With 47 miles of Atlantic Ocean beaches, Volusia County has many options to spend a fun day soaking in the sun. You’ll find fantastic beach playgrounds, hard-packed sand, and gentle slopes. So, what are the best Volusia County Beaches in Florida?
Daytona Beach, one of the most well-known beaches, offers an expansive shoreline with warm, white sand. Enjoy surfing? Head to Ponce Inlet or Ormond Beach, both great spots for the whole family. Cocoa Beach and New Smyrna Beach are also excellent options to enjoy the sunshine and gentle waves.
Here are the 14 best Volusia County beaches:
- Ormond Beach
- Ponce Inlet
- Disappearing Island Ponce Inlet
- Wilbur-by-the-Sea Beach
- Mary McLeod Bethune Beach
- Cocoa Beach
- New Smyrna Beach
- Daytona Beach
- Matanzas Beach
- Flagler Beach
- Playalinda Beach
- Dunlawton Beach
- Lighthouse Point Park
- Sunny Sands
Volusia County has so many great beaches to enjoy. From surfing spots to dog beaches, there’s no shortage of coastline to enjoy.
14 Best Volusia County Beaches, Florida
To help you navigate your options in choosing among Volusia County beaches, we highlight the best places for surfing, history, fishing, kids, dogs, and even nudists.
Surfing Beaches
1. Ormond Beach
If reliably consistent waves give you an adrenaline rush, then Ormond Beach is a perfect fit.
If you’re someone who’s giving surfing a go for the first time, the predictable swells on this beach allow you to practice until you get the hang of the sport. It’s also ideal if you’re simply looking for a beach to hang back and relax on a surfboard.
2. Ponce Inlet
Along Peninsula Drive is this ‘secret’ beach spot that may not remain hidden for long.
The sand is a combination of wet and dry, perfect for setting your beach umbrella on while you get a golden tan. It also is among the few beaches in Volusia County that isn’t a driving beach.
Apart from surfing, kayaking is also a favorite water activity in Ponce Inlet. It has a marina where you could easily unload your boat using one of the two-stall boat ramps.
Another feature of this beach is the beautiful lighthouse that you could go up to and offers parking spaces, too.
3. Disappearing Island Ponce Inlet
This sand island right in the middle of Ponce Inlet disappears during high tides, earning its name. Apart from the warm and clear water, Ponce Inlet’s enormous jetty gravitates surfers of any level.
The point breaks and split peaks created by the jetty are perfect beach parts to practice your footwork. However, if you’re swimming on the other side of the inlet then decide to surf on the jetty’s side, it’s advisable to drive around. Swimming from one side to the other could be dangerous.
4. Wilbur-by-the-Sea Beach
Among the Volusia County, Florida beaches, this beach in Port Orange City seldom sees a huge crowd, so it makes you feel as if you’ve got the beach all to yourself.
Since it’s a conservation area, it also isn’t car-populated compared to other drive-in beaches nearby. The beach’s clean water has been the locals’ haven to avoid the influx of tourists. If you combine the ample walking space, the soothing ocean sound, and the refreshing fresh air, it’s a perfect beach getaway.
It’s wise to visit early, though, because while the beach is often uncrowded, the parking space easily fills up.
5. Mary McLeod Bethune Beach
It might be an unassuming little beach in New Smyrna, but it’s a hidden gem, especially during high tides.
Apart from the beachside playground and the riverside walk path, surfers tend to enjoy the waves despite the lack of lifeguards on duty.
Lots of free parking spaces line the sea wall, and picnic tables are available if you’re bringing some food and snacks.
If you’re into marine life watching, pelicans diving into the water for their fish fix is an entertaining scene.
6. Cocoa Beach
If you’re looking for a laid-back appeal mixed with the adrenaline rush of surfing, Cocoa Beach will not disappoint.
It’s an old-school beach town with no trendy bars and where you’d see surfers and tourists dressed casually. Restaurants and hotels near this beach have a mom-and-pop style.
However, the waves will pump your adrenaline up. There also are lots of surf and souvenir shops to explore with bright neon signs offering huge discounts.
Historic District Beach
7. New Smyrna Beach
The title ‘Shark Bite Capital of the World’ doesn’t deter surfers from catching a northern swell at New Smyrna Beach.
It’s pretty understandable, given the presence of very attentive lifeguards around the beach.
In addition to the inviting waves and the for-a-fee drive through the beach, the New Smyrna Museum of History is also a crowd magnet. Once a local post office in 1923, the museum along Sams Avenue displays extremely informative exhibits that delight history enthusiasts.
Land-Sport Beach
8. Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach is ideal for first-time surfers. Several establishments along the beach offer surf classes to help new surfers choose the stances and strokes best for them.
However, Daytona Beach is more than a practice ground. It also is home to surfing competitions when swells are more challenging for experienced surfers.
Fishing Beach
9. Matanzas Beach
This beautiful Atlantic coast beach along St. Augustine has pristine water where you could do more than sink your fishing line in.
People set up camping tents, string hammocks between trees, and do some clam digging.
Parts of the beach also have shallow water for kids to have a great time boogie boarding, and the small waves are perfect for the young ones to ride.
A four-wheel drive is recommended when you drive into the beach because of its soft sand.
Kid and Dog-Friendly Beaches
10. Flagler Beach
It’s a scenic drive on AIA if you’re visiting this beach town with your dog.
A cinnamon sand beach lovingly called ‘Mayberry by the Sea,’ it’s an Atlantic coast beach with free beach parking and surrounded by great restaurants that offer reasonably priced meals. There also are RV parking spaces near the beach with power and water hookup.
Gamble Roger is a nearby state park with camping spots and cabins available for staying overnight.
11. Playalinda Beach
Along Titusville is a secluded and quiet weekday beach that buzzes with life come the weekends.
Playalinda Beach gives you a fantastic view of the Kennedy Space Launch site and part of the Canaveral National Seashore. Therefore, expect to witness plenty of wildlife like birds and sea creatures comfortable in their habitats.
It’s crucial to note that Gate 13 allows people who visit the beach for some nude sunbathing.
12. Dunlawton Beach
Dunlawton Beach is along Atlantic Avenue and is within the Daytona Beach Shores.
The breeze mingling with the rising sun is perfect for a leisurely walk along this enchantingly clean beach. The sand is also well packed, making a leisurely drive along the shoreline.
If you go north, you’d see the site where Rowdy Burns and Cole Trickle shot their rental car race scene in Days of Thunder.
Dunlawton Beach is rated 4.5 stars by people who visited the place.
13. Lighthouse Point Park
This place is a dream vacation for your four-legged canine companion.
It’s a cute little park with a dog beach where even non-water dogs could simply enjoy walking along boardwalks and on the beach shore. It also is a great spot to watch the sunrise or shine with family and friends.
There is no drinking water close enough to the beach, so make sure to bring some for your dog.
Nudist Resort
14. Sunny Sands
A family-friendly nudist community since 1963, this clothing-optional resort has a wildlife lake with a diverse range of visiting wild birds, mammals, and amphibians.
It’s in northwest Volusia County and within driving distance from Orlando, Daytona Beach, and Jacksonville.
Sunny Sands isn’t exactly a beach, but you could equally enjoy the sun while in one of its pools and hot tubs while overlooking the lake on one side or lounging under a canopy of oak shades on the opposite side.
Volusia County Beach Pass
Since 2016, Volusia County has been making it easier for you to enjoy your visits to the county’s beaches.
Simply log on at VolusiaBeachPass.com to order your annual beach passes. There are different rates for Volusia County residents and visitors.
Among the annual fees at your fingertips are:
- Beach Pass
- Park Pass
- Combo Pass (Beach and Park)
After concluding your online order, you will receive a voucher via email, which you can present for a decal at any beach toll booth or inlet parks. You can still purchase the annual passes at inlet park entrances.
Conclusion: 14 Best Volusia County Beaches, Florida
Let’s review the best Volusia County Beaches in Florida:
- Ormond Beach
- Ponce Inlet
- Disappearing Island Ponce Inlet
- Wilbur-by-the-Sea Beach
- Mary McLeod Bethune Beach
- Cocoa Beach
- New Smyrna Beach
- Daytona Beach
- Matanzas Beach
- Flagler Beach
- Playalinda Beach
- Dunlawton Beach
- Lighthouse Point Park
- Sunny Sands
Volusia County is known not just for its stretch of breathtakingly beautiful beaches. You could experience the county’s art and culture when visiting the parks where history and ecology meet.
Weather is also nearly unsurpassable in Volusia County. And when you couple it with the county’s lush forests and quiet towns, a visit to any of the beaches in this article would make you keep coming back.