Worth a DetourHeritageColonialForts

St. Augustine

Florida

America's oldest city, founded by Spain in 1565, with a coquina stone fort and narrow old streets.

Photo: Schwerdf · CC BY 4.0

Castillo de San Marcos, from 1672, is the oldest masonry fort in the continental US. St. George Street has shops and old houses, and Flagler College was once a Gilded Age hotel.

Best Time
October to May
Time Needed
2 days
Cost Level
$$$$
Open
Year-round
Getting There
About 40 minutes from Jacksonville, and 90 from Orlando.

What to See

1 of 4 are free
1.5 hours

Castillo de San Marcos

A star-shaped fort of shell-stone, with cannon firings.

Free2 hours

St. George Street

A pedestrian lane of old buildings.

1 hour

Flagler College

Tours of the 1888 Ponce de Leon Hotel with its Tiffany glass.

1.5 hours

Lightner Museum

An eclectic collection in another Flagler hotel.

Know Before You Go

  • Traffic gets heavy during Nights of Lights, November to January.
  • Ask for ticket bundles at the Trolley stops.

Where to Stay

Stay in the historic district.

Where to Eat

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Last checked 2026-11-01. Part of the Florida list.