Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station

Once upon a time (April 4th, 2010) in a land far, far away (Ponce Inlet, about an hour away from Orlando), there stood (still standing) a tall, tall (it actually is pretty tall; tallest in Florida, in fact) lighthouse.

View of the lighthouse from the "back"

For just $5, you get to climb to the top of the lighthouse, and look around the former dwellings of light station keepers that have been turned into mini museums. In addition to all the history of how the keepers, their assistants, and respective families lived, there is a pretty cool display of various Fresnel lenses and other "illuminators" from other lighthouses, as well as the original Fresnel lens that was used in the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse.

A Fresnel Lens

The most important part, of course, is getting to the top of the lighthouse. Our attempts to count the number of steps while on the way up, and down actually, weren't quite successful, but according to the Ponce Inlet Light Station Association website, there are 213 steps to the top.

Need a leg and butt workout? You'll get one!

And don't worry about being embarrassed if you have to stop every so often to catch your breath. There is a landing that usually has a window you can look out of every 21 steps, so you can use that as cover up. Or, there will be so much traffic going up and down that you'll end up having to stop anyway to wait for space. Another perfect cover up. (I won't tell anyone.)

Looking down from the top 3rd of the spiral staircase

Now that you're out of breath from the climb, be prepared to get your breath taken away again by the view from the observation deck. For once, you're actually pretty darn high in Florida, and can see all around you for miles! I guess that's the good thing about the State being relatively flat. We breathed the fresh air, enjoyed the cool breeze, took in the views, and just enjoyed the rarity of what we were experiencing for a while. Pretty awesome feeling.

If you're scared of heights, try not to worry because there is a metal railing that goes up to the waist, and metal wires that continue from the railing up over your head. So, unless you're a chopstick, it'll be pretty hard to fall through the barriers.

Part of the view from the top of the lighthouse

Our recommendation?
Definitely go and visit! =D

Address
4931 South Peninsula Drive, Ponce Inlet, FL 32127

Travel Time from Orlando
1 hr to 1.5 hrs

Exploration Time
Depending on how much you explore, read about the history, browse the gift shop, take in the views from the top, take photos, it can take anywhere between 2 to 4 hours.

What's Nearby?

• Ponce Inlet Beach, where you can drive your car on
• New Smyrna Beach
• Daytona Beach

Additional Info
Official Website