New Smyrna Beach, FL–You’d Hate It, Please Don’t Go!

And you’d probably get shark bit anyway

Flagler Ave entrance to beach access for vehicles. That building on the left is Breakers, a great beach bar/restaurant that is home to some of the best burgers anywhere. (Photo by author)

New Smyrna Beach, Florida is a laid back beach town located on the Atlantic Coast about a half hours drive south of Daytona Beach down I-95. I’ve been visiting there for 30 years. To my immense delight, its laconic pace and unpretentious charm have remained virtually unchanged.

The beach itself is composed of sand so fluffy and soft it has the consistency of cake flour, and yet at the water is so densely compact that you can drive on it. This is what many of the visitors to NSB do, they purchase a pass and drive onto the beach where they can park and enjoy some of the best surf on the East Coast.

On the other hand, NSB is the self-proclaimed shark bite capital of the US. In fact, some of the art galleries that line Flagler Avenue, the main drag, sport the unofficial city slogan:

“New Smyrna Beach,

A little drinking town with a Shark problem.”

The week before our visit, 2 individuals were bit in knee deep water. Thankfully, we didn’t encounter any Dangerous Marine Life — The warning often displayed by the life guard flags and signs on the beach.

The town has numerous bars, restaurants, gift shops, and beachwear boutiques. Several of the…