St. Augustine is a beautiful, historic town located in the north of Florida. It may or may not come as a surprise that it happens to be the oldest city in America. I personally didn’t know that until I moved to Florida. But there’s a lot to see and do here. Spending a weekend in St. Augustine is the perfect amount of time to take in the sites and learn about its history.
St. Augustine is located in the north corner of Florida, 45 minutes south of Jacksonville. It’s located near the coast of Florida, so you can visit the beaches nearby during your trip.
About St. Augustine
The Spanish explorer, Ponce de Leon, landed on the shores of Florida near St. Augustine in 1513, allegedly in search of the fountain of youth. In 1565, St. Augustine was officially founded by Pedro Menendez, making it the oldest city in America.
The city is comprised of several historic districts but the Old Town where most people explore is the St. Augustine Town Plan Historic District. It’s right along the Mantanzas Bay and consists of a small gridlock of streets. The main street is St. George Street, which begins right at the City Gate near the Visitor’s Center.
Getting There
The closest airport to St. Augustine is Jacksonville (JAX) which is about an hour away. While you can take a private transfer or shuttle from the airport, they can be pricey. The best option is to rent a car from the airport and then drive an hour south.
If you’re visiting from within Florida, St. Augustine is about two hours from Orlando, an hour and 40 minutes from Gainesville, and a little over 3 hours from Tallahassee.
Getting Around St. Augustine
By Foot – The main historic district is walkable so if you’re staying within the Old Town in St. Augustine, you can walk to most of the popular landmarks. It takes about 15 minutes to walk from one end to the other. There are several things to see that are a little further where you’ll either need to take a car or an Uber to get to.
By Trolley – A fun way to see St. Augustine and get a tour of the city is by taking one of the trolleys. There are a few options to choose from and will run about $25-35 per person.
By Car – Though you can walk a lot of the historic district, having a car is convenient and you won’t have to worry about getting to and from attractions that are further.
Parking
If you’re lucky, you might be able to find street parking (which I believe is metered). Otherwise, you’ll need to pay for parking most everywhere you go unless there’s a designated lot for the attraction/restaurant. There are smaller, private lots that cost about $10-15 to park in.
A good option is the parking lot at the Visitor’s Center which costs $10 per vehicle. There are nearly 1,000 parking spots there so you won’t have trouble finding a spot. However, it is on the outskirts of the historic district so if you’re heading somewhere on the opposite side, you’ll be walking (which is only about 15 minutes).
A Weekend in St. Augustine
St. Augustine is a great town to explore and there are lots of things to see and do. You can see the popular attractions within 2-3 days but you may want to stay longer depending on what surrounding attractions you want to visit also.
Be prepared for most things to have an entrance fee. Because of how much history the town has, most of the points of interest have an exhibit and a ticket to see it.
Things to Do
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
Once St. Augustine was established as a city, a fort was built to protect it from any threatening forces. Castillo de San Marcos was built between 1672 and 1695 right on the Matanzas Bay. It’s located just across from the Visitor’s Center and the City Gate–the start of the historic district.
You can take a self-guided tour around the fort to see different exhibits or recreations in the rooms. Head up to the roof to see old canons, the bell tower, and a view of the bay and city!
Take a Trolley Tour
Trolleys are a fun thing about this town. You’ll see different types of trolleys in St. Augustine taking people around the city. They stop at major points of interest and you’ll learn history of the town from the conductor along the way.
There are two main trolleys that we saw: Red Train Tours (the original sightseeing tour–since 1953!) and Old Town Trolley Tours. Tickets vary depending on the tour company but you can expect to pay around $24-35 per person.
Tolomato & Huguenot Cemetery
There are two historic cemeteries near the Old Town. The Tolomato Cemetery is located near Tolomato Lane off Cordovo Street. It’s a Catholic cemetery but used to be the location of the village of the Guale Indians who had converted to Christianity.
The Huguenot Cemetery is located right next to the Visitor’s Center and the City Gate. It was a protestant burial ground for Anglo-Americans in the 1800s and was built during the yellow fever epidemic. Both locations are frequent stops of ghost tours.
Explore the Historic District
The best way to explore the historic district is on foot! You can explore the town on your own or opt for a walking tour with a knowledgable guide.
Either way, there are many points of interest you’ll want to make sure and see:
City Gate
The City Gate is on the north side of St. George Street and was the entrance into the town in the 1800s but was also used as a line of defense. It’s right near the fort and leads right into the main street.
St. George Street
The most popular street in the historic district is St. George Street. It’s a pedestrian only street full of shops and restaurants. It’s fun to walk down as it has several landmarks right off the street. You can find plaques on different buildings explaining their historical significance while perusing the boutiques.
Oldest Wooden School House
Along St. George Street is where you’ll find the oldest wooden school house in the USA. In the 1700s, it was the residency of Juan Genopoly who eventually opened it up to teach children how to read and write. You can take a self-guided tour through the school house for a fee.
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine
Located along the Plaza de la Constitución is the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine. It’s a historic church–the oldest Catholic Church in the city–with a flat facade and bell tower. It’s now a national historic landmark and visitors can take guided tours throughout the day to see the inside.
Ponce de León Statue
The statue of Ponce de León can be found in Ponce de León Circle, right near the Bridge of Lions and the plaza. He’s known as the discoverer of Florida who first came to the shores in 1513.
The Bridge of Lions
St. Augustine’s famous bridge is the Bridge of Lions which connects the downtown area with Anastasia Island. It’s a popular spot to photograph and has two giant stone lions on each side of the bridge on the downtown side. You can also walk the length of it to get a view of downtown and the Castillo de San Marcos from the water.
Governor’s House
Also along the plaza is where you can find the Governor’s House, which is also a cultural center and museum. This is a free attraction that you can walk around to learn more about the town’s origins.
The Oldest House
If you continue south to the edge of the historic district, that’s where you’ll find the oldest house in Florida. It’s the oldest documented First Spanish Period Colonial house in Florida and was built around 1720. Admission includes a guided tour through the exhibit and access to the museum and gardens.
Lightner museum
The Lightner Museum is a beautiful historic building from the Gilded Age that’s located across from Flagler College. The building was actually the former Alcazar Hotel, which was commissioned by Henry Flagler (the man who brought the East Coast Railway down the Florida Keys).
Today, you can walk through the museums exhibits for an immersive experience of art, design and history. You can check out their current exhibitions and events before you go.
Flagler College
Flagler College is another stunningly beautiful building which was also commissioned by Henry Flagler. It too was a luxury hotel called the Ponce de León Hotel which was built in 1888.
The building is now a National Historic Landmark and part of a larger campus comprising the Flagler College. Though it’s a college, you can still take a guided historical tour but you’ll want to purchase tickets ahead of time.
St. Augustine Distillery
The St. Augustine Distillery is located a little outside of the main historic district but is still within walking distance. From the middle of St. George Street, it probably took us under 15 minutes to walk there. The distillery is located in an old Ice Plant that provided 125 tons of ice a day to the 20,000 residents of St. Augustine in the early 1900s.
Today, it’s a distillery making Florida bourbon, vodka, gin and rum. The distillery offers free tours that take you through the ice plant where you’ll learn about the history of the building and get to taste samples of their hand-crafted spirits.
When you’re finished with the tour, head upstairs to the Ice Plant Bar. The hand-crafted cocktails revolve around the different types of ice which you can see on the menu. We had a great time trying different cocktails and hanging out here.
Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park
The Fountain of Youth Archeological Park is the original site of America’s oldest city. Juan Ponce de León arrived in St. Augustine in 1513 to the area and it was later settled by Pedro Menendez de Aviles in 1565. The settlement was part of the Timucua village of Seloy. They remained there for 9 months before hostilities with the Timucua lead them across the bay to Anastasia Island.
Ponce de Leon was rumored to be in search of the Fountain of Youth (though other reports say he was in search of more land). Regardless, there’s a spring at the archeological park now known as the Fountain of Youth since this is where he landed while (presumably) in search of it. And you can even drink from it so you can maintain your youthful appearance.
The rest of the park is quite large with a reconstructed Timucuan village, Spanish lookout, blacksmith exhibit and several peacocks on property wandering about.
Magnolia Avenue
Magnolia Avenue is the photogenic street right outside of the Fountain of Youth. It’s lined with beautiful oak trees that create a canopy over the street. It’s a relatively quiet road so it’s easy to get pictures and pop into the street right after visiting the Fountain of Youth.
Old Jail
When the Ponce de León Hotel was constructed, Flagler wanted to ensure the town’s safety by building a jail. The Old Jail in St. Augustine was in operation from 1891 to 1953 and was built by the same company who built Alcatraz. But Flagler also didn’t want the building to be an eye sore, so the building was designed in a style that made it look like a Victorian home (aside from the barred windows).
Tours of the Old Jail take you through the maximum-security cells where you can learn about the inmates and security guards.
Mission Nombre de Dios
Our Lady of La Leche at Mission Nombre de Dios ia a national shrine–the site of the first shrine to Mary. There’s a 208-foot tall stainless steel cross on the grounds as well as an ivy-covered chapel. You can visit the museum to learn about the missionary efforts since the founding of St. Augustine.
St. Augustine Lighthouse
The St. Augustine lighthouse is an iconic structure of the town with blue and white swirled stripes and a red top. It was built in the late 1800s and was first lit in October 1874. It’s 165 feet tall with spiral stairs leading to the observation deck.
You can see it from different areas around the city but you can also go up it to get 360º views! A ticket to the lighthouse includes access to the deck, exhibits to the Keeper’s House and shipwreck artifacts, plus access to the Maritime Hammock Nature Trails.
Anastasia State Park
Anastasia Island is just across the bridge from the historic district and where you can find Anastasia State Park. The park consists of 1,600 acres of sand dunes, beaches and marshes. There are boardwalks that lead over the dunes and 4 miles of white/peachy sand.
Fort Matanzas National Monument
If you’re spending a longer weekend in St. Augustine, you can visit Fort Matanzas National Monument. Fort Matanzas sits along the river about 5 miles south of downtown. The watchtower was finished in 1742 and helped to protect the southern approach.
The only way to get there is to take the free ferry (tickets are available at the visitor’s center) which takes about 5 minutes. It runs from Wednesday to Sunday from 9:00am-5:30pm and rangers are there to tell you about the history.
Where to Stay
Staying in or around the historic district is going to be the most convenient especially if you’re within walking distance. There are several top rated bed and breakfast spots within St. Augustine and most are located right around the old town.
- Victorian House Bed and Breakfast
- Carriage Way Inn
- Penny Farthing Inn
- Peace & Plenty Inn
- The Kenwood Inn
We ended up staying on Anastasia Island just over the bridge and while I can’t say our AirBNB location was that great, it was still fine and close enough to not be inconvenient.
Where to Eat
If you’re wanting to stay around the historic district, there are quite a few options. Casa Reina, Harry’s, Meehan’s, River & Fort Restaurant, A1A Ale Works and OC White’s are all along the river front. We were also recommended the restaurant at the distillery and Casa Maya in addition to some of the ones listed above.
For breakfast, you can try the giant biscuit and gravy sandwiches at Maple Street or head to Itty Bitty Donuts or Peace, Love & Little Donuts.
Other Options
Haunted St. Augustine
Being the oldest city in America, St. Augustine has a long history–some of which is a haunted history. There are multiple tours around town that take you to haunted locations and tell tales of the darker side of the city.
While we were heading into downtown, our Uber driver told us a story of a supposed haunted restaurant (which I won’t be naming). A woman had off-ed her cheating husband and herself and now allegedly haunts the women’s restroom and attacks women she believes are ‘hoes’ (our Uber drivers words, not mine ha). Evidently she had a friend who fit the bill who had an unpleasant experience there.
Night of Lights
St. Augustine has become a popular place to visit around the holidays with its Night of Lights event. The city is decked out in over 3 million Christmas lights for the season.
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