Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:Saint Augustine, Florida
Our Tourist Attractions Expert Says:
St. Augustine, Florida, is the oldest European settlement in the U.S. It is a favorite among architecture and history buffs, because of its Southern, Victorian and Spanish-style architecture. Many of the town's buildings, including the famous Ponce De Leon Hotel, were resort destinations in their heydey, resulting in a town with as much colorful flamboyance as history. Antiquers will find plenty of great buys in St. Augustine's historic district, and those seeking a respite from daily life will find the relaxation they crave at the beach.
Most visits to St. Augustine begin with the famous Hotel Ponce de León Hotel, built by railway magnate Henry Flagler in 1887. The former resort, currently centerpiece of Flagler College, is an example of the Spanish Revival Style. The interior was designed by Louis C. Tiffany, who used mosaics, terra cotta relief and his signature stained glass in decorating the hotel. Either with a tour offered by the campus or on your own, make sure to get a look at the Tiffany windows in the dining hall!
St. Augustine's Old City has a is distinctly Mediterranean feel, much like walking around a 16th- or 17th-century Spanish fortified town on the Mediterranean Coast. The most interesting architecture is in the St. Augustine Town Plan Historic District, where you can tour the Plaza de la Constitución on King Street with its 17th-century fort, old city gates and horse-drawn carriages clip-clopping along narrow streets. The highest concentration of Spanish-era architecture is on St. George Street. On the street's southern end is the mission-style Cathedral of St. Augustine. It was built in 1797 and restored after a fire in 1887, so the inside is a curious mix of the original Spanish motifs and Victorian embellishments. The winding streets of the historic district are home to dozens of antiques stores and galleries stocked full of original paintings, sculptures, bric-a-brac, fine furnishings, china, and other treasures. Brick-lined Aviles Street, a block from the river, has an especially good mix of shops for browsing.
We also suggest a visit to the Lightner Museum, across from Flagler College. The building houses a model Victorian village, with shop fronts representing emporia selling period wares, as well as Native American artifacts, stuffed birds, an Egyptian mummy, steam-engine models and amazing examples of Victorian glassblowing. Plan to spend about 90 minutes exploring it all, and be sure to be here at 11am or 2pm, when a room of automated musical instruments erupts into a concert of period music. Kids love to do the scavenger hunt that you get for free at the admission desk.
Whetstone Chocolates is just minutes from the historic districts and on the way to the beaches, and it's a must–see for chocolate lovers. Take a free, self-guided tour of the factory and sample their famous milk chocolate shell.
St. Augustine has several local beaches. Vilano Beach, on the north side of St. Augustine Inlet, just over the bridge, has a great combination surf side and intracoastal fishing and Skim Boarding. It is often under construction for erosion, so you may not have access to the sand. St. Augustine Beach, on the south side just east of town, is several miles long and full of restaurants and hotels. At the beach's north end, cast your line off St. Johns County Fishing Pier. Rentals are available, but note that a license is required for out-of-state residents.
Anastasia State Park, also east of St. Augustine, has four miles of beach, as well as a lagoon flanked by tidal marshes, where you can go windsurfing, sailing and canoeing. Anastasia Watersports rents canoes, sailboards, paddleboats, and kayaks, and lessons are available. There's also a ¾ mile nature trail shaded by grand live Oak trees where you will see ancient dunes which are over ten thousand years old! There's good bird-watching in the park, especially in spring and fall. 139 wooded campsites are in high demand year-round; they come complete with picnic tables, grills, and electricity. There are separate admission prices for the park and the campsite.
From Memorial Day to Labor Day, all St. Augustine beaches charge a fee to park. The rest of the year, you can park free, but there are no lifeguards on duty or restroom facilities on the beach.
Enjoy a 75-minute narrated cruise on St. Augustine's Matanzas Bay aboard a double-decker boat with St. Augustine Scenic Cruises. You can sometimes spot dolphins, brown pelicans, cormorants, and kingfishers on this cruise. Charter a deep-sea fishing excursion or hop aboard the ferry for a free ride to nearby Rattlesnake Island to explore Fort Matanzas. You can also choose from several ghost tours that will take you around the Historic district of St. Augustine. These are a favorite evening pastime in town.
St. Augustine is a golf center. Major courses include the Ponce de León Hotel, Golf & Conference Resort and the St. Augustine Shores Golf Club. Passionate golf fans can easily spend a day at the World Golf Hall of Fame, a state-of-the-art museum honoring professional golf, its great players and the sport's famous supporters. It's the centerpiece of World Golf Village, a complex of hotels, shops, offices, and 18-hole golf courses. The village is built around a lake with a "challenge hole" sitting out in the middle, 132 feet from the shoreline. Stroll along the Walkway of Champions, with signatures of champion players in pavement stones.
The St. Augustine area is also great for outlet shopping. The St. Augustine Outlet Mall is seven miles northwest of downtown, and Belz Factory Outlet World is on the east side of the interstate.
Especially on weekends, the Old Town is full of strollers and partiers going to dozens of bars, clubs, and restaurants. Plenty of restaurants offer the town's signature seafood with a great view of the beach or bay. There are accommodations at all price points, and the most convenient to the historic district is the 40-room Best Western Spanish Quarter Inn. International travelers on a budget should consider the Pirate Haus Inn. Decorated in a pirate theme, this Spanish-style building has a communal kitchen, living room, and rooftop terrace. There are some very interesting discount opportunities available here, including getting 10% off if you are a historical re-enactor in costume.
St. Augustine is located on the Atlantic Ocean in Northeast Florida. It is 35 miles south of Jacksonville and 55 miles north of Daytona Beach. St. Augustine is served by the Jacksonville International Airport.