Wilbur-by-the-Sea
Wilbur-by-the-Sea, FL
Wilbur-by-the-Sea is a small beachside community between Daytona Beach Shores and Ponce Inlet, with quieter, more residential public accesses like Toronita Avenue Beach Park rather than one central tourist beach. It's a non-driving stretch of sand, a real change of pace from Daytona's car culture just up the coast.
The non-driving, residential character is a genuine break from Daytona's beach culture just north, though the patchwork of paid and free access points takes some local knowledge to navigate efficiently.
How we score beachesToronita Avenue Beach Park has a signalized crosswalk and a handicap accessible ramp, one of the more convenient accesses in this stretch. Heron Street's access has no fee at all, worth seeking out specifically to skip the 20 dollar daily rate charged at county-run lots elsewhere.
Most off-beach lots charge 20 dollars a day, though the Heron Street access has no fee.
Toronita Avenue Beach Park has a signalized crosswalk and is handicap accessible.
Dogs are not allowed on the beach at Wilbur-by-the-Sea, as Volusia County bans pets on its beaches except in a handful of designated dog-friendly areas elsewhere in the county.
Winter and spring bring mild, dry weather. Summer's heat and hurricane season, June through November, bring the warmest water and the biggest crowds along with afternoon storms.
More Atlantic Coast beaches
Coast Guard Beach
Eastham, MA · Atlantic Coast
A National Seashore beach backed by grassy dunes and a tidal marsh, with clean Atlantic surf and one of the Cape's most scenic approaches on foot from the parking area.
Surfside Beach
Nantucket, MA · Atlantic Coast
Open Atlantic swell and a wide sandy shoreline about three miles from Nantucket town, popular with locals for its bodysurfing waves and quieter, less commercial feel.
Jones Beach State Park
Wantagh, NY · Atlantic Coast
A classic Long Island beach with six and a half miles of shoreline, a landmark water tower, boardwalk, and a large outdoor amphitheater that hosts concerts through the summer.