A Few Hours in St. Augustine, FL

If you follow my 'adventures' on Instagram, you'll probably have crossed path with my last weekend-trips to Jacksonville. On one of those trips, we had some spare time to make a stop at St. Augustine.

I deeply love history and just recently I was learning a lot about the first settlers in the United States thanks to the Outlander series, so visiting this place so important to the history of this country was really exciting!

Why St. Augustine?

You’ve likely never heard of this place but it actually holds heavy historical significance! St. Augustine was founded in 1565 by the Spanish, making it US' oldest city!

Founded by Pedro Menendez de Aviles in 1565, St. Augustine is a unique city filled with colonial Spanish neighborhoods, magnificent buildings and a charm all its own.

Thankfully, its history is well preserved: streets, building and even an old fortress are still the same as they were when the Spanish ruled in South Florida. So definitely, travelling to this city is a bit of a time travel to the first colonies!

What to do?

You're in the nations' oldest city, so you know there are tons of tours you can choose from to learn about its history and legacy.

Trolley Tour

If you're not staying for long on the city and want a quick tour, or even if you want a first preview before walking down the streets, the city of St. Augustine offers a little Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour. I'm more of a fan of walking and touring by myself but I definitely think this is a good start because they offer the best general historical knowledge.

While it's not extremely cheap, this 80-minute tour features 23 stops, over 100 points of interest, a live tour guide and the opportunity to Hop-On and Hop-Off whenever and as much as you want throughout the whole day.

• Price: $28 (aprox) and you can buy the tickets online or throughout the city (there are a lot of stores that sell them!).

Castillo de San Marcos

This was my first stop and I enjoyed it so much! The Castillo de San Marcos (St. Mark Fort) is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States and the oldest structure in St. Augustine.

The Castillo was originally built not only as a refuge for the townspeople or a fortress to protect Spain's claims in the New World from the attacks of the British fleets or the Pirates, but also as a military warehouse. The Spanish used the western casemates for food storage and other casemates were filled with military supplies such as gunpowder, hardware, ship repair materials and more than 20.000 cannonballs. And YES, there are still many cannons from that time to see!!!

Of course, this Castillo wasn't always property of the Spanish. Although it was never taken by force, the British took possession of the fort after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, in which the Spanish Empire gave control of the Florida territories to the British Empire in exchange for keeping the land of Cuba. So it contains a lot of stuff from the other Empires as well.

The Castillo is almost fully open to visit, and it's filled with artefacts, exhibits, displays and even people dressed in the typical military clothes of the time.

• Price: Tickets are $15 per person and they they last for 7 consecutive days so you better save them well. Kids 15 and under are admitted free but must be accompanied by an adult.

Fort Mose

This historic coastal community takes visitors back to the early 1700s, when Florida was claimed by the Spanish Empire. Africans enslaved to the British escaped to St. Augustine to regain their freedom. They became soldiers and citizens of this part of the New World and built Fort Mose under the leadership of African-born Francisco Menendez.

Surrounded by prolific marshlands, wood storks, panoramic views, rapid tidal and ibis, and with so many history throughout its walls, Fort Mose is a great place to visit while in St. Augustine.

St. Augustine Church

Beyond the religion that you profess (or even if you don't profess any) the church of St. Augustine is so beautiful that you cannot miss it.

With its classic Spanish style of the era of the Catholic Monarchs, it is a work of art from its floors to the ceiling, completely decorated with golden inlays. What I loved most were the Vitraux, which with the sunlight generated flashes of color in one of the prayer areas. Too beautiful!

Ghost Tour

St. Augustine is the oldest city in the country and much of what you see now was built on Spanish soldier graves so there have been ghost sightings all throughout all the city!!! Whether you believe or not, this could make for a really fun evening listening to the old wives tales.

• I haven't done any yet due to lack of time and also because I haven't stayed in the city at night, but I was told that Aviles Street is supposedly the most haunted street and there is a ghost tour company that is on the left hand side of the street and they offer really good tours. I tell you more next time I visit!

Food experience

Since it is a city with so much European and American cultural heritage, that makes it an incredible culinary experience. Throughout the streets of the Historic Center, you'll find lots and lots of places where to eat, take a coffee or have a drink.

We had some pizza and 'gelatto' (typical Italian ice cream) at Pizza Time. This place (with the second best pizza in the US according to Trip Advisor) is so popular that we had to stand in line for several minutes until we could order, but it was totally worth it. The pizza was large, tasty and not so expensive. The ice cream, on the other hand, was good but not something I never experienced before and it was a little pricy for my taste (lol!).

But there are many other gems (and I will update this part every time I travel there!):

• Prohibition Kitchen: is a relatively new gastropub and lounge that many friends had recommended me to visit! It’s known for its milkshakes and delicious American dinner and its creative cocktail menus, so definitely be sure to stop in for either a meal or drinks!

Shopping

St. George Street is the most popular street in the city. There are lots of little locally owned shops with art, jewellery, and clothing available for purchase!

Stay in a Bed & Breakfast

Part of the enchant of the Historic District of St. Augustine is that it's filled with charming little Bed and Breakfast to make the stay unforgettable.

There are numerous Victorian Styled historic accommodations nestled within walking distance of St. George Street, St. Augustine's pristine beaches and, of course, close to all tourist spots and restaurants.

• Since I didn't stay I can't recommend you a specific B&B but the St. Augustine official website has some recommendations based on the rating from the guests.

Parking in St. Augustine

Parking in St. Augustine is nearly impossible, especially on weekends, unless you get down there early. This is due to the restrictions the city has placed on construction and conservation of the city.

We parked in the Castillo de San Marcos' parking lot (the one in the picture) but we had to wait for almost 30 minutes and we were actually lucky, because it was lunch-time. Of course, it wasn't free. As in most of Florida's cities, you have to pay at a meter and the price varies depending on how long you'll stay.

If you're staying in the city, I would highly recommend you pay close attention to what the hotel you’re looking at offers in regard to parking so you can avoid a potential headache!