In the more built-up areas in northeast Florida and the Panhandle, such as Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Pensacola, the Emerald Coast, and Daytona Beach, lodging is readily available and you'll have the wide selection of hotels and other accommodations you would expect from urban areas. In the less built-up area of the Nature Coast there will be less of a selection.
In the major cities you'll find the largest and best hotels in the downtown areas, by the rivers, or on the adjacent barrier islands. Off the major highways - I-95, I-75, and I-10, and near the city beltways of Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Pensacola, and Daytona Beach, lodging in the form of motels and chains can be found. You can also find them in all the smaller cities, although you might have to sacrifice for quality. All over the region there's a good selection of campgrounds, running the gamut in terms of styles and facilities. Here are some helpful hints to keep in mind when planning where to stay in the region:
St. Augustine and Fernandina Beach
St. Augustine and Fernandina Beach both offer excellent selections of bed and breakfast establishments (B&Bs) along their main streets. In St. Augustine there are a bunch along Cordova Street, and between Cuna and Treasury Streets, while in Fernandina Beach there are a number along and around Centre Street. At these superior quaint accommodations you'll have the fabulous and historic downtowns at your fingertips, and the best choice of shopping and restaurants. The Victorian houses hosting the B&Bs in St. Augustine and Fernandina Beach date mostly to the 19th century. In St. Augustine, an excellent choice and representative of the lot would be Carriage Way, built in 1885. Replete with verandas and white wicker chairs, this bed and breakfast is a five minute walk from all of the city's major historic attractions. The Amelia Island Williams House was built in 1856, and it has won award after award for excellent service and authentic elegance. Another B&B great is Bailey House, located at 28 South 7th Street on Fernandina Beach. This is one of the most photographed Victorian homes (or former homes) in the South, and a special attraction are the Tiffany-style stained glass windows.
Jacksonville and the Emerald Coast
The three beaches making up Jacksonville Beach - Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, and Atlantic Beach, all offer excellent hotel accommodations for those who want to be close to the beach, and in the central part of the city of Jacksonville with easy access to the main tourist zones. The same thing goes for the cities and towns of the Emerald Coast, in that the hotels are all located very close to the beaches, the nightlife, and the other main attractions.
Aside from the hotels, there are many excellent resorts on Emerald Coast, in all of the major settlements on the coast. Perhaps the best known are WaterColor Inn and Resort, near Pensacola on Santa Rosa Island, and Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, near Destin. Of the two, WaterColor is the more expensive, while Sandestin is actually a community of resorts. The two offer fishing, canoeing, and all the amenities of first-class resorts.
Cedar Key
If you're traveling to Cedar Key to see the manatees, go kayaking, or try the tasty seafood, don't think that accommodations have to be relegated to a dusty motel on the side of the dusty road. They've got that too! However, the two best rests around can be had at Marina Motel, located on Route 24 entering Cedar Key, and Island Hotel, located at 373 2nd Street. Marina Motel overlooks the Gulf and has facilities to fillet and barbecue the fish you catch; Island Hotel was built in 1859 and is on the National Register of Historic Buildings.
Hotels in Jacksonville, Destin, Daytona Beach, Pensacola, St. Augustine, Northeast Florida
Hotels
|
|
|