When pondering New Smyrna Beach, the first thing you think of may not be shopping, but – with two main streets bursting with irresistible baubles and booty – maybe it should be. So take your pick of Flagler Avenue with its beachy vibe or downtown historic Canal Street. Either way, New Smyrna is sure to beguile you with its infinite charms as you fill up on whatever it is that you desire…

Gyftz, at 307 Flagler Avenue, will surprise and delight you with fun trinkets and ornaments, comical greeting cards, body scrubs, lotions and lip balms for pampering, earrings, bracelets and charms, handbags, nightshirts, aprons, frames, sunglasses, collectibles and more. It’s a great place to find the perfect souvenir or gift for someone special.

In search of the perfect shower gift? Julie’s is a delightful boutique at 231 Canal and simply overflowing with unique creations from items such as embellished wine glasses, beautiful handmade wreaths, beachy home décor, locally made jewelry…and don’t forget the seasonal gifts! In fact, Julie’s also participates in the Canal Street Annual Girls’ Night Out Sip and Shop in December, which is an exceptional place to do some holiday shopping.

Looking for handmade chocolates in the shape of a palm tree, seashell, starfish or gator? If you’re at Beachside Candy Company at 221 Flagler, you’ve come to the right place! Stock up on those and salt water taffy, bulk sweets and sugar-free treats.

Canal Street Historic District also hosts the New Smyrna Beach Farmers Market at 210 Sams Avenue. It’s small, but a fun way to spend a Saturday morning and jam-packed with things like fresh produce and flowers, local honey and jam, maple syrup, homemade soaps, handmade jewelry and tasty items like hot pretzels and fresh squeezed orange juice.

Fill your beach needs at Wilde Side Beach and Surf, located at 512 Flagler and 4170 S. Atlantic, where you will find bathing suits and other beachwear, as well as beach towels, umbrellas, chairs, fun floats, boogie boards and rentals for paddle boards, surf boards and golf carts.

Or there is Red Dog Surf Shop where whether you are a beach loving local or a coastal traveler, you will feel welcoming vibes. It’s on the corner of Third Avenue and A1A in Indian River Plaza and stocks beach gear, surf focused clothing and a huge inventory of boards.

Touted as a shop with “tropical finds of all kinds,” Friki Tiki at 419 Flagler Avenue in New Smyrna Beach is a great place to pick up Life is Good, Sum Bum and Jam’s World products.

Founded in Georgia and expanded to New Smyrna Beach, Wild Oats and Billy Goats is a whimsical artisan gift boutique located at 412 Canal Street, offering all sorts of paintings, pottery, metal art and more designed by local and regional artists.

For those who like your shopping with a vintage twist, there’s Vintage Thang at 362 Flagler, styling women from head to toe in vintage clothing and accessories since 2018.

Peppers is at 119 Faulkner off Canal and specializes in high-end clothing and accessories from jeans to gowns and everything in between. If you like designers including Frank Lyman, One Shoes, Insight, Ravel or Articles of Society Jeans (just to name a few), this may be a must-see stop for you.

For a diverse assortment of gifts and décor including beachy items such as driftwood carvings and windsocks, try Dolly’s Gifts at 405 Flagler Avenue. It’s a whole lot of fun!

Let’s talk home furnishings…Island Collection at 227 Canal Street in New Smyrna Beach offers coastal interior items inspired by the tropics. The Posh Pineapple at 330 Canal also carries lovely home décor, as well as bath and body items, holiday gifts, candles, jewelry, beach essentials and apparel.

Speaking of jewelry, you will discover New Smyrna Jewelry at 399 Canal – a handcrafted jewelry studio and showroom; and Jessup’s, which specializes in estate jewelry and can be found just off Canal at 121 Orange Street in New Smyrna Beach.

When it comes to fun gifts, don’t forget your pet! Silly Willie’s, at 218 Flagler Avenue, stocks tons of fun stuff from one-of-a-kind collars and leashes, to outfits, treats, toys and other dog and cat themed merchandise.

In addition, what you may or may not know about New Smyrna Beach is that it is also home to a thriving art community, making shopping even more extraordinary. There are art and photo galleries throughout town that are sure to please, including The Hub on Canal where pieces created by local artists in a wide range of mediums are displayed and sold. 

Fernandez Photography and Art Gallery at 407 Flagler Avenue in New Smyrna offers a unique combination of local photography and fair trade crafts from South and Central America. 

New Smyrna Beach (757 E. Third) is also the original location of the Bob Ross Art Workshop and Gallery. Remember everyone’s favorite, soft spoken, hippie artist from “The Joy of Painting” Public Television series?

…and there are so many more art galleries peppering the alluring town of New Smyrna Beach, but there is also some fabulous antiquing! Just a small sample of options for your shopping pleasure includes: Antique and Arts Highwaymen Gallery at 427 Canal, Antiques and Art at 520 Andrews, The Vintage Mermaid at 526 N. Dixie Freeway, Coronado Antiques at 1141 S. Dixie Freeway and Washington Street (518) Crossing Consigners Depot.

New Smyrna Beach, located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian River, is a fisherman’s dream. Surrounded by water on three sides and in many places in between, there are well over 30 miles of fishable shoreline, rivers simply bursting with fish, deep water just offshore and several docks and public boat ramps in New Smyrna Beach for taking off in search of the catch of a lifetime or just filling your cooler.

Types of Fish in New Smyrna Beach

Offering one of the most prolific aquatic ecosystems on the planet, New Smyrna Beach has a ton on the menu when it comes to fish. Our rivers are full of catfish, crappie, carp and all sorts of bass. Plus, not only is New Smyrna Beach known as “The Redfish Capital of the World,” our Indian River Lagoon is ripe with them!

Then, of course you have inshore and offshore saltwater fish, including species from sailfish, to swordfish, mahi mahi, marlin, drum, tuna, king mackerel, jacks, grouper and snapper. New Smyrna Beach is also “Shark Bite Capital of the World.” Just sayin’!

WHERE the Fish Are Biting in New Smyrna Beach

Surrounded by rivers, lagoons and the deep blue sea, it’s no wonder that the fertile waters of New Smyrna Beach have produced a rich fishing heritage that is centuries long. New Smyrna Beach’s wide, long shoreline is fed by the Gulf Stream, making inshore fishing a hard to beat; and Ponce de Leon Inlet toward the north provides deep water access just perfect for sport fishing. 

About 40 miles out is where the Intracoastal drops off. Sailfish and tuna can be found in nice numbers there; and bottom fishing on the reefs and wrecks can result in a bounty of triggerfish, snapper and grouper. It is also fun fishing weed lines, wrecks and reefs for mahi mahi, cobia, kingfish and sails or you can bottom fish for amberjacks, barracudas or some tasty grouper and snapper.

Let’s not forget our rivers, which are full of trophy bass; and here’s a little secret…the rock jetty south of Ponce Inlet is a great place for you to put your surf rod to the test. Surf fishing here in New Smyrna Beach is famous for pompano, flounder, redfish, bluefish, whiting and mackerel. Fiddler crabs are usually the bait of choice.

WHEN the Fish Are Biting in New Smyrna Beach

Let’s be honest, fishing is a year-round sport here in New Smyrna Beach, but here are some timing tips you might enjoy. During the summer months, 10-40 pound tarpons are prevalent in the Banana River, Sebastian Inlet and Mosquito Lagoon and, if you use live bait, your chances of catching a really large tarpon increase. If you want an even better chance of catching a huge tarpon, The Indian River – which is part of the 3,000 mile Intracoastal Waterway and also inhabited by trophy trout, snook, reds, flounder and black drum – could snag you a 50-100 pound tarpon during October and November.

You don’t have to go far from shore for an exciting day of shark fishing either. The best time to shark fish is from April through October and you will most commonly find hammerhead, lemon, bonnethead, bull sharks, sharp nose sharks, spinners and blacktips.

Fishing Charters in New Smyrna Beach

It may not surprise you that a locale with such great fishing would offer beaucoup fishing charters to boot! Here’s just a sampling of some choices ranging from three to ten-hour fishing trips with offerings from inshore, to offshore, trolling, bottom fishing, shark fishing and night fishing:

Reel Compulsive Charters at 129 N. Riverside Drive – 386-547-4480 (This one is a 42-ft Egg Harbor with an air conditioned salon and full bathroom.)

Holy Smokes Fishing Charters at 162 N Causeway – 407-702-5309

The Fishing Guy at 1424 Peninsula Avenue – 407-948-5035

New Smyrna Fishing Charters at 550 Canal Street – 386-456-6709

Not to be confused with New Smyrna Beach Fishing Charters at 804 Dougherty Street – 386-868-2046

Reef Wrecker Fishing Charters at 170 Causeway N. – 386-402-3957

Poseidon (386-314-1367) and Code Red (386-214-3530) are both at 639 Goodwin Avenue

Caught Up Fishing Charters (386-689-7409) and OAR Sport Fishing (386-233-0872) at 111 Riverside Drive

Freddie Z Fishing at 129 N. Riverside Drive – 386-423-9260

Addicted Fishing Charters at 160 Causeway N – 386-748-1585

Timeless Fishing Charters at 162 Causeway N – 386-456-7156

Finn Addict at 164 N. Causeway – 386-547-4053

New Smyrna Beach Boat Rentals

Plus, in addition to all the boogie boards, kayaks, paddle boards and jet skis rentals available to add hours of enjoyment to your stay, there are boats available for rent in New Smyrna Beach too. So, if you prefer to head out on your own to do your fishing (keeping all your favorite secret fishing holes secret), it is easy to do so in New Smyrna. 

Gerry’s Marina, located on the North Causeway right by Merk’s has been serving Central Florida boaters for decades. Gerry’s is full-service, has an excellent reputation and offers well-maintained boats for rent with easy access to extremely fishable New Smyrna Beach waters. 

If you happen to have your own boat, 500 N Causeway and 2455 Boat Ramp Drive are just two of the New Smyrna Beach boat ramps available to the public.

Fishing Licenses

Here in Florida, you don’t need a fishing license if you are fishing in Florida with a charter boat captain; if you are fishing from a pier; if you are under the age of 16; or if you are over the age of 65. However, if you are under 16 or over 65, you must be able to provide proof of age; and seniors must also be able to provide proof of residency. 

Most local bait and tackle shops sell fishing licenses. Sporting goods stores, such as Dick’s Sporting Goods or a Walmart with an outdoor department, usually provide fishing licenses as well. A fishing license may also be easily obtained on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website.