More Play, Stay, and Eat in St. Augustine, Florida
Table of Contents
Story and photos by Diane Dobry (unless otherwise indicated)
There’s a reason why many of the visitors who choose St. Augustine for their vacation come from within the same state of Florida. In a city about 3 hours north of the theme parks in Orlando, there is an inexhaustible assortment of activities that suit a variety of interests and guests. From the deep history that the nation’s oldest town holds, to stunning famous hotels and resorts right on the beach overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, to cozy bed and breakfast cottages that overlook walkable streets offering uniquely tempting foods, desserts, drinks and tours, it is hard to get bored in this quaint yet exciting town.
Several tour companies provide trams or private drivers that transport guests throughout the city making it easy and enjoyable as they can soak in the views of stunning architecture, trees dripping Spanish moss, bright red magnolias, or an historic stone fort overlooking the bay as they circle the city to any number of destinations along the way.
History of St. Augustine
For a sense of the earliest days of this country’s history, St. Augustine has much to offer—too much to list in its entirety. Some notable spots include the Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort in the U.S. built by the Spanish to protect their fleets from the British and pirates. Now a national monument, the fort was completed in 1695 and celebrated 450 years in 2005.
The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum came about as the population of the city of St. Augustine grew. It was the Capital of East Florida by the mid 1700s when the British evacuated the northern colonies and some of the oldest Spanish families returned from Cuba, where they had fled before the American Revolution. Though shipwrecks were common, it was not until the mid-1800s after the development of the Fresnel lens, which improved the visibility of beams of light from the shore, that the light tower, using a single lard oil lamp and a fourth-order Fresnel lens, replaced a difficult-to-see system of lamps and reflector panels along the shore.
The lighthouse rises 140 feet above the bayfront and those who choose to climb to the top have 219 steps to ascend and descend in the one-hour guided tour, which includes some of the popular ghost stories about the location. Also on the property is a maritime museum affiliated with the Smithsonian, and an active research program that studies shipwrecks and coastal resources.
The Lightner Museum, housed in what was once the Alcazar Hotel, a Gilded Age resort featuring the largest indoor swimming pool in America, was built in 1888 by Henry Flagler, a railroad and Standard Oil magnate. Today, the Lightner Museum hosts exhibitions of fine and decorative art, musical instruments, rare and eccentric collectibles and Tiffany glass, and offers educational programs and events. This video gives a glimpse of what visitors may see at the museum. The former pool area on the lower level with its arched gallery overlooking the “bottom” of what was the pool, is now a lunch restaurant and a popular wedding and event venue.
Flagler also built the Hotel Ponce de León, which is now the private Flagler College founded in 1968. Almost 150 years ago, these hotels marked the beginning of the tourism industry in Florida.
Historic District
No discussion about St. Augustine would be complete without the mention of the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park, which was, for hundreds of years before the arrival of the Spanish, the location of the Timucua village of Seloy, home of reportedly tall, handsome natives of North Florida and the first settlement of St. Augustine in 1565 founded by Pedro Menendez de Aviles. Outdoor dioramas and displays illustrate the story of the area, and the tempting aromas of grilled meat at an outdoor barbecue restaurant, Smoked Southern BBQ, along with a pair of handsome peacocks, draw visitors in for an al fresco afternoon.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not, a museum of oddities that calls itself “one of the most haunted sites along the Eastern Seaboard,” in its home, the former Warden Castle, boasts history and mystery as its attraction. Constructed in 1887 by William G. Warden, a former partner in Standard Oil Company to Henry Flagler and John D. Rockefeller, the mansion was a place for his family to escape the cold northern winters. The “mystery” is related to a sudden, unexplained fire that led to the death in 1944 of two women staying in the building, which had become an upscale hotel in the 1940s. Ripley’s also hosts a tram ghost tour throughout the city.
Tours in St. Augustine
Walking tours can be based on all kinds of themes—from pub crawls to food tours, paranormal walks and, of course, historic destinations. There is even an audio self-guided Ancient City Walking Tour that gives a look at the older landmarks of St. Augustine.
Flagler College, a National Historic landmark that was originally the Hotel Ponce de León built in 1888, also offers tours to visitors that include discussions of the architecture and the history of the building. To get a sense of what will be featured, there is also a virtual tour available for those times when going in person is not an option.
Tours that serve drinks are always popular and St. Augustine has plenty for the asking. The San Sebastien Winery and the St. Augustine Distillery are obvious places to have a taste of what they make.
In addition to the tours of wine and spirit libations, as mentioned above, there are many ghost tours in St. Augustine that offer a fun way to spend the evenings when staying overnight in the city. From haunted pubs to cemeteries, hotels, and some of the older buildings in Historic Downtown, there could be a different theme every night.
Lodging in St. Augustine
From the oldest inn—The St. Francis Inn bed & breakfast and its outer cottages—to sprawling luxury waterfront resorts, condos. rentals and spas, there are accommodations that fulfill the requirements of a relaxing vacation for as many kinds of people as might stop in. For some, it is the greens of a golf course, for others the view of the endless waves outside their window. It could be a quaint antique-filled suite with an outside porch at an inn that serves breakfast in the morning, desserts at night and s’mores in the backyard fire pit garden under the sparkly lights on the trees. FloridasHistoricCoast.com provides lists and photos of most places to stay throughout the area.
Eating and Drinking
Southern Living Magazine named St. Augustine “The #1 Foodie Town in the South,” and it really earns its name not only with the many eateries in the Historic District, but the top restaurants throughout the city—whether housed in beachfront resorts or those overlooking the water on San Marcos Avenue and, across the Bridge of Lions, on Anastasia Boulevard, or some hidden gems nestled among the little tree-lined streets or as key attractions in historic locations. Below is just a sampling of a few favorites in town.
Burrito Works Taco Shop has locations on Route A1A on St. Augustine Beach as well as the original location on St. George Street in Historic Downtown. Using all-natural hormone-free meats, fresh local produce, and natural fruit for their smoothies, the food is fresh and portions are generous.
A favorite farm-to-table restaurant that is also vegan and vegetarian friendly with handcrafted cocktails is known as The Ice Plant Bar, located right upstairs in the St. Augustine Distillery.
Meehan’s Irish Pub with its upstairs seafood restaurant Johnny’s Oyster Bar covers everything from traditional Irish dishes to fish and chips, fresh seafood, Irish beer and a great view of the Matanzas River. A third option in this location is The Backyard where an Island Café & Tropical Bar offer al fresco dining with Caribbean cuisine.
Raintree Restaurant, located in a historic landmark that was once one of the original Victorian homes in the area, is also waterfront, and offers everything from Beef Wellington and Kobe beef burgers to shrimp, mussels, tuna, and lobster or escargot broiled in a champagne garlic butter sauce. They can boast of their wine selection that earned a Wine Spectacular Award of Excellence Wine List, and they are known for their late-night dessert bar as well as Sunday brunch.
The oldest street in Old Town St. Augustine—Aviles—is not only a nice place to explore on foot but a good place to stop for some peace and ice cream, at Peace Pie, with its very 1960s vibe and décor, as well as its eclectic and unique variety of huge ice cream sandwiches created from ice cream, pie filling and shortbread cookies. The flagship store is in Cape May, NJ, with another in Ventnor City, NJ, but they came south first to Charleston, SC, and in 2017 opened in St. Augustine.
Beaches, Water Sports and Hiking and Biking Trails
Water, water, everywhere, and plenty of things to do with it. One of the best ways to spend a day or more is on a cruise, eco-tour, a scenic charter, sailing on a Schooner, kayaking, or cycling along the water on a pedal-powered party boat. There is even the option of parasailing over the water to get a bird’s-eye view of downtown St. Augustine. Those who want to get in the water can try a dolphin experience, or if sport is more appealing, there is always fishing on a charter boat or off a dock. More details of water-based tours are here.
For those who prefer land-based activities like biking and hiking, bike rentals for rides along the beaches or on wooded trails are available, and there is a guided exploration hike once a month, which has limited participation available and requires reservations, for conservation purposes.
Events and Festivals
Every month of the year has something to offer visitors in the way of events and festivals. From the Saint Augustine Film Festival in January to art shows, musical concerts, parades, and marathons, as well as food, wine, and beer festivals, and of course, the Nights of Lights at the end-of-the year holidays, the Historic Coast is always celebrating something. For up-to-date details and announcements, events news is available on www.FloridasHistoricCoast.com and www.HistoricCoastCulture.com, as well as by calling 800-653-2489 or 904-829-1711.
Holidays in St. Augustine
The most popular holidays in St. Augustine include Halloween, for its many ghost and and cemetery tours, which can be done by foot or by tram. The 4th of July features a concert and fireworks show above the Castillo de San Marcos over the Matanzas Bay.
Easter holidays normally feature a parade of horses and carriages, and the other favorite holiday extravaganza runs from Thanksgiving to the end of January—The Nights of Lights—when special trams playing holiday music that guests find themselves singing along to—drive around the city streets to give riders a tour of glowing white lights covering almost every kind of structure along the way.
St. Augustine in Ready for You
There is so much more to do in St. Augustine, so visit www.FloridasHistoricCoast.com or www.VisitStAugustine.com to see more details and links or follow OfficialStAugustine on Facebook, @FloridaHistoricCoast on Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube, and @FlHistoricCoast on Twitter.
Diane Dobry is a freelance writer who teaches PR and New Media Journalism at Full Sail University. With 20 years of experience in professional writing, researching, proofreading and editing, as well as PR and media relations, I currently specialize in creating content, editing, proofreading, blogging, and general communication consultation services. My personal and professional interests include travel, wine importing, food and higher education. As a member of the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association, my key focus currently is in those areas in my professional writing.