For most visitors to Daytona, they don't wander too far from the beach except maybe down to the Daytona International Speedway to catch a race or two. However, there's a whole city behind the golden sand and refreshing ocean spray. Those who are looking to go off the beaten path in Daytona will discover that the city has plenty to offer in other respects.
Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse
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Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse sits just south of Daytona Beach like a bright red pillar standing guardian over the constant ebb and flow of the ocean waves. Pictures due its height or majesty no justice, it is around 17 flights of stairs with 203 steps that wind all the way to the top. Visitor's trudge up the endless spiral lured by promises of a stunning view and thankfully it delivers. The lighthouse, built in the late 1800s, was restored in the 1970 and is one of the few lighthouses in Florida that still retains all of its original buildings. At the top of the lighthouse, visitors can explore the giant prism and kerosene lamps that kept a bright beam of light strong enough to be seen out at sea while at the base a small museum to its history has been set up in the light keeper's quarters.
Website: http://ponceinlet.org
Three Brother Dolphin and Manatee Paddle Board Tour
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While visitors will find some decent waves down on the Daytona shore for surfing, there isn't much marine life that swims near the beach among all those crowds. The Three Brothers tour group knows where to find some of the most sought after marine life on the Daytona Beach shoreline and has a fun way of showing it off to visitors. Through their tour organization, visitors head out on paddle boards with one of the three brothers to the calm waterways and shallow water off the shore to spot groups of both dolphins and the much more shy manatees that live in the area. The curious creatures often come right up to the boards and occasionally try to tip them over.
Website: http://threebrothersboards.com
Jackie Robinson Ballpark
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Daytona Beach's baseball history is often overshadowed by its racing history, but in 1946 this city saw the first African American man integrated into major league baseball starting for the Montreal Royals AAA Club in their baseball stadium. Down at Daytona's Jackie Robinson Ballpark a statue of the player sits at the entrance to commemorate the event. Visitors should be sure to try and catch a peek at the spring training session of the Daytona Cubs, the Chicago Cubs Florida League team, and enjoy a hot dog or two.
Website: http://www.milb.com/index.jsp
Sea Turtle Season
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For those that are in Daytona Beach from May through October, a very special time is going on down at the beach. Large stretches of sand are blocked off for the annual return of the Green Sea Turtles to nest in the dry sand on shore. The mothers instinctively return to the beach where they were born to lay and bury their clutch of eggs. Around two months later, hundreds of baby sea turtles storm the sand towards the ocean. Beach driving is prohibited during this time, but visitors are permitted to take a peek as long as they do not disturb the mothers or babies.
Haunts of Daytona Tour
http://www.hauntsofdaytona.com
Do you believe there is something out there, something more paranormal than what we see? That is what the tour operators on the Haunts of Daytona tour believe. This unique Daytona Beach tour takes visitors through the haunted houses and cemeteries on the dark Daytona streets in search of ghosts with a particular highlight being the Pinewood Cemetery. Guests of the tour and the certified paranormal investigators have both reported sightings around Pinewood Cemetery. However, even non-believers will enjoy the history of thousands of graves from before and after the World War I and II eras.
Website: http://www.hauntsofdaytona.com