Welcome to
St. Augustine
Founded in 1565, St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the United States — a city of cobblestone streets, Spanish colonial forts, world-class dining, and 42 miles of pristine Atlantic coastline.
A Living History Like No Other
St. Augustine sits on the northeastern coast of Florida, 50 miles south of Jacksonville, yet in spirit it feels centuries removed from anywhere else in America. Founded by Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés in 1565 — more than 40 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock — this extraordinary city has been continuously occupied ever since, making it the oldest European-established settlement on the continent. Walking its narrow, brick-paved streets is a journey through time unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere in the United States.
The heart of the city is the historic district, anchored by St. George Street — a pedestrian thoroughfare lined with colonial-era buildings, independent boutiques, art galleries, museums, and some of the most celebrated restaurants in the Southeast. Named the “#1 Small Town in the South” by Southern Living and one of America’s most beautiful towns by Condé Nast Traveler, St. Augustine earns its accolades not through nostalgia alone, but through a vibrant present: a booming culinary scene, a thriving arts community, and a calendar packed with festivals, ghost tours, and living history events year-round.
Beyond the historic district, St. Augustine opens up into miles of unspoiled Atlantic beaches, wildlife-rich salt marshes, and some of Florida’s finest coastal nature preserves. Whether you’re climbing to the top of the St. Augustine Lighthouse, kayaking through Matanzas Inlet, touring the towering Castillo de San Marcos, or simply sipping a craft cocktail on a sun-soaked rooftop, this city rewards every kind of traveler in equal measure.
The Nation’s Oldest City
St. Augustine was founded on September 8, 1565 — over 200 years before the United States declared independence. Its layered history spans Spanish, British, and American rule, leaving behind an extraordinary architectural legacy. The Castillo de San Marcos, built between 1672 and 1695, is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States and one of the most remarkable colonial fortifications in the world.
- Named “#1 Small Town in the South” and “Best Food Town in the South” by Southern Living
- Home to the Castillo de San Marcos — the oldest masonry fort in the continental U.S.
- Over 42 miles of Atlantic coastline including pristine Anastasia State Park
- World-renowned Nights of Lights festival illuminates the city from November through January
- A James Beard–recognized culinary scene with farm-to-table dining and fresh-caught seafood
Everything You Need to Plan Your Visit
From celebrated restaurants to welcoming accommodations and unforgettable activities — it’s all right here.
Dining Guide
From fresh-caught seafood and Minorcan clam chowder to James Beard–recognized farm-to-table kitchens, craft cocktail bars, and cozy Cuban cafés — St. Augustine’s restaurant scene is one of Florida’s very best.
Browse RestaurantsPlaces to Stay
Sleep in a storied Victorian bed-and-breakfast steps from the fort, a bayfront luxury hotel with sweeping water views, or a breezy beachside resort on Anastasia Island — for every style and budget.
Find AccommodationsThings to Do
Tour a 17th-century Spanish fort, sail at sunset on the Matanzas River, explore the Fountain of Youth, zip-line over alligators, or join a ghost tour through one of America’s most haunted cities.
See All ActivitiesOutstanding Dining, Timeless History & Coastal Adventure
St. Augustine’s dining scene has emerged as one of the most exciting in the American South. Named the South’s Best Food Town by Southern Living, the city supports a remarkable concentration of chef-driven, independent restaurants that draw on the region’s coastal bounty and agricultural richness. At St. Augustine Fish Camp, local seafood arrives straight from Florida waters to your table in a beautiful waterfront setting. Catch 27 on St. George Street cooks everything from scratch using seasonal ingredients and locally caught fish and clams. The Floridian brings a farm-to-table philosophy to Southern comfort classics, while at the Columbia Restaurant, award-winning Spanish and Cuban cuisine spans generations of tradition. Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grille, Mojo Old City, Forgotten Tonic, and the Ice Plant have each developed devoted followings among residents and repeat visitors alike.
Accommodations here are as varied as the city’s history. The Casa Monica Resort & Spa — a Moorish Revival masterpiece built in 1888 by Henry Flagler — is one of Florida’s most iconic hotels, its grand turrets and ornate interiors reflecting the opulence of the Gilded Age. The Hilton St. Augustine Historic Bayfront offers sweeping views of Matanzas Bay right at the foot of the Bridge of Lions. For something more intimate, the St. Francis Inn — a National Historic Landmark operating as a bed-and-breakfast since 1845 — offers Victorian charm on a quiet street in the heart of the historic district. Along the coast, Anastasia Island’s beach resorts provide direct access to some of Florida’s most beautiful and least crowded shoreline.
The Castillo de San Marcos is the crown jewel of St. Augustine’s many historic attractions — a coquina-stone fortress whose construction began in 1672 and which has never fallen in battle. Old Town Trolley Tours and walking tours through the Colonial Quarter bring the city’s layered past to vivid life, from the Spanish settlement period through the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement. Fort Mose, the first legally free African settlement in the United States, tells a powerful and often-overlooked chapter of American history. The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, the Lightner Museum in the former Alcazar Hotel, and Ponce de León’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park round out a museum landscape that could easily fill several wonderful days of exploration.
On the water, St. Augustine is spectacular. The Matanzas River, the Intracoastal Waterway, and the broad Atlantic converge here, offering endless opportunities for sailing, kayaking, dolphin watching, inshore fishing, and sunset cruising. The Schooner Freedom, a replica 19th-century tall ship, offers unforgettable sunset sails from the Municipal Marina. Ghost tours wind through lantern-lit streets after dark, and the world-famous Nights of Lights festival — when millions of white lights transform the entire historic district from November through January — draws visitors from across the country who return year after year for what many consider the most magical winter display in the American South.