St. Augustine is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the United States, dating back to 1565. Over the centuries, this city was home to Native American, Spanish, French, British, and African people. The many layers of history and culture give you unique experiences to explore in this charming old city on Florida’s Atlantic coast.
Visiting St. Augustine in Christmas time gives you a completely different experience from summer time. In the summer, when the weather is sunny and beautiful, you will probably spend more time enjoying the soft, white sandy beaches and swimming in the clear water. In the winter, the weather here is a little bit cold – probably not a great time for beach lovers.
However, besides beaches and historic charm, there is another reason that will draw you to St. Augustine, especially in the winter. We visited St. Augustine for just that reason: to experience and celebrate the holidays in this magical, festive town. This city surprised us by its unimaginably sparkling décor covering the entire town for Christmas and New Year’s. Ranking No. 5 among the Most Festive Christmas Towns in America, St. Augustine will make you feel like a postcard come to life. It is rare to find an atmosphere this festive anywhere else.
How to Get to St. Augustine
St. Augustine is in Northeastern Florida on Atlantic coast, just south of Jacksonville. There are several airports around St. Augustine. The closest airport is the Northeast Florida Reginal Airport, a mere 10-minute drive to St. Augustine. About an hour away is the Daytona Beach International Airport to the south and the Jacksonville International Airport to the north.
If none of above airports suit your needs, search for flights into Orlando International Airport, which leaves you considerably farther away, but you may find more options and cheaper prices.
Where to Stay at St. Augustine
Stay in the Heart of St. Augustine
The historical downtown area offers a lot of accommodations from reputable hotels, such as Hilton, to locally owned Inns, such as St. George Inn. Staying in downtown, you are close to almost everything. If you like waking up in the middle of the town and spending time at boutique shops, restaurants and bars, lodging downtown is your best choice. Plus, you can get the most festive experience of St. Augustine in downtown during the holidays. One thing to keep in mind: the bars and restaurants remain open until midnight, so, it may be a little noisy if you want to go to bed early.
Enjoy the Beautiful View of a Waterfront Hotel
Note that if you stay in the old town of St. Augustine, you will need to drive to beaches. For some of you who prefer to stay on the seashore and enjoy the view of an award-winning beach, a waterfront resort is your choice of accommodation.
Marker 8 is a waterfront resort located right across the Bridge of Lions. The ocean and beach are right in front of your room, but the location is still convenient. It only takes 10 minutes to walk across the bridge and explore the old town.
Stay Somewhere Budget Friendly and Convenient
St. Augustine is not that expensive for food and sightseeing tours, but the hotels can be pricy, especially during the peak season. I love to save money on hotel rooms since I am pretty sure I will be exploring the city as much as possible instead of staying in the hotel. A quiet and clean hotel room in a relatively convenient location is all I need.
We stayed at La Quinta by Wyndham which is located on Anastasia Blvd across the Bridge of Lions from downtown. It took us a little more than 10 minutes to walk to Old Town but the benefit of staying away from the downtown area in the holiday season is that you get a much quieter environment to sleep.
What to Do in St. Augustine
Hop on an Old Town Trolley Tour
Hop on a trolley and take a tour through the old town area, so you can get a feel for where everything is. The trolley makes a lot of stops and allows you to spend plenty of time at the place you are interested in. You can get a 1-day or 2-day pass at any trolley toll booth, so you can hop on and off as many times as you want to.
Around Christmas and New Year’s, with the whole town lit up, and the trolley winding through the streets with passengers singing “Jingle Bells” all together out loud, St. Augustine gives you a most festive feeling for the holidays.
Stroll around St George Street & Colonial Quarter
Walking in the Colonial Quarter in old town along St. George Street is really like going back to the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. This historic area is full of old Florida charm. You can explore blacksmithing, and even watch some live demos. Besides the amazing living history, you can also find old-fashioned shops, fancy restaurants with live music at night, creative ice cream stores, and a lot of more!
Explore Flagler College
Flagler College is a 4-year liberal arts private college, established in 1968. Before this landmark building became Flagler College, it was the country’s first winter resort, the Hotel Ponce de Leon, built by the oil tycoon Henry Flagler in 1888. The Hotel Ponce de Leon is considered one of the finest buildings of Spanish Renaissance architecture in America. You can walk around outside of it for free or take a tour to see the inside of the spectacular building and hear the history of this property and Henry Flagler.
Visit Lightner Museum
The Lightner Museum is located across King street in front of the main entrance of Flagler College. The Lightner Museum building was formerly the Alcazar Hotel, also built by Henry Flagler in 1888. The museum exhibits an impressive collection of 19th-century artworks, including Victorian-era artifacts, musical instruments, and antique furniture. Besides the art pieces the museum features, the building itself is also worth exploring.
It is both educational and entertaining to visit the Lightner Museum. A gift shop and a café are available in the building if you want to take a break.
Come to the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park
Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth is one of the many historical icons in St. Augustine. You can learn the story of the origination of St. Augustine. Take a sip from the bubbling fountains and walk through the legendary park to experience the living history.
Climb the St. Augustine Lighthouse
St. Augustine is the oldest city in America, and the St. Augustine Lighthouse is the oldest private aid to navigation in North America. The St. Augustine Lighthouse stands at the north end of Anastasia Island. You can climb to the top of it for a panoramic view of this historic city. There are 219 steps to the top of the lighthouse, but it isn’t that hard. There are 8 landings along the way where you can stop to catch your breath.
Walk Along St. Augustine Beach
We didn’t have a chance to walk on the beautiful beach in St. Augustine since we were visiting in the winter. But if you are traveling in a warm season, you don’t want to miss the beaches in this coastal city.
Where to Eat in St. Augustine
Catch 27
Catch 27 is a very popular seafood restaurant with a lot of good reviews and recommendations. We had our first dinner in St. Augustine at Catch 27, and as it turned out, the food there was delicious. We sat in the outside courtyard, where it was warm enough even on a winter evening. The restaurant can get very busy during the holidays, so make a reservation early to save some waiting time.
Llama Restaurant
We had our New Year Eve dinner at Llama restaurant located on Anastasia Island. This restaurant surprised us by its modern, creative adaptations of Peruvian cuisine cooked by the talented chef Marcel Vizcarra who is from Peru. Llama offers you the best service, an unforgettable taste, and exceptionally artful presentation. It is an amazing experience for dinning in. Make yourself a reservation and don’t miss out this incredible tasty journey.
St. Augustine Distillery
There are plenty of tours for tasting the local flavors. If you love finding drinks that can surprise you, the St. Augustine Distillery company is the place to go. You can sample small batches of their fine distilled Whiskey, Rum, Gin and Vodka. The St Augustine Distillery is housed in a restored ice factory, dating back to more than a hundred years ago.
The Hyppo Gourmet Popsicles
We stopped by The Hyppo when we were waiting for our seats at Catch 27 for dinner. The Hyppo sells ice cream popsicles, but not your average popsicles: these are gourmet popsicles. They have a large variety of unusual flavors, such as Pine-Apple Ginger, Pineapple Cilantro, and Datil Strawberry. Even if you are lactose intolerant, they have a wide variety of dairy free popsicles available.
St. Augustine is a very special city with a unique experience for the holidays. At any time of year, Old Town St. Augustine is small enough to walk around and also big enough to explore three centuries of history and Spanish Renaissance architecture. I hope you get an opportunity to visit St. Augustine. I will see you in my next post!
