon, among others. You can also go deep sea fishing if you please, in which case marlin, wahoo, dolphin, and sailfish are among the possible catches of the day. Both half and full-day fishing excursions can be booked in Ponce Inlet.

Should you be planning a Ponce Inlet getaway, there won't be a lot in the way of hotels to choose from, in which case you might stay at one of the nearby Daytona Beach hotels. You can also look to the Ponce Inlet vacation rentals, most of which come in the form of condominium units that offer many of the comforts of home. An vacation rental on the beach in Ponce Inlet is always a good way to go, though golfing enthusiasts might prefer a condo on the fairway at the Harbour Village Golf & Yacht Club. Finding your ideal base in Ponce Inlet shouldn't be hard, and when you're not enjoying the local attractions, there's plenty to get into in the nearby cities of Daytona Beach and Orlando.