11 Crazy Romantic Things to Do in Daytona Beach, Florida

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of DaytonaBeach.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

Daytona Beach, Florida is a fantastic budget-friendly romantic getaway. From pristine white sand beaches to adrenaline-pumping adventure, there’s something for everyone – no matter what your definition of “romance” is (ours can be a little strange, admittedly).  Here’s 10 crazy romantic adventures to have in Daytona Beach with your partner. Grab a coffee at Sweet Marlay’s and a hearty breakfast at the Cracked Egg Diner to fuel up before your day of romance!

1. Pretend you’re high school sweethearts and stroll the Daytona Beach Boardwalk & Pier hand-in-hand. In our opinion, there’s nothing more romantic than mercilessly competing against one another. Whether it’s racing go-karts, aggressively skee-balling, or beating each other’s high scores at Pac-Man in the arcade, competition is basically the cornerstone of all great romances. The more shit-talking, the more romantic it will feel (I speak from experience). For that extra sizzle, call each other only by your last names and toss around awkward 80’s ski-movie insults like, “eat my dust, McCormick!” or “Not if I win FIRST, Gibbons!” Top the day off by screaming your head off on the Sandblaster Roller Coaster.
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2. Drive a freaking racecar on the Daytona International Speedway. There is nothing more romantic than living a real life version of “Fast & the Furious 11: Extremely Fast and Incredibly Furious” in the racing capital of the world! Don’t worry – if you don’t exactly trust your partner’s high-speed driving skills, you can always ride shotgun with a professional driver.

   

3. Spend a day on the beach, obviously. Daytona Beach has 23 miles of “the World’s Most Famous Beach.” Grab a picnic basket and build sand-castles together (we can’t be the only grown up married people who love making sand-castles together, right?!) or stroll along the beach with your toes in the water, looking for shells and sand dollars.
4. Take a FREE guided tour of the chocolate making facilities at Angell & Phelps before stocking up on fresh fudge and chocolate covered potato chips. What’s more romantic than chocolate? Nothing. There is nothing.

   

5. Make animal friends at one of the many wildlife preserves near Daytona Beach! Make manatee friends at Blue Spring State Park, kayak with dolphins on the Wilbur Rose Paddling Trail, look for bald eagles as you hike at Lake Woodruff Wildlife Refuge, and play with armadillos at Lighthouse Point Park.
6. Experience one of Daytona Beach’s many water sports! Trying adrenaline-pumping new adventures with your partner is a great way to get your romance on. Take a surfing lesson, rent a jet-ski, go kayaking or paddleboarding, or even parasailing! Jet-skiing and para-sailing are SUPER fun, even for the most unathletic and accident prone people (*cough*me*cough*).

   

7. Take a ride on the Ormond Scenic Loop, a 30-mile scenic road trip. During your scenic drive, there are multiple opportunities to hike, bike, stroll along a beach, or admire gorgeous natural scenery! Make yourself a romantic playlist to listen to as you cruise along through a forest canopy, past sunlit beaches and through natural marshes. It’s a fantastic way to while away the hottest hours of the day (assuming your car has air conditioning, that is).
8. Watch the sun set from the top of Ponce Inlet, the tallest lighthouse in Florida. The view is well worth the exhausting 203-stair climb (I speak from out-of-shape experience here).

   

9. Catch an indie flick or a $5 improv show at Cinematique, an indie art-house movie theatre where you can sit on a couch and have food delivered straight to you while you watch your movie. Which is as close to staying home and watching Netflix as we can possibly imagine (which we all know is everyone’s favorite date night, let’s be honest), except you’re out and about so it’s a LOT more romantic.
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10. Jam to your favorite classic rock band and watch fireworks on the beach at the Daytona Bandshell every Saturday night all summer long! The best part? Summer concerts are totally FREE! Get ready to rock out like it’s still the summer of love (happy 50th anniversary to the Summer of Love, y’all)!

    

11. Hop on the Daytona Beach Ale Trail and sample beer from 18 local craft breweries! After you two get sufficiently tipsy, sober up with a nighttime walk along the beach. Gaze up at the stars, stumble along holding onto each other for balance, and think about how lucky you two are to have found one another. Awww!

Are you totally stoked to visit Daytona Beach?! Here’s an insider tip: if you can steal a day or two off during the week, you’ll save big with these Daytona Beach Weekday Getaway Deals! And check the Daytona Beach website for more incredible adventures, places to stay, and local tips.

Psst: Looking for more awesome Florida destinations? Destin is similarly awesome!

Feature photo credit: “Daytona Beach Pier Sign” (CC BY 2.0) by Erin Costa

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