5 Reasons to Visit St. Augustine, Florida on Your Next Vacation

Saint Augustine, Florida is home to a stretch of beautiful beach, cobblestone streets, and rich history. Not far from the noise in Jacksonville lies the peace and white sand beaches of Spanish settled Saint Augustine.

• The beautiful sunrises

Its hard not to wake up with the sun in St. Augustine. Its location on the East Coast of Florida makes the morning call of the sun hard to miss. Sacrificing two hours of sleep in the morning for this sunrise won’t be something you regret.

(view from the conch house)

• The local and fresh food

The restaurants in Saint Augustine carry diverse food choices and vegetarian friendly options. When going into the town you can find food tied to Hispanic culture and expand your palette. Located just around a mile in from the beach is the famous Salt Life. The food served here is more traditional American cuisine such as hamburgers, crispy chicken sandwiches, and of course served with a side of salty fries. Another great place to fill your stomach after a long day at the beach is the Conch House. At the Conch House you can eat the locally caught seafood, while sitting in a hut above the water.

• The dense history

Saint Augustine is the oldest town in the U.S. Yes you can look that up. St. Augustine was founded in 1565 by Don Pedro Menendez of Spain. Some historians believe that the first Thanksgiving feast was in St. Augustine. Originally in 1513, Ponce De Leon traveled to Florida in search of the fountain of youth. You can now visit the fountain of youth archaeological site that is located in town. A sure sign that you’re crossing into the cobblestone streets of Saint Augustine is traveling on the bridge with the famous lions. The lions were gifted to the town by Andrew Anderson, a former mayor of St. Augustine. Saint Augustine is also home to the sixth largest cross in the world. It is definitely hard to miss!

• No shirt, no shoes, SERVICE!

Because Saint. Augustine is a beach town, you wont get sideways looks for entering a beach side store in flip flops and a bathing suit top. That being said, I wouldn’t walk into a restaurant without a shirt on hand. Rules about shirts and shoes are far more laid back at this coastal destination, but keep in mind that the further you travel from the coast the more strict the rules will become. 

(fiesta falls mini golf course)

• Not a beach goer? Not a problem!

Although my personal choice would be to spend all day at the beautiful beaches, I can understand that that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Luckily if you’re not a beach goer, its not a problem! When going into town you can find a strip of shops with jewelry, ice cream, souvenirs…etc. You can also go to one of the many mini golf spots nearby or go kart racing!