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Media Kit: Overview
ST. AUGUSTINE -- HISTORY COMES TO LIFE IN AMERICA'S OLDEST CITY
St. Augustine, the oldest, continuously occupied European settlement in the continental United States, is a time capsule that showcases nearly 500 years of American history.
Situated on the northeastern Atlantic Coast of Florida, the colonial city has kept a bygone era suspended in time with 144 blocks of historic houses, many listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The St. Augustine area exudes a playful charm that blends Old and New World influences in a compelling and refreshing mixture of history, romance, youthful vibrance and Southern charm.
The area's history, however, is only the start of the fun. Visitors can choose from some of the most beautiful beaches in all of Florida to one-of-a-kind attractions and tours unlike anything else in the Sunshine State. St. Augustine, the beaches of Anastasia Island, outstanding golf, tennis and water sports facilities at nearby Ponte Vedra Beach and the exciting new World Golf Village, northwest of St. Augustine, combine to make the area a world-class fun-filled playground for visitors.
A visit to St. Augustine is an adventure with traces of yesteryear depicted by authentically clothed Spanish fusiliers and colonial craftsmen. Knowledgeable tour guides lead visitors through the centuries via horse and carriage, trolleys and trains, river cruises and walking tours. The tours provide historically accurate information accented by anecdotes and tales that are a colorful part of the city's history.
Historical characters of the past whose legacy endures in St. Augustine include Ponce de León, whose spirited search for the legendary Fountain of Youth still captures the imagination, and renowned Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, who founded the city more than 435 years ago.
The architecture of St. Augustine provides a cross section of life spanning nearly five centuries of Americana. Architectural stylings in St. Augustine range from the simplicity of coquina rock and tabby cottages along ancient brick lanes to the magnificence of early 20th-century structures capped by towers, turrets and red clay roofs.
There are more than 85 historic sites and attractions, including a massive fort, missions and living history museums. Two national monuments reflect the prevalent Spanish heritage: the impenetrable fort Castillo de San Marcos (1695), the nation's oldest masonry fortress with Spanish soldier re-enactors firing cannons and, south of St. Augustine, the mysterious, brooding Fort Matanzas (1742), reachable only by boat.
St. Augustine was founded in 1565-42 years before the English colonized Jamestown and 55 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. It is the oldest, continuously occupied European settlement in the continental United States. Near the end of the 19th century, oil magnate Henry Flagler envisioned St. Augustine as "America's Riviera," preserving much of its centuries-old structures and initiating a golden renaissance that added exciting new architectural and recreation features that turned the slumbering town into one of Florida's earliest resort locations.
Some of the discoveries visitors can find in St. Augustine are the peaceful gardens of the legendary Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park (1903), said to be Ponce de León's eternal spring, the quaint and picturesque Mission of Nombre de Dios (1565), which was the site of the beginning of Christianity in the United States, and the ancient remains of the City Gate (1808), now a symbolic grand entryway into the city.
The heart of St. Augustine can be found in the 11 pedestrian-only blocks of St. Augustine's historic district. The main thoroughfare is St. George Street, lined by 18th-century Spanish Colonial houses that are now historic landmarks and dotted with boutiques laden with arts and antiques. Within the restored area lies the Spanish Quarter, a living history museum featuring settlers clad in 1740s-style britches and bonnets busy blacksmithing, spinning and woodworking and also soldiers who tell of life long ago.
St. Augustine is home to some of the oldest original structures and sites in the United States including The Oldest House (1704), The Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse (1804), The Oldest Store Museum (1840) and the Old Jail (1891).
Architectural masterpieces with accents of terra cotta are found in what was the original Ponce de Leon Hotel, Flagler's $2 million resort, with Tiffany stained glass, gold-leafed Maynard murals and electricity by Thomas Edison-now Flagler College. Other admirable architectural feats include the Venetian Renaissance Revival Memorial Presbyterian Church and the magnificent Bridge of Lions, resplendent with beasts carved of Carrara marble.
Ornate collections from the past are showcased in the Lightner Museum, including one of the world's most impressive cut-glass displays. Visitors in search of an aerial view of St. Augustine's distinctive skyline can get a spectacular vista of the Old City and the beaches of Anastasia Island from the top of the candy-striped Lighthouse Tower and Museum (1874). Travelers eager to seek more about the historical aspects of St. Augustine can explore the city's colorful past at the Government House Museum.
The many attractions of St. Augustine offer unique visitor experiences ranging from America's first alligator farm to the world's original oceanarium.
Family favorites include the century-old St. Augustine Alligator Farm (1893) crawling with 2,700 gators and crocodiles, the only facility in the world housing every species of crocodillian. Attractions accenting the unusual are Ripley's Believe It or Not!, featuring artifacts from the Robert Ripley collection and Potter's Wax Museum, where one can come face-to-face with incredibly lifelike re-creations of historical figures, including presidents and motion picture stars. For visitors with a sweet tooth, the Whetstone Chocolate Factory tour offers a close-up view-and sample-of chocolate treats in the making.
Intriguing tours around St. Augustine are conducted from horse-drawn carriages, scenic river cruise ships on Matanzas Bay, charming open-air trolleys and sightseeing trains-all with guides passing on stories of the life and times of St. Augustine. Guided tours remain one of the most popular means of exploring St. Augustine and getting an introduction to the sites, color and charm found in the Old City.
Just across the historic Bridge of Lions from St. Augustine lie the beaches of Anastasia Island, where sabal palms and sea oats grow wild on 20-foot-high dunes. The 24 miles of unspoiled, sandy beaches on Anastasia Island provide a pleasant and unexpected surprise for visitors.
Home of beach paddle tennis, first played in 1972, the hard-packed sand provides the finest natural "courts" in America. Flanked by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, pleasant year-round weather encourages exploration of St. Augustine Beach and the beaches of Anastasia Island.
The natural attraction of St. Augustine is accented by three state parks. Anastasia State Recreation Area, on Anastasia Island, is a 1,700-acre bird sanctuary rich with five miles of beach, lagoon waterways, wildlife and sweeping sand dunes. Faver-Dykes State Park, on the southern tip of St. Johns County, serves as a 752-acre forest for endangered bald eagles and wood storks, and boasts trails and camping along meandering marshes. Guana River State Park in nearby Ponte Vedra Beach is a pristine 2,200-acre preserve with a five-mile coastal strand, an ancient Spanish well and 2,000-year-old Indian shell bluffs.
Beyond the water's edge, the waves are sprinkled with water enthusiasts surfing, boogie-boarding, ocean kayaking and even windsurfing. Farther out, charter boats and private yachts carry deep-sea anglers to marlin, kingfish, sailfish, dolphin and wahoo. Surf and jetty casters bring drum, bluefish, red bass and Spanish mackerel.
Three piers-the Lighthouse Pier, the Vilano Beach Pier and the St. Johns County Pier (St. Augustine Beach)-lure fishermen with bountiful catches of sheepshead, flounder and drum. Ten boat launches provide easy access to waterways.
Straight-from-the-docks, incredibly fresh seafood and delicacies are served in more than 150 eateries on the beaches of Anastasia Island and in St. Augustine. Options range from waterbound bungalows to gourmet bistros and turn-of-the-century Victorian mansions. The area's strong Minorcan heritage inspires spicy dishes and savory specialties, such as pilau and sauces from the datil pepper-a red-hot local condiment indigenous to the area.
Every day is eventful in St. Augustine with more than 40 spirited year-round celebrations staged annually. Re-enactments are particularly popular and include: the 16th-century Menendez Birthday Festival; the Blessing of the Fleet, replete with an armada of colorfully bedecked boats; re-creations of 17th century life in a Spanish colonial capital, and the torchlight Grande Illumination of the 1770s.
A three-decade old tradition, the St. Augustine Easter Festival is celebrated with a month-long tribute including passion plays and a promenade of horses donning floral Easter chapeaux. St. Augustine's Olde World Christmas fills the Yuletide season with festive horse-drawn carriages, candlelight re-enactments and extraordinary musical performances.
Each November through January, the city's spectacular Nights of Lights celebration adds a stunning element of holiday beauty to the historic city with millions of twinkling white lights adorning most of downtown St. Augustine and the beaches, including the Bridge of Lions and even the palms in Cathedral Plaza.
Whimsical and beachside spectacles vary from spring flings with surfside sports to festivals in the downtown plaza area. Locals and visitors alike eagerly await events paying homage to the area's natural resources such as the Summer Sizzler Beach Festival in Julyand the Great Chowder Debate held each November.
Not surprisingly for a city intent on sharing its past, many accommodations, including gracious Victorian bed & breakfast inns and seaside guest hotels, are affordably priced and within the budget of most vacationers traveling to Florida.
More than 7,000 guest rooms, suites and villas in historic St. Augustine and along the beaches of Anastasia Island provide perfect lodging for every pocketbook and preference. From 28 Victorian and Colonial bed & breakfast inns offering more than 160 guest rooms, to seaside condominiums, resorts and 17 RV parks and three state parks for outdoor adventurers, St. Augustine offers a wide array of comfortable accommodations.
Fashionable Ponte Vedra Beach provides a sporty diversion only 20 minutes north of St. Augustine on coastal Highway A1A. Ponte Vedra Beach is Florida's playground of classic resorts and spas, world-famous fairways, world-acclaimed tennis, and miles of ivory, shell-sprinkled shores and towering dunes. As the prestigious home of the PGA TOUR® Headquarters and the ATP Tour® International Headquarters, Ponte Vedra Beach is one of America's finest sites for golf, tennis and water sports.
Golf takes center stage at World Golf Village, located only eight miles northwest of St. Augustine. Here, the World Golf Hall of Fame presents golf's story in more than 70 separate exhibits that combine historic artifacts with the latest in golf interactive technology. Awaiting golfers are the acclaimed "Slammer and Squire" par-72 championship course and the "King and Bear" course designed exclusively by golf legends Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. The resort's lodging centerpiece is the 300-room World Golf Village Resort Hotel, which adjoins the new 40,000 square-foot St. Johns County Convention Center.
St. Augustine and the beaches of Anastasia Island are easy to find. From Jacksonville or Daytona Beach, take I-95 and exit via any one of four different I-95 exits leading directly to historic St. Augustine. From the Atlantic Coast, St. Augustine can be reached along scenic Highway A1A south from Jacksonville or north from Daytona Beach. Jacksonville International Airport is only 40 minutes from Ponte Vedra Beach, and Daytona Beach International Airport is an hour south of St. Augustine.
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