St. Augustine

As the oldest continually occupied city settled by Europeans in the United States, St. Augustine would have to do a whole lot more than cater to package travelers and tour buses to lose any of its inherent charm. Walking through the narrow streets of the Old Town [1] area is to see a place that’s remarkably well-preserved in some aspects, and the dregs of tourist claptrap in others.

That blend is what makes St. Augustine so fascinating; the city hasn’t been trapped in amber, and with 400-year-old residences abutting beer bars, gorgeous churches within sight of taco stands and wax museums, you can begin to imagine a sort of alternate-universe Florida [2]. While it’s not as thoroughly charming as Charleston [3] or as laid-back as Savannah [4], of all the colonial sites on the East Coast, St. Augustine is the most intriguing.

Getting to St. Augustine

St. Augustine is located approximately 10 miles east of I-95, 45 miles south of Jacksonville [5], and about 58 miles (about an hour’s drive) north of Daytona Beach [6].

The St. Augustine and St. Johns County Airport (SGJ, 4900 U.S. Hwy. 1, North, St. Augustine, 904/209-0090, www.staugustineairport.com [7]) is a general aviation facility open only to private planes and charter flights. Jacksonville International Airport (JAX, 2400 Yankee Clipper Dr., Jacksonville, 904/741-4902, www.jia.aero [8]) has the largest range of commercial airline service, although good deals can occasionally be found on flights into Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB, 700 Catalina Dr., Daytona Beach, 386/248-8069, www.flydaytonafirst.com [9]).

The sights of St. Augustine’s Old Town [1] area are mostly only accessible on foot, and parking is fairly easy to come by near this part of town. Old Town Trolley Tours (167 San Marco Ave., 904/829-3800, www.trolleytours.com/st-augustine [10], $21 adults, $8 children 4–12, children under 4 free) run every 15–20 minutes and have on-off privileges for three days, and Ripley’s Sightseeing Trains (170 San Marco Ave., 904/824-1606, $20.99 adults, $7.99 children for “history by day” trains; $26 adults, $13 for children 6–12 for “ghosts by night” trains) will take you through the Old Town area as well as nearby sights in central St. Augustine.