A St. Augustine, Florida Honeymoon from The World's Greatest Honeymoons

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• St. Augustine •

The Oldest City in America

Founded in 1565, St. Augustine survived nearly two centuries of attacks from marauding pirates, Indians, and the British while developing a unique population of Spaniards, Indians, escaped slaves of African descent, settlers and wanderers from various European nations, and people of mixed blood. St. Augustine became part of the US in 1821, but its multi-cultural society has remained a vital element in its success.

Located on Florida’s western shore, within easy driving distance of much larger Jacksonville, St. Augustine offers a mild climate year-round—perfect for enjoying its 43 miles of excellent beaches and a widely diverse range of outdoor sports. Most people love spending time here; for history-loving newlyweds in particular it's a sensational destination.

Why honeymoon here? This area is a haven for history-lovers, with much to see and do. Not to mention wonderful beaches, ecological adventures, golf, and other outdoor activities. Cons: If high-energy clubbing and world-class restaurants is what you're after, look elsewhere..

St. Augustine Honeymoon Ideas

The Historic District: A wooden fort was constructed here in 1565, and a town quickly grew up alongside. St. Augustine underwent siege over the years, even getting burned down by the British in the 18th century, but always rebuilt and moved forward—making this the oldest, continuously occupied settlement in the US. The entire historic district is on the National Register of Historic Places, its 220+ houses dating from 1703 to 1821. Lucky for us, they've been well and lovingly cared for. While walking the winding and narrow cobbled streets, sitting in the central Plaza, or trotting about in a horse-drawn carriage, you may feel—especially if you visit during the less-crowded low season—that you've somehow been dropped into a 16th-century walled Spanish town. Among the notable sites are the Plaza de la Constitución, the Oldest House (built in 1706, it's the oldest surviving residence in St. Augustine), the Basilica Cathedral of St. Augustine, and the Moorish Revival Villa Zorayda. Many of the ancient buildings are occupied by shops, galleries, and restaurants, so you'll have an opportunity to see some from the inside.

Castillo de San Marcos: St. Augustine defended itself over the years with a succession of wooden forts. After a savage 1668 attack by an English pirate, Robert Searle, plans were drawn for a state-of-the-art masonry fortification, the Castillo de San Marcos, (now a National Historic Monument). Begun in 1772 and completed 23 years later, the massive construction—located right downtown—is shaped like a four-pointed star, with a bastion and sentry tower at each point. With its 40-foot dry moat, big drawbridge entrance, and steep defensive walls bristling with cannons, the Castillo is everybody’s idea of how a fort should look. The walls are made of a unique and tough limestone-like material, coquina, that consists of tiny shell fragments and sand bound with calcite. You can take a self-guided tour of the powder magazine, prison, chapel, and guard rooms, and enjoy the interesting historical exhibits on display in old storage rooms. Re-enactors in period dress demonstrate how life was lived here centuries ago; and the ranger talks are well worth taking in. ~ History buffs might also want to visit nearby Fort Matanzas, another National Monument. Constructed on a barrier island in the 1740s, it protected St. Augustine's southern river approach. A half-mile long boardwalk trail, winding through a maritime forest, offers great views.

Meeting History in St. Augustine

The Old Spanish Quarter: Just steps from the Old City Gates, this living history museum is populated by costumed carpenters, soldiers, seamstresses, smithies, and others who busily carry out the everyday tasks of a military town in the 1740s, back when St. Augustine was an important outpost of the Spanish Empire. And while plying their trades, they're happy to answer your questions. The DeMesa-Sanchez House is authentic, and the other structures are faithful reproductions built directly atop the foundations of original homes burned by the British. At the shop you'll find ink wells, handcrafted utensils and other period items (art, pottery, glassware, jewelry, and even clothing) that have been reproduced by the resident crafts workers. ~ Another must-see is the stunning Dow Museum of Historical Houses, a complex of 9 original homes, including the 1790 Prince Murat House, where Napoleon’s nephew lived in 1824. Each home is furnished with antiques to depict a specific time period.

Also see: Florida Keys | Lee County Coast | Miami | Miami Neighborhoods | Orlando | Palm Beach | Paradise Coast | Sarasota | Space Coast |

Lightner Museum: When the Hotel Alcazar was built by railroad tycoon Henry Flagler in 1887, it was the epitome of luxury. Today the former hotel houses the Lightner Museum. Throughout three floors, including the one-time ballroom and gymnasium, you'll find priceless art and artifacts from the Gilded Age: furniture, mechanical musical instruments, Tiffany glass, steam engine models, and much more. Despite its opulence, the Lightner is not above a touch of whimsy: the entrance area recreates the hotel's lobby in its earliest incarnation (including very tempting retail shops), and at various times of day the mechanized musical instruments burst into lively concert mode. Be sure to explore the palm-lined courtyard, with its koi-filled pond and coral bridge. ~ Just across the way is another one-time Flagler hostelry, the Ponce de Leon Hotel, now leading a happy second life as Flagler College. Daily tours,from May through August, start from the Rotunda, where an 80-foot domed ceiling sports allegorical murals; move on to the Dining Hall, with what seems like an acre of Tiffany stained glass windows; the former hotel's Grand Parlor (Tiffany crystal chandeliers, an onyx Thomas Edison clock)...and that's only the beginning. ~ Both former Flagler hotels are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

World Golf Hall of Fame: Located at World Golf Village, the WG Hall of Fame tells the story of golf and its most illustrious players through historic artifacts, personal memorabilia, and interactive exhibits. Learn about 5+ centuries of golf history, watch a video of the most exciting moments ever played on a golf course, examine the 88-foot long Wall of Fame that honors golf's greatest players. Among many hands-on experiences: you'll get the chance to putt with a hickory club on an old-time green. ~ As for your own play? Two top-rated courses also call World Golf Village home: King & Bear (co-designed by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus) and Slammer & Squire (designed by Bobby Weed with consultants Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen). Or try the oh-so-challenging Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, home of the PGA Tour, or the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club's Ocean Course.

St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum: The 165-foot St. Augustine Lighthouse was completed in 1875, replacing the original 1565 lighthouse—good thing, because the original fell into the ocean in 1880. Until 1955, the lighthouse had as many as three keepers at a time, but they were phased out with the coming of automation. An on-site visitor's center contains a museum detailing the lighthouse's history, with exhibits showing what it was like to live and work at the light station. Artifacts found during archaeological digs on the grounds are also on display. If you're in good enough shape, go up top—you'll have to climb 219 see-through steps to get there, but the view makes it worthwhile. • The lighthouse and nearby buildings are known for being sites of paranormal activity, leading the SciFi Channel to film an episode of Ghost Hunters here. Various visitors and workers over the years have related accounts of seeing moving shadows, hearing voices and other unexplained sounds, and encountering the sight of a woman on the lighthouse stairs, a man who wanders through the basement, and two little girls standing on the lighthouse catwalk (as the tale goes, they were daughters of an 1870s lighthouse keeper named Hezekiah Pitteestruction; the girls drowned in a tragic accident). during the building of the tower). The lighthouse offers an "after hours paranormal tour," Dark of the Moon.

Anastasia State Park: A mere 1½ miles from Old St. Augustine, Anastasia State Park is located on a barrier island rich with history—among other things, Anastasia is where coquina was mined to construct Castillo de San Marcos. This deservedly popular Park offers Atlantic ocean views, four miles of broad white-sand beaches backed by rolling dunes and sea oats, a lagoon, tidal marshes, and plenty of outdoor activity. Nearly 5 miles of trails wind through forest-shaded dunes—great terrain to spot the 150 resident or visiting bird species (including the Roseate Spoonbill, Bald Eagles, Osprey, and numerous varieties of herons and owls). Fishing is good, and a concession rents bicycles, kayaks, and canoes. And those lovely white sands invite you to spread a blanket, plunk down your picnic basket, and settle in for the day.

Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve: If you're into the outdoors, this place is truly a must, with nine miles of nature trails winding past untouched coastal habitat. The GTM Reserve is separated into a northern section—where the Tolomato and Guana rivers meet the Atlantic Ocean—and a southern section at the mouth of the Matanzas River (the Matanzas Inlet is one of only two unaltered inlets remaining on Florida's east coast). The 55,000-acre Reserve protects tidal rivers, wetlands, oyster beds, salt marshes, hammocks, and 13 miles of rugged Atlantic coastline. The end result: habitat for threatened and endangered sea turtles and least terns; shelter for wood storks, roseate spoonbills, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and many other birds (the Reserve is also an important stop on the Atlantic Coastal Flyway); and calving grounds for the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale. You can put everything into perspective at the Reserve's glitzy new Environmental Education Center in South Ponte Vedra Beach, which offers exhibits, interpretive displays, aquariums, and more. »»Download a GTM NERR trail map

Local Comfort Food: The scrumptious, tomato-based, peppery Minorcan Clam Chowder is a classic St. Augustine treat. The authentic version requires Datil pepper—grown here and almost nowhere else since the 1770s. That was when a group of indentured servants (originally from the Balearic Island of Minorca) escaped barbarous treatment on an indigo plantation to the south, fled here, and were given asylum. They brought the Datil seeds with them and the little hotties have been thriving ever since. Datil is one of the most sizzling peppers around, akin to a Scotch Bonnet, and it possesses a unique fruity flavor. You'll find bottled Datil concoctions on the tables in many local restaurants and encounter various Datil products—mustards, sauces, pickles, marinades, jelly—in shops. Give the chowder a try; if you love it, bring home a bottle or two of Datil something-or-other. »» Minorcan Clam Chowder Recipe ~ Check out other comfort foods in the USA and around the world

St. Augustine Alligator Farm & Zoo: Dating back to 1893, this is the only place in the world where all 22 species of crocodilians—alligators, crocodiles caimans, and gavials—can be seen at once. You’ll meet Maximo, a 15-foot long croc who weighs 1250 pounds, and encounter a pure white albino alligator. The many species of birds who live at St. Augustine's Alligator Farm & Zoo get along great with the crocs. They build nests in trees right above them, knowing that dangerous predators like snakes and raccoons will be most reluctant to pay a visit; to get to the birds, they'd first have to wend their way through varmint-eating reptiles. You’ll see hundreds of beautiful waders (egrets, ibis, herons, spoonbills, and storks) and a whole host of exotic and colorful birds from around the world. The animal shows and feedings throughout the day are entertaining.

More Info: St.Augustine, Ponte Vedra, & The Beaches Visitors & Convention Bureau

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All written material © WGH ~ Photos: Thanks to NOAA/GTMNERR (GTM Reserve); St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches VCB (all others)