9 Things to Do in St. Augustine on a Weekend Trip
St. Augustine is the oldest continuously settled European city in the United States. The Spanish founded it in 1565, decades before Jamestown, and you can feel it. The old town is a tangle of narrow streets, stone walls, balconies and courtyards that looks more like Spain than Florida.
In this guide
- 1. Explore the Castillo de San Marcos
- 2. Stroll St. George Street
- 3. Tour Flagler College
- 4. Visit the Lightner Museum
- 5. Climb the St. Augustine Lighthouse
- 6. Walk the Bridge of Lions at sunset
- 7. Take the free ferry to Fort Matanzas
- 8. Spend a morning at Anastasia State Park
- 9. Take a ghost tour
- A note on the Fountain of Youth
- Where to stay
- Common questions
It’s small, walkable and easy to cover in a weekend. And the beaches are ten minutes away when you’ve had enough history. Here are nine things worth your time.
1. Explore the Castillo de San Marcos
Start with the big one. The Castillo de San Marcos is a star-shaped stone fort on the bay, finished by the Spanish in 1695. It’s built from coquina, a soft stone made of crushed shells, which turned out to be brilliant: cannonballs sank into the walls instead of shattering them. It was never taken by force.
Walk the ramparts for views over the water, and time your visit for a cannon firing demonstration, usually held on weekends. It takes about an hour, and the lawn outside is free to wander anytime.
2. Stroll St. George Street
St. George Street is the pedestrian main drag of the old town, running south from the old city gates. It’s lined with shops, cafes, wine bars and old Spanish-style houses with wooden balconies hanging over the street.
Yes, it’s touristy, and the souvenir shops get repetitive. Duck down the side streets, though, and you’ll find quiet courtyards and some of the oldest buildings in town. The Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse is here, and it really is very old and very small.
3. Tour Flagler College
This is the building that stops people in their tracks. Flagler College was once the Ponce de Leon Hotel, a luxury resort built in 1888 by railroad tycoon Henry Flagler for wealthy winter visitors. It’s a Spanish Renaissance fantasy, with towers, terracotta and courtyards with fountains.
It’s a working college now, but student-led tours take you into the dining hall, which has the largest collection of Tiffany stained glass windows in the world. The tour costs around $15 and it’s worth every cent.
4. Visit the Lightner Museum
Across the street is Flagler’s other hotel, the Alcazar, which now houses the Lightner Museum. Its collection is wonderfully strange: Victorian glass, mechanical music machines, shrunken heads, stuffed birds and all sorts of Gilded Age curiosities.
The best bit is the building itself. The old hotel’s indoor swimming pool, once the largest in the world, is now a cafe and antique market where you can sit and have lunch in the deep end.
5. Climb the St. Augustine Lighthouse
Over the Bridge of Lions on Anastasia Island, the St. Augustine Lighthouse has a black and white spiral stripe and a bright red top. It’s 219 steps to the top, and the view across the town, the bay and the ocean is one of the best in Florida.
There’s a small maritime museum on the grounds too. If you like spooky stuff, they also run nighttime ghost tours of the tower.
6. Walk the Bridge of Lions at sunset
The Bridge of Lions, built in 1927, links the old town to Anastasia Island. Two marble lions guard the town end, and the bridge itself is lovely, with towers and old-fashioned lamps.
Walk across at sunset, when the light goes golden on the bay and the boats come in. From mid-November to the end of January, the whole old town is covered in millions of white lights for Nights of Lights, and the bridge is a great spot to see it all.
7. Take the free ferry to Fort Matanzas
About 15 miles south of town, Fort Matanzas is a tiny Spanish watchtower fort guarding the inlet. Getting there is half the fun: a free little ferry takes you across the river to the fort, where a ranger tells you its story.
It’s a quick, peaceful trip, and there’s a short boardwalk trail through the dunes and scrub on the visitor center side. The ferry has limited spots, so grab a boarding pass when you arrive.
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8. Spend a morning at Anastasia State Park
When you need a break from the old town, head to Anastasia State Park. It has four miles of wide, quiet beach backed by big dunes, plus a lagoon where you can rent kayaks and paddleboards.
It’s far less built-up than St. Augustine Beach next door. Bring a picnic, find a spot in the dunes, and you could easily lose a whole afternoon.
9. Take a ghost tour
The oldest city in the country has a lot of old stories, and St. Augustine leans into them. Ghost tours run every evening, on foot, by trolley or even in a hearse. Some are hammy, some are surprisingly good history lessons.
Pick a walking tour through the old town. It’s a fun way to see the streets by lamplight, and you’ll learn far more than you expect.
A note on the Fountain of Youth
You’ll see signs everywhere for the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park. It’s a pleasant park with peacocks and a sip of sulfurous spring water, but it’s pricey for what it is. If you’re short on time, skip it. If you have kids, they’ll probably enjoy it.
Where to stay
Stay in or near the old town so you can walk everywhere. There are lots of charming B&Bs in old houses, plus a few boutique hotels. Parking downtown is tight and paid, so park once and leave the car. St. Augustine Beach has cheaper hotels if you’d rather wake up near the ocean.
Common questions
Is a weekend enough in St. Augustine?
Yes. Two full days covers the old town and a beach day. Add a third if you want to slow down.
When is the best time to visit?
October to May. Summer is hot, humid and stormy, and the Nights of Lights season in winter is lovely.
Is St. Augustine walkable?
The old town is very walkable. You’ll want a car, a trolley or a rideshare for the lighthouse, the beaches and Fort Matanzas.
How far is St. Augustine from Jacksonville and Orlando?
About 45 minutes from Jacksonville and just under two hours from Orlando.
Is the trolley tour worth it?
For a first visit, yes. The hop-on, hop-off trolleys are an easy way to get your bearings and save your feet.
