14 of the best things to do in St Augustine, Florida

With its rip-roaring amusement parks, sun-drenched beaches and spring break scenes, Florida attracts both the young and young at heart. But if it’s the actual Fountain of Youth you’re searching for, head to St Augustine, the oldest continuously occupied settlement of European and African-American origin in the US.

This historic city dates back to 1565 – that’s four decades before Jamestown was settled, and predates the Pilgrims’ landing at Plymouth Rock. It’s said Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León was convinced he would find the fabled Fountain of Youth in the region, and while historians have largely dismissed the story, that hasn’t stopped the city from embracing the legend.

If you’re in search of a rich historical city filled with Spanish and Moorish revival architecture as well as quaint Southern charm, you’ve found the right place. Here's our pick of the best things to do in St Augustine.

1. Explore the Lightner Museum and the Colonial Quarter in historic downtown

Located on the National Register of Historic Places, St Augustine’s central historic district is the oldest part of the city. Many of the buildings date back to the 1700s, with plenty of streets having existed from long before that. The area’s layout is fully walkable, which means you can take in the charming Spanish and Moorish pastiche architecture at your own pace. Highlights include the Lightner Museum, American industrialist Henry Flagler's former Hotel Alcazar. This wonderful museum has a little bit of everything, from ornate Gilded Age furnishings to collections of marbles and cigar-box labels. The dramatic and imposing building itself is a must-see, dating back to 1887 and designed in the Spanish Renaissance Revival style by New York City architects Carrère & Hastings. Don't miss the the Colonial Quarter, where actors playing blacksmiths, shopkeepers, musicians and musketeers bring 18th-century city to life with demonstrations of their trades, along with canon and musket firing, on two acres of land modeled after a Spanish colonial village. 

2. Take a sip from the Fountain of Youth

St Augustine is much more than its kitschy fountain of youth industry, but bypassing Ponce de León’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park is like visiting New York City for the first time and skipping the Statue of Liberty. The park is located near where the conquistador first landed after spotting “La Florida” (“the Place of Flowers”) on March 27, 1513. Fifteen waterfront acres overlooking the Matanzas River and St Augustine Inlet provide a lush backdrop for lunch of brisket and burgers from Smoked Southern BBQ, a deceptively casual on-premises food shack. After eating, tour the grounds’ various exhibits, including a Timucua Indian burial ground, a blacksmith shop and the Fountain of Youth Spring House. And don’t forget to swing by the gift shop and snag a bottle of the spring’s fabled waters – while we can’t promise it will add decades to your life, it does make for a fun souvenir.

3. Visit the galleries, boutiques and museum on Aviles Street

Dating back to the 16th century, brick-lined Aviles Street is the oldest thoroughfare in the nation. Walk through the stone archway entrance in Old Town and step into one of the city’s de facto arts districts, with plenty of galleries, antiques, boutiques and jewelry shops to distract you for an afternoon. Visit the Spanish Military Hospital Museum for a look at surgical and medical practices from over 400 years ago in all their gory glory: amputations, leeching, the whole shebang.

Planning tip: After all that gore, stop by Peace Pies for a delicious ice cream sandwich.

4. Tour architectural heritage at Hotel Ponce de León

This striking former luxury hotel, built in the 1880s, is now the world's most gorgeous dormitory, belonging to Flagler College, who purchased and saved it in 1967. Take a guided tour to get a sense of the detail and history of this magnificent Spanish Renaissance building. At the very least, take a peek inside the lobby for free.

Planning tip: Book tickets online in advance. Beware this is an active campus so tours are occasionally cancelled for college functions.

5. Take an atmospheric wander around Castillo de San Marcos 

Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry fort built in the US and was originally used to defend Spain’s claims in Florida after a series of pirate raids in the late 1500s. The self-guided tour takes you through rooms that once housed soldiers and prisoners, as well as the gun deck (you’ll want your camera for the spectacular city views here – especially at sunset). 

Planning tip: Historic weapons demonstrations take place most weekends. Rangers and volunteers are on hand to talk to you about the fort's history and short thematic presentations may be running.

6. Play golf at the Players Stadium Course

Just 20 miles north of St Augustine, you’ll find Tournament Players Club (TPC) Sawgrass, one of the top golf courses in the US. Two championship courses are open to the public here: the Players Stadium course (home of the annual Players Championship) and Dye’s Valley course. Master architect Pete Dye designed both golf courses – and while you can’t go wrong teeing up on either one, it’s the Players Stadium fairways (including the notorious par-3 17th hole) that attract golfers looking for a personal best.

Planning tip: The cheapest time of year to tee off here is June to August.

7. See endangered species at the St Augustine Alligator Farm

Nature lovers will enjoy every moment of a visit to this facility; herpetophobes, not so much. St Augustine Alligator Farm is a great place to catch a glimpse of various crocodilian species, lemurs, birds and several species of endangered monkey. After touring the various reptilian exhibitions around the park, get a sky-high view of all the attractions on the park’s climbing wall or via one of two zip-line courses that will send you soaring in the air some 35ft over the exhibitions.

Planning tip: There are talks and shows throughout the day; catch hungry alligators snapping their jaws at feeding times (noon and 3pm). The park is a five-minute drive from downtown St Augustine along Anastasia Blvd.

8. Spend a morning browsing and buying at the St Augustine Amphitheater Farmers Market

In St Augustine, the early bird gets the muffin. Every Saturday from 8:30am to 12:30pm, the St Augustine Amphitheater hosts a farmers market with local food, beverage and craft vendors. Walk through a grove of sun-dappled oaks and stock up on freshly baked vegan muffins, bottles of raw local honey and fermented foodstuffs while live bluegrass music fills the venue.

Planning tip: A night market is held on four Tuesdays through the year from 5 to 9pm. 

9. Take a swim at Anastasia State Park

When in Florida, do as the locals do and get your daily dose of vitamin D at a nearby beach. In St Augustine, that means heading to Anastasia State Park for swimming, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding in the Atlantic Ocean. Here, you’ll find miles of protected white-quartz sand beaches in a 1600-acre wildlife preserve, where you can spend the day shelling or keeping an eye out for the occasional pod of dolphins that visit the area. If you’re feeling adventurous, take to the park’s trails to spot warblers, cardinals and gopher tortoises.

Planning tip: The park opens at 8am every day and closes at sundown. It costs $8 per vehicle to visit.

10. Stop for a taster at St Augustine Distillery

Housed in a renovated Florida Power & Light ice plant built in 1905, St Augustine Distillery distills and bottles everything it sells – no sourcing or blending of any outside whiskies here. Spirit enthusiasts will want to book onto one of the educational guided tours.

Planning tip: Free self-guided tours take place at 10:30am and 5:30pm daily. No reservation is required but you will need to show ID.  

11. Visit Fort Mose, the first free African settlement in the US

Fort Mose Historic State Park was the first legally sanctioned settlement of free Africans in the US, but escaping enslaved Africans had to declare their allegiance to the king of Spain and convert to Catholicism. While no original settlement structures remain, you can read about the site’s history at an interactive museum, then wander down a boardwalk that overlooks the land where the village once stood.

Planning tip: The site is also a popular place for bird-watchers and Geocachers, who hide small treasures around the park in a digital riff on hide-and-seek.

12. Sip vintages at San Sebastian Winery

Situated in one of Henry Flager’s East Coast Railway buildings, San Sebastian Winery has been producing vintages since 1996, with a particular focus on sparkling and dessert varieties using the muscadine grape. You can sample these varietals together with a robust port and a creamy sherry seven days a week during the winery’s free tours and tastings. 

Planning tip: Various tour options are available. Bring ID.

13. Experience the quirk of the Villa Zorayda Museum

Looking like a faux Spanish castle from a medieval theme park, the gray edifice of Villa Zorayda Museum was built out of a mix of concrete and local coquina shells in 1883. The structure was the fantasy (and maybe fever dream) of an eccentric millionaire who was obsessed with Spain's 12th-century Alhambra Palace. Today, it's an odd but engaging museum. The Moorish-style atrium and rooms contain quirky antiques, archaeological pieces and other artifacts: highlights being a 2400-year-old mummy's foot and an Egyptian "Sacred Cat Rug."

14. Relax with a cocktail in a historic ice plant

Like many spots in St Augustine, Ice Plant Bar has a story. This bar and restaurant has stayed true to its 1927 design: look above the bar and you’ll see the original bridge crane once used to pick up huge blocks of ice that were broken down and sold to local customers, including shrimpers. The bar offers varieties of ice for cocktails, each one incorporating fresh-pressed juices, bitters and house-made syrups.