IgoUgo

St. Augustine Journals

History, beaches & beauty all rolled into one city

A travel journal to St. Augustine by AnaMH

Castillo de Marcos interior Photo - Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, St. Augustine, Florida More Photos
Quote: A view at a beautiful historic city in northern Florida. The City of St. Augustine is the nation's oldest permanently occupied European settlement having been founded by the Spanish in 1565. A wonderful place for walking and taking in history.

History, beaches & beauty all rolled into one city

Overview

Quote:
The heart of the city is its downtown Plaza de la Constitución with most of the historic buildings located within a block or two of the Plaza, to the north and to the south.

The Castillo de San Marcos, built by the Spanish in 1672, anchors the city's north end of the bayfront. The Bridge of Lions, built in 1927, links the downtown with Davis Shores, a residential community dating back to the 1920s and St. Augustine Beach.

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

Walking is a must here to really experience the city.

A1A Ale Works

Restaurant

Quote:
A great Intracoastal view restaurant right on The Plaza ... Sample one of seven handcrafted beers on tap, along with home-brewed root beer, while sitting on the balcony with the breathtaking view. Our party enjoyed several items including the fried shrimp, grilled mahi-mahi,burgers, buffalo chicken wings. I think they covered quite a few of the ales and found most to their liking. I'm somewhat of a Rootbeer fan and I can recommend theirs as excellent.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on November 4, 2000

A1A Ale Works
1 King Street
St. Augustine, Florida 32084
(904) 829-2977

The Conch House

Restaurant | "Conch House Restaurant"

Quote:
The best conch in St. Augustine!!This Caribbean-style restaurant has wonderful seafood. Awesome atmosphere - dine inside or outside in straw huts, overlooking scenic Salt Run.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on November 4, 2000

The Conch House
57 Comares Avenue
St. Augustine, Florida 32080
(904) 829-8646

St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "The St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum"

St Augustine Lighthouse Photo - St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum, St. Augustine, Florida
Quote:
Visitors get the chance to see St. Augustine from a bird's point of view. Climb the 219 steps to the lantern room and the gallery walk of the lighthouse to see the Atlantic Ocean, Intracoastal Waterway and St. Augustine. The museum is in the restored two-story lightkeeper's house.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on November 4, 2000

St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum
81 Lighthouse Avenue
St. Augustine, Florida 32080
(904) 829-0745

Fountain of Youth

Attraction

Quote:
A tourist must! It doesn't really live up to its billing, but it's still something to see. Drink the offered sip from the Fountain of Youth.

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on November 4, 2000

Fountain of Youth
11 Magnolia Ave.
St. Augustine, Florida 32084
(904) 829-3168

Government House Museum

Attraction | "Government House"

Quote:
Since the late 16th century, Government House, located at the west end of the Plaza in downtown St. Augustine, has been a leading administrative center for the City. The earliest documented building on the Government House site was a residence built by Governor Gonzalo Mendez de Canzo around 1598. By royal decree the town is laid out like all Spanish towns with a central plaza. Buildings, such as the church, government house and market were to face the Plaza. The governor's residence served until the 1680s when it was replaced by a two-story building with balconied masonry walls. The residence was burned in 1702 by British troops after their unsuccessful siege of the Castillo. There ha...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on November 4, 2000

Government House Museum
48 King Street
St. Augustine, Florida 32084
(904) 825-5033

Flagler College

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Flagler College & Henry M. Flagler"

Quote:
Henry M. Flagler, co-founder of Standard Oil, came to St. Augustine in the late 1880’s and transformed it into a resort community. Henry M. Flagler's name may not be as known as his partner's in the Standard Oil business, John D. Rockefeller, but his power was just as strong in the oil industry in the 1870s and 1880s. Flagler’s influence is seen very often in the state of Florida, including St. Augustine. He built two hotels and took over another to serve as the base of his Flagler System hotels. He founded the Florida East Coast Railway as a means of transporting guests to and from the north to his hotels in St. Augustine, Palm Beach, and Miami. Three of his former St. Augustine hotels are in...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on November 4, 2000

Flagler College
74 King Street
St. Augustine, Florida 32084
(904) 829-2424

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Castillo de San Marcos"

Castillo de Marcos interior Photo - Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, St. Augustine, Florida
Quote:
St. Augustine's most historically significant structure is the Castillo de San Marcos, a fort constructed by the Spanish between 1672 and 1695. As early as 1586 when Sir Francis Drake, whose fleet of twenty ships and two thousand men sacked and burned the town, the need to fortify this tiny garrison was seen. In 1668 Queen Mariana of Spain authorized the construction of a stone fortification after an attack by pirate Robert Searles. The fort was built of coquina, a type of shellstone indigenous to the area, and quarried from Anastasia Island. The Castillo has never been conquered. English General Oglethorpe tried in 1740 to capture the fort by firing from Anastasia Island. He wasn’t successful becaus...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on November 4, 2000

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
1 South Castillo Drive
St. Augustine, Florida
(904) 829-6506

Ponte Vedra Beach

Story/Tip

Quote:
To the north of the St. Augustine Inlet, Vilano Beach offers great fishing and swimming as well as wonderful waterfront restaurants. Following A1A north from Vilano, one can find other beach accesses to include Guana State Park, which contains access to both the ocean and Intracoastal Waterway. The northernmost section contains the communities of Ponte Vedra and Palm Valley. Ponte Vedra Beach is located between Jacksonville Beach and St. Augustine with Highway AIA as the central pathway for residents. Butler Boulevard was built in 1979 to easily connect Ponte Vedra residents to downtown Jacksonville. The actual development of Ponte Vedra Beach as a resort community began around 1928. A log clubhouse...Read More

St. Augustine Beach

Best Of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Quote:
The little community of St. Augustine Beach provides recreation of all sorts including fishing from the county pier, surfing, sunbathing, tennis, golf and bowling. There is also a selection of nightspots to choose from for dining and dancing. This community of over 3,600 prides itself on being able to draw visitors from all over the world. It provides lodging, restaurants, sports, entertainment and THE BEACHES, so once you arrive you never have to leave this wonderful city. Sightseeing on the pier is 50 cents and fishing $2 with special rates for seniors and children. South of the city are other beach areas including Crescent Beach, Summer Haven and the much-frequented Matanzas Inl...Read More

Old St. Augustine Village

Story/Tip

Quote:
Old St. Augustine Village is one of America's most historically rich places. Bounded by the age-old streets of St. George, Bridge, and Cordova, the Village's 10 houses, courtyards and gardens form an entire city block in St. Augustine's oldest historic district. Kenneth Dow donated the property to the Daytona Museum of Arts and Sciences in 1988.

About the Writer

AnaMH

AnaMH
South Florida, Florida

St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum

User Rating:

Flagler College

User Rating:

Old Town Trolley

User Rating:

Lightner Museum

User Rating:

St. George Street

User Rating: