Things To Do
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
The fort is a classic monument of the city. It was built by the Spanish in St. Augustine to defend Florida and the Atlantic trade route, and is the oldest fortification in the continental United States. This is a great day activity to walk around and see much history, and then visit the downtown strip after.
Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park
Located in the area first explored by Juan Ponce de Leon in 1513, The Fountain of Youth is a beautiful park with much to do and see. The park is dog friendly and also has a smoked BBQ place on property to grab a bite for lunch. Visitors can actually sip from the natural spring that is known as the Fountain of Youth from the legends tale.
Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Explore the fascinating stories and original architecture of this castle built in 1887 — the very building that stole Robert Ripley’s heart and inspired his dream of opening the world’s first permanent Ripley’s collection. There are hundreds of rare and unusual artifacts and hands-on interactives that makes this a great kid-friendly fun activity for the day!
St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park
This is actually where Brooke worked and had her internship program! This zoological park is a beautiful conservation center with much wildlife. They have alligator feedings, ropes and ziplining course, daily wildlife shows and interactive experiences that makes this a great kid friendly and unique activity to do for the day!
Lightner Museum
For the museum junkies, The Lightner Museum is an iconic building at the heart of historic St. Augustine. The museum offers an immersive experience of art, architecture, history, and design. You can take a tour and see the exhibit and then walk through the downtown strip afterwards.
Plaza de la Constitución
Take a stroll through the Downtown Historic District, with tons of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, boutiques, historic landmarks and places to see. The area has cobble stone streets, large oak trees, old architecture and overlooks the bay right on the water. This is the heart and main part of the town. There is so much to see and enjoy, and definitely where we spend most our time.
Vilano Beach
This is our favorite beach and where we go every weekend. If you have a truck or 4x4 wheel drive, there is an area called Porpoise Point which is where we drive on the beach and is a nice local spot. Otherwise, the pier and beach area is the main place to go and also has free parking. We spot dolphins and sea turtles on a regular basis. There is a nice restaurant with live music on the pier called Beaches, a pizza place we love called 180 Vilano Grill and Pizza, or an Irish pub to stop and grab a beer and play pool. Whether you spend the day on the beach, or go fishing, or grab lunch by the water, this is a great and very peaceful way to spend the day.