ULTIMATE VACATION TIPS
Go Off the Beaten Path
Great experiences await from shopping
to restaurants to attractions. The Uptown
District just north of St. Augustine’s historic
downtown has some of the most unique
shops, fine dining, antique stores and art
galleries around.
You can take a trolley or walking tour to learn
more about the civil rights events that took
place in the historic Lincolnville community
at the Museum & Cultural Center. While in the
neighborhood, stop in for a cold craft-brew
at Dog Rose Brewery, enjoy fine dining at the
critically-acclaimed Floridian Restaurant or a
craft cocktail and a tour at the St. Augustine
Distillery and Ice Plant.
Did you know there is another historic
masonry fort built for protection by
the Spanish? Fort Matanzas is south of
St. Augustine off A1A. Get a closer look
with a free ferry ride to the fort and enjoy
the park’s walking trails and picnic areas.
Crossing the famed Bridge of Lions lands you
in the Anastasia Boulevard corridor. New
restaurants, shops and art galleries have
sprung up in this vibrant area between the
Historic District and beaches.
Further north of town, the World Golf Village
boasts the most unique movie-going
experience with the IMAX Theater. IMAX
combines crystal-clear images with
Family time at Cap’s on the Water
powerful digital sound to create an
unforgettable experience. St. Augustine’s
Corazon Cinema & Café offers a more
intimate setting with independent and
foreign films along with first run movies.
The Limelight Theatre stages a variety of
incredible shows that appeal to all interests
and ages.
Like the outdoors? Immerse yourself in a
pristine coastal habitat at the GTM Research
Reserve. The nature sanctuary is located off
scenic A1A between St. Augustine and Ponte
Vedra Beach. The GTM Research Reserve has
extensive nature trails, fishing, hiking, biking,
canoeing, kayaking and an environmental
education center.
Don’t Miss These
Must-Do Events
THE PLAYERS Championship takes place at
TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach in March.
Golf’s greats play on a course made for the
enjoyment of spectators in the gallery.
There’s plenty to see and do when you’re
not holding your breath watching that putt.
The Sing Out Loud Festival takes place every
weekend in September and features hundreds
of performances by national, regional and
local musicians. All concerts are free!
Spring brings Florida’s Birding & Photo Fest
with 110 birding and photography field
workshops. Classroom sessions are instructed
by acclaimed photographers.
St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights is a spectacular
holiday tradition when millions of white lights
blanket the Historic District from the ground
to the rooftops. The event runs from the
Saturday before Thanksgiving through the
end of January.
St. Augustine commemorates its anniversary
with Founding Day in September. It starts
with a reenactment of the landing of
Pedro Menendez de Aviles, followed by a
commemorative Catholic Mass. The finale
is a Thanksgiving meal marking more than
450 years of history.
Picturesque Bridge of Lions
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