As locals, were often asked what are the best things to do in St. Augustine, including Historic St. Augustine and oceanfront enclaves such as St. Augustine Beach and Vilano Beach, and what are the best hotels, restaurants, shops and places for culture and nature in St. Augustine and beyond? Despite being the oldest North American settlementestablished by Spanish explorers led by Juan Ponce de Len in 1565it continues to evolve for multigenerational visitors and tourists alike. Please enjoy our curated guide for the heart of Floridas Historic Coast.
St. Augustine Hotels
For a small city, St. Augustine packs in tons of accommodations from boutique hotels to Airbnb rentals to charming bed and breakfasts to luxury resorts like Casa Monica Resort & Spa a stones throw from ONE Sothebys International Realty. Oil magnate and Florida developer Henry Flager, a name you hear often around here, once owned the Moorish-Revival grande dame dating to the 19th century. Amenities include Poseidon Spa and access to the private Serenata Beach Club and private Palencia Golf Club. Introduced last year, the Renaissance St. Augustine Historic Downtown features a brand-new, 89-room hotel whose Victorian architecture emulates the long-gone, splendid San Marco Hotel. Choose your adventure regarding other eras to bunk for the night, from the circa 1790 Collector Luxury Inn & Gardens in the former Dow Museum of Historic Houses to the recently opened Local St. Augustine, a restored, midcentury-modern motel that blew up on Instagram for its pink flamingo motif and palm frond-patterned wallpaper. Guests of its 21 rooms appreciate other tech touches like contactless check-in. As for staying on the ocean, St. Augustine beach hotels cant be beat. Adjacent to Anastasia State Park, the immensely popular Embassy Suites by Hilton St. Augustine Beach Oceanfront Resorts new wing adds more than 40 rooms. The 120-room Hyatt Place Vilano Beach is slated to debut in an art deco property in 2023. Chef Michael Lugo of Michaels in downtown St. Augustine will oversee its Pesca by Michaels, a rooftop bar and grill with panoramic views to order his signature steaks, as well as coastal cuisine and Latin American dishes inspired by his native Puerto Rico.
St. Augustine Restaurants
St. Augustine dining also serves heaping portions of romance and charm thanks to the citys abundant waterways and brick-paved lanes. With eyepopping views of the iconic Spanish fort Castillo de San Marcos and the Matanzas River, River & Fort addresses the demand for multiple rooftop decks. Its owners, the same partners behind Jacksonvilles River & Post, and executive chef Derrick Haggerty also know how to jazz up Southern and seafood classics. Order chorizo-topped oysters Rockefeller upstairs and chicken and dumplings, chops and fried pickle hushpuppies as vehicles for remoulade downstairs. Or bypass altogether for distinctly Floridian desserts (key lime crme brulee, guava pop tarts). A short walk down the street, Casa Reina also opened last year. Located in a stately, former private home, its an usually glam setting to tuck into Tex-Mex platters. Celebrate summer with its Oaxacan spritz of mezcal, Aperol and passion fruit. Speaking of spirits, St. Augustine can hold its own against New Orleans when it comes to fun bars to duck in for a drink. Tini Martini Bar boasts a long menu of its namesake cocktail from old school varieties to the sun tan lotion-scented Bikini martini. Many restaurants make excellent craft cocktails. Cool off with Odd Birds Toucan Smash, a rum-fueled tropical juice blend poured over crushed ice. The summer menu highlights Maine lobster rolls and duck wings tossed in Thai chile sauce. Another ideal spot to chill on hot summer days is The Ice Plant Bar, whose art deco address once supplied households and shrimp boats with blocks of ice back in the day. Naturally, ice plays a big part in drinks presentation; several sizes are cut daily from 300-pound blocks of frozen, filtered water. Notice the ice-carrying bridge crane still remains while ordering seasonal beverages like the Don Henley, a bourbon twist on the classic British Pimms Cup, and farm-to-table dishes like lemon-cured local shrimp with fried baby artichokes, olive tapenade and garlic toast. The historic venue also houses St. Augustine Distillery for complimentary tours daily and a store to purchase its small-batch spirits and exclusive cocktail mixers such as gin with grapefruit, hibiscus and sugar cane. Seafood is ubiquitous, too. A couple favorites are the rustic Caps on the Water nestled along the Tolomato River, and Preserved for oysters, scallops and Canaveral shrimp and grits in a quaint home once owned by a descendent of Thomas Jefferson. Chef owner Brian Whittington also founded Chop Shop Artisan Butcher for patrons to access his curated picks for cookware, proteins, produce, cheeses, libations and homemade pantry items and charcuterie. More local delicacies can be found at The St. Augustine Amphitheatre Farmers Market on Saturdays. For frozen treats, visit sister establishments The Hyppo Gourmet Ice Pops and Mayday Handcrafted Ice Cream, whose new Midtown location opens in July. Both are available via its old-fashioned ice cream trucks, too.
St. Augustine Culture
Given its nickname of the Old City or the Ancient City, St. Augustine attracts visitors and residents for its rich history and European ambiance. Start by making the rounds of top historic sites like the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument; St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum; Villa Zorayda Museum, a Moorish Spanish-Revival home modeled after Granadas Alhambra Palace, and Flagler College, a National Historic Landmark in the Spanish Renaissance-style, former Hotel Ponce de Len built by Henry Flagler in 1888, whose tour features a massive domed ceiling and Louis Comfort Tiffany stained-glass windows. For convenient city tours, Savannah, Ga.-based premier tour operator Genteel & Bard expanded here with two choices: architecture/history and ghost/pirate. To learn more about the citys Black history and ties to the civil rights movement, visit the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center and take the self-guided ACCORD Freedom Trail throughout its Lincolnville neighborhood settled by freed slaves after the Civil War. Theres a museum and attraction for nearly every interest and curiosity. Kids of all ages adore Ripleys Believe It or Not! Golf fans can not only tour the World Golf Hall of Fame, where Tiger Woods was inducted this year, but play the World Golf Villages courses including a unique collaboration between Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, and stay at its variety of upscale lodging like the Renaissance Resort and Grande Villas. Founded as a hobby-focused museum by Chicago publisher Otto C. Lightner, the Lightner Museum covers much ground regarding art, design, nature history and eclectic collections. Summer and fall exhibits include Gail Beveridge: Embracing Nature, a solo show of the local artists landscape paintings, and Contemporary Chronicles of St. Augustine, an urban landscape survey of hand-drawn maps and large-format photographs. The museum is among the 20-block district of participating sites for the annual Nights of Lights holiday showcase, whose 29th event happens from November 19-January 31. Theater and live music thrive here as well. The Limelight Theatre, the citys sole year-round community theater, presents its 31st season with productions including the musical Bi Fish based on the book and movie and plays in its black-box theater. Jack White, Alabama and Cody Johnson are among this years headliners at the Saint Augustine Amphitheatre, while the complimentary Music by the Sea Concert Series at St. Johns County Pier Park & Pavilion resumes on Wednesdays during August and September.
St. Augustine Outdoors & Wellness
St. Augustine strikes the perfect balance of culture, history and natural beauty. In addition to claiming more than 42 miles of white quartz sand beaches, the city offers state parks, preserves and rivers to explore by boat, kayak and paddle board. Since early days, St. Augustine residents and visitors have taken day trips to Vilano Beach, which hosts the annual Florida Skimboarding Pro/Am Tournament in August. Or make your way down the string of beaches on Anastasia Island beginning with Anastasia State Park, a 1,600-acre oasis thats also popular for coveted campsites, the Ancient Dunes Nature Trail and coquina quarries used to build early sites like Castillo de San Marcos. Get a workout by climbing the 219-step St. Augustine Lighthouse, or by taking a class (adults and kids) at Atlanta-based Leap Parkours brand-new second location. Get out on the water with Geotrippin Adventure Company, whose numerous kayak and SUP tours include Guana Lakes aquamarine and electric-blue bioluminescence phenomena. Due to its educational and research initiatives, St. Augustine Eco Tours is another preferred operator for sailing to birding to dolphin sighting. Try a different type of spa service known as halotherapy at Salt Spa St. Augustine. Breathe in the healing powers of its salt caves 25,000 pounds of Polish and Himalayan crystal salt before treating yourself to a heated Himalayan salt stone massage.
St. Augustine Shopping
Most tourists make a beeline for St. George Street and Aviles Street, the nations oldest street, to browse galleries and antique and souvenir shops. Dandies shouldnt miss Oak & Adze, a modern man cave for mens grooming products, gear and oddities. When youve had your fill, hit Uptown St. Augustines retail row. Sidle up to Anchor Boutiques bling bar for a custom piece by jewelry designer Laurel Baker. Choose from her array of gemstones and rare specimens like Florida agatized coral (fossils). Specializing in thoughtful gifts for everyone on your list, Declaration & Co. displays a wonderland of fashion and lifestyle items (candles and bath products from sister company Poured Goods, Jellycats adorable fruit-themed plush toys, late night talking dress in yellow gingham). At Coastal Traders, pick up batik sarongs, Indonesian dcor and photojournalist Walter Cokers prints of the St. Augustine Alligator Farms star attraction. Venture south for gifts, accessories and souvenirs at Artsy Abode Boutique in the historic Lyon Building-turned-condominiums and retail. Keep trekking southwest for Urban Asado, whose gaucho-style, handcrafted grills win over the pickiest of pit masters. On Anastasia Islands main thoroughfare, find womens labels like Tart Collections, Veronica M and XIX Palms at Rochelles Clothing, and coastal cute fashions for women and children at the delightful Linen + Waves.
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