Daytona Beach

The sand here is compacted fine enough to carry vehicles, and from 1904, when William K. Vanderbilt set an unofficial record, it was the place to attempt land speed records, until Malcolm Campbell's run of March 7, 1935 ended the beach's record days. Beach racing continued on a course using the sand and the parallel road until 1958. Bill France then built Daytona International Speedway, and the Daytona 500 has opened the NASCAR season there since 1959; the banking on the turns is thirty-one degrees, steep enough to be awkward to walk up. Driving on the beach is still permitted on marked sections at a ten-mile-per-hour limit, seasonally and tide-dependent.

What you'll find

• A beach firm enough to drive on - at ten miles per hour, in marked sections.
• The land speed record history - from 1904 to Campbell's run of 1935.
• Daytona International Speedway - thirty-one degree banking, tours available.
• The old beach-and-road course - raced until 1958.

When to go

October to May; race weeks in February and July are the peaks. A full day.

Practical notes

Beach driving is suspended at high tides and in some seasons, and access points close. Race weeks fill the city entirely. Spring break changes the character in March. Summer is hot with daily storms.

Nearby

Ponce Inlet lighthouse is south; St Augustine is north.