The 12 Best Things to do in Saint Augustine

St. Augustine is our nation’s oldest city, established by the Spanish more than a half-century before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. Everyone loves the place because St. Augustine has the holy trinity of tourism in abundance: Natural beauty, historic landmarks, and charming activities. In this article we’ll share what we believe are the 12 Best Things to do in St. Augustine, Florida.

Over 2 million visitors make their way to north-east Florida each year to stroll these ancient streets and beaches. We gawk at the architecture from not only the 1500’s, but the late 1800’s as well, when Henry Flagler developed the town as a winter resort for the wealthy.

It’s like the time machine got confused and dropped us in two eras at once. This is the secret sauce of St. Augustine: a visually stunning atmosphere with a massive fortress, narrow cobblestone streets, and magnificent ornamental hotels. There is literally nowhere like it in the United States.

A 20 Second History

The city is named after Augustine of Hippo, a Roman philosopher and theologian. The day Pedro Menendez de Aviles made landfall in 1565 was the day of the feast honoring the north-African saint.

There are 36 original buildings and 40 more that have been restored. On the edge of town is the magnificent Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, a star-shaped fortress despite facing many battles it has never once been sacked.

A trio of illustrious hotels, The Ponce De Leon, the Royal Alcazar, and the Hotel Monica cluster on the south side of downtown. Across the street you’ll find the Plaza de la Constitucion and Cathedral Basilica of Saint Augustine.

over the bridge on Anastasia Island, visitors climb the 165 stairs to the top of the St. Augustine Lighthouse, then gather on one of the most picturesque beaches in the USA.

There are an abundance of memorable things to do in Saint Augustine. It is one of our great American cities and everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime. It certainly is one of our favorites. We hope you enjoy the article.

Must Do: Things to do in Saint Augustine

Must-Do attractions are typically the reason we’ve decided to visit.

1. Streets of Historic Saint Augustine

Gourmet popsicles and pretzels probably were tougher to come by in the 1500’s than modern times, but were you really hoping to find a blacksmith and salmonella on vacation? They’ve spiffed the streets of old St. Augustine and now it smacks of an outlet mall, yet the old world motif remains.

The Oldest Wooden School House in the country is here. The most narrow street in America, a wee 7′ across, is here. Museums and excursions abound on St. Augustine’s historic streets. Saint George Street is the primary artery, and intersects Treasure, Hypolita, Cuna, and a few others.

Take your time strolling up and down the famous streets. It’s one of the very best things to do in St. Augustine.

2. Castillo de San Marcos National Monument

This is the oldest masonry fort in the continental U.S. Begun in 1672 and completed by 1695, the Castillo se San Marcos has flown the flags of five different countries over its coquina limestone walls. Fifteen battles have been waged here, including wars between England and France, England and America, and during the American Civil War.

Be sure to walk around this incredible structure. Absorb it from every angle. Admire the star-shaped base. If you look closely you can see the cannonball divots that pock the exterior walls.

There is nothing quite like the Castillo de San Marcos. It is arguably the most interesting military fortification in the United States. Tours run between 09:00-17:00 LINK.

3. Saint Augustine Beach & Pier

Once you drive over the Bridge of Lions you are on Anastasia Island. Here you will feel worlds away from historic downtown St. Augustine, more reminiscent of a Florida Panhandle beach town.

There is something special about St. Augustine Beach. Perhaps it’s the pier and bulwark combined with a dune-framed shore that creates such a magical setting, but this place is more than the sum-of-its-parts. Saint Augustine Beach has the difficult to measure “It” quality. This is one of the best beaches in the USA.

Related Article: 10 Best Things to do in Savannah, GA

4. Alligator Farm

We’ve already discussed the history and the beach, so here’s where we bring up the most interesting tourist attraction in town. Alligator Farm is the only facility in the world that has living examples of all 23 recognized species of crocodilian.

In other words, there are a lot of gators here. So many gators, in fact, if you come here one time you’ll never need to see another gator in your life. Not joking. You will see hundreds of gators and crocodiles. This is the ultimate crocodilian fix.

Cost of admission is expensive, but totally worth it.

Should Do: Things to do in Saint Augustine

Should-Do attractions receive a strong recommend.

5. Saint Augustine Lighthouse

Lighthouses have a similar quality. Things that differentiate them are how well kept they are, the facilities at the bottom, and the view at the top.

The Saint Augustine Lighthouse earns high marks for all three components. In other words, this is one of the nicest lighthouses you will visit in your USA travels.

If you love to travel, we have something we would like to give you. It is our professionally designed e-book and it is FREE of charge. We think it’s pretty great, and we’re hopeful you’ll like it, too. It’s called, “Cultivating a Lifetime of Travel”. Click HERE. and we’ll send it on over!

6. Lightner Museum

The Lightner Museum was once the Royal Alcazar Hotel, a “dazzling symbol of luxury and sophistication.” It now hosts an eclectic assortment of artifacts gathered by Founder Otto Lightner. He described his museum as a, “collection of collections.”

The stuff in the museum is perfectly nice, even impressive at times, yet it is ultimately elevated by the exquisite architecture of the Alcazar itself.

A highlight of the Lightner Musuem is the central swimming pool turned restaurant adorned with live music. Surrounding the pool are three stories of artwork which look down into the nouvelle cuisine from all four sides.

7. Plaza de la Constitucion

The central park in downtown St. Augustine is called the Plaza de la Constitucion. During holiday season the park and surrounding streets are decorated with 3 million lights.

Throughout the aesthetical plaza are an assortment of historical artifacts, such as cannons, statues, plaques, etc. A casual stroll is elevated by perusing the monuments.

This is a wonderful place to picnic or take some photographs, or simply traipse through on your way to the Lightner, Basilica, George Street, or the Bridge of Lions.

Related Article: A Complete Guide to the Emerald Coast

8. The Bridge of Lions

The famous Bridge of Lions runs between downtown Saint Augustine and Anastasia Island. No trip to Saint Augustine is complete without walking over the bridge. The westward view of the town is one of the best you’ll find.

On the west side of the bridge are two white marble lions named Fiel and Firme. These lions were commissioned in 1927 by Dr. Andrew Anderson, a former St. Augustine mayor. On the east side are two more lions made of granite named Pax and Peli. They were added in 2015.

9. Flagler College

Founded in 1968, Flagler College is a private, four-year liberal arts college housed in the Ponce de Leon Hotel, a luxury hotel built in 1888. The former hotel is beautifully designed in a Spanish Renaissance Revival style.

Flagler College features a remarkable 79 Tiffany Glass windows. Visitors are welcome to stroll throughout portions of the campus. A few minutes is all you need to observe the courtyard and foyer. We wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to do so because it is spectacular.

Could Do: Things to do in Saint Augustine

Could-Do attractions are worthwhile, but come without a strong recommend.

10. Anastasia State Park

Anastasia State Park is a 1,600 acre Florida State Park housing a variety of wildlife, tidal salt marsh and marine hammock. It’s also a really great stretch of beach on Anastasia Island.

So if long beach walks are on your agenda, this is a fantastic isolated stretch of sand. Entrance is found near the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Amphitheater (MAP). Entrance fee is a whopping $8 per carload.

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11. Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine

The Cathedral Basilica is the first catholic congregation in North America, established September 8, 1565. The current structure, however, was completed in 1797, and the cathedral has been rebuilt several times.

A beautiful church to admire is one of the best things to do in St. Augustine.

12. Fort Matanzas

Fort Matanzas National Monument preserves the fortified coquina watchtower, which defended the southern approach to the Spanish military settlement of St. Augustine. It also protects approximately 300 acres of Florida coastal environment. It is located 14 miles south of St. Augustine (MAP).

Tours are available through the NPS. Here’s a LINK. And fwiw, the beach across the highway from Fort Matanzas is perfectly decent.

Other Things to Do

Saint Augustine, Florida has an abundance of well-known tourist excursions. We left a few unattended for various reasons.

Colonial Quarter

The complete historical experience. Learn about blacksmithing, musket firing, manning the watchtower, and general life in early St. Augustine. Located on St. George Street. LINK.

Ponce de Leon Fountain of Youth

After digging into their website we decided to give the fountain of youth a pass. All the history is written on the website. The “fountain of youth” is just a spring. And the promo video turned us completely off. Website link. This is the epitome of a tourist trap.

Related Article: A Complete Guide to Charleston, South Carolina

Torture Museum

We looked at photos and decided it went beyond our level of tolerance for gore. See for yourself.

Pirate and Treasure Museum

We’ve been to a few of these in the southeast. This one is well-reviewed, but you should be aware that it is an import from Key West in 2010.

Casa Monica

A beautiful hotel/restaurant next door to the Lightner Museum.

An Honest Conclusion for Things to do in Saint Augustine

Saint Augustine, Florida is one of the great historical towns in our nation, right up there with Charleston, and superior to the more famous haunts of New Orleans and Savannah. This is a low key tourist town with which many Americans are unfamiliar.

The next vacation you take consider something less ordinary that the usual holiday stopovers. Saint Augustine is a memorable place to visit!

How long do you need in Saint Augustine? Two days could be enough to view the historical downtown including the Castillo de San Marcos and the Lightner Museum. When factoring beach therapy and additional tours to Alligator Farms, the Lighthouse, and anything else, you’re probably looking at somewhere between four and six days for the total experience.

Is Saint Augustine, Florida worth visiting? Yes. An emphatic yes.

If you are camping, the KOA on Anastasia Island has a great location near the beach. The accommodations are decent, but the nightly rate is too high for what you receive. You’re paying $100/nightly rates because of the location.

Thank you for stopping by our website! We are the Hoffmann family, a full-time RV family that has split residence in Seattle, Washington and San Antonio, Texas. We have special needs children that we homeschool, and work travel assignments for the Veteran Affairs Hospital. If you would like to learn more about us, check out our Start Here and Biography pages. In the meantime, God bless and travel happy!

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