Guide to Daytona Area vacation rentals

Vacationers have been flocking to the Daytona Beach area for more than a century. During the late 1800s, the area caught the attention and imagination of many wealthy northern tycoons, who found the land favorable for investment. One such mogul, Mathias Day, founding father of what was then called Daytona, built the first hotel, the Palmetto House, in 1874.

At the turn of the 20th century, automobile racing along the hard-packed beaches became a regular pastime. In 1947, the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing was founded in Daytona Beach. Motor sports gained new ground in 1959 with the opening of the Daytona International Speedway.

Each year, the Daytona Beach area entertains approximately 8 million visitors, who come to relax and enjoy recreational activities at one of the most beautiful, family-friendly beaches in Florida. Although the wide stretch of white sandy beach is still the biggest attraction here, the Ocean Center convention complex, the new Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) golf course, and the Halifax Harbor Marina are signs of the new feel to Daytona Beach over the last several years. Historical sites like the Main Street Pier, the Oceanfront Boardwalk, and the Clocktower in Oceanfront Park add to the appeal of the city.

Daytona International Speedway is the home of "The Great American Race" -- the Daytona 500. The season-opening NASCAR Winston Cup event draws the largest audience in motor sports, and the enormous 480-acre motor sports complex boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe, thus earning it the title of "World Center of Racing."

DAYTONA USA, which opened July 5, 1996, has transformed Daytona International Speedway into a destination for tourists looking to acquaint themselves with the history of motor sports activity in the Daytona Beach area. Called "The Ultimate Motor Sports Attraction," DAYTONA USA is a highly interactive multi-million-dollar entertainment facility designed to broaden the entertainment and educational experience for visitors of all ages, whether or not they are racing fans.

Daytona Beach also offers cultural opportunities with many museums, such as the Southeast Museum of Photography, which is Florida's official museum of photography. Seaside Music Theater is the only professional music theater in the Southeastern United States that combines a full-pit orchestra with its productions.

Lake Helen is a small, country town of less than 2,800 people located just off the I-4 corridor between Daytona, the beaches, and Orlando. Here folks still ride their horses in the streets, there's a public horse arena in the center of the business district, and City Hall was actually a school until a short time ago.

Hidden away in Lake Helen's southeastern corner is the unique settlement of Cassadaga. Founded as a "spiritualist" camp in the late 1800's, it is in large part a cluster of tiny cottages placed on land controlled by the organization. There are almost as many "mediums" offering "readings" as there are cottages.

The New Smyrna Beach area is surrounded the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Intracoastal Waterway to the west and Mosquito Lagoon in between the two. New Smyrna prides itself on being a laid-back coastal town, free of the crowds, pollution, and noise that plague other Florida beaches. It is an ideal location for those who are looking to go wild with water sports.

Ormond-by-the-Sea and Ormond Beach are located at the northern end of the Daytona Beach area. The Ormond Beach area was once home to the Rockefellers and the Flaglers, as well as the early automotive pioneers who tested their inventions on the hard-packed beach. Ormond Beach became known as the "birthplace of speed" due to the various land speed records set there.

Today Ormond Beach features attractions like the Casements, the former winter home of John D. Rockefeller and now on the National Register of Historic Places. The Casements serves as a cultural center for Ormond Beach, with creative experiences for all ages. Visitors seeking a quieter part of the beach can find it in the Ormond Beach area.

Daytona Beach Shores was formed in 1960 by a group of moteliers who called themselves "2,000 Cottages." This relatively new city was incorporated in 1967, and stretches for 5 1/2-miles along the Atlantic Ocean. At the southern tip of the peninsula is the scenic fishing village of Ponce Inlet. Local charter fishing boats are located here, along with several of the area's best seafood restaurants.

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona USA

Southeast Museum of Photography

Seaside Music Theater

Accommodations in the Daytona area will be of all types – single family homes, condominiums and villas, cottages.

HIGH SEASON -- June, July and August and January, February, March