City Guides: Things to do While Boating in St. Augustine

Bordered by the San Sebastian River, the Matanzas River and the Atlantic Ocean, the charming city of St. Augustine is within easy access to boat slips and private docks for rent. It’s located along the northeast coast of Florida, just south of Jacksonville and north of Daytona Beach. Beach bums can check out nearby St. Augustine Beach and Crescent Beach while history buffs head into the historic district to take in the Spanish Colonial architecture of the area’s buildings, bridges and historic structures.

St. Augustine was founded by Spanish explorers in 1565. It’s sometimes called the “Ancient City” due to its designation as the oldest city in the U.S. An Old-World ambiance can be seen in buildings like Flagler College and the impressive Medici Lion replica statues at the Bridge of Lions, which crosses the ICW on Matanzas Bay and serves as a symbol of the city. It’s a drawbridge, so the area is very accessible if you’re heading out from a private boat slip to take in a view of the city from your motor yacht deck.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the fun and interesting things to do in St. Augustine.

St. Augustine Historic District

Photo: Sandy Allen

Historic St. Augustine features charming cobblestone streets and narrow pathways accented with palm trees and filled with shops, outdoor cafes, inns, bars, bakeries and restaurants. You can take a horse and carriage ride around the historic streets, dine at a haunted restaurant (Scarlett O’Hara’s is a great choice), take an evening ghost tour or just stroll around the Colonial Quarter. Throughout this walkable area, you can find a variety of 16th, 17th and 18th-century sites such as a Spanish Military Hospital Museum, an 1891 jail and a 1788 wooden schoolhouse built by hand out of cedar and cypress.

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument

Photo: Sandy Allen

Castillo de San Marcos is an impressive 17th century Spanish fortress overlooking the St. Augustine Inlet (America’s oldest port) on the Matanzas River, which is part of the ICW. If you're on a Great Loop excursion, it makes a nice day trip. 

Photo: Sandy Allen

Easily walkable from the historic district, the fort is made out of coquina, a type of limestone made of broken shells and coral that’s practically indestructible. It was built by the Spanish to defend Florida and the Atlantic trade route. There is a fee to enter the fort, as it’s a national monument, but it’s well worth it for the sweeping view and interesting sites inside, including costumed actors and soldier barracks.

View from atop the fort (Photo: Sandy Allen

Lightner Museum

Photo: Pixabay

The Lightner Museum opened in 1887 as Henry Flagler’s Alcazar Hotel. It oozed opulence with its indoor pool, retractable roof, movie theater, spa and casino. Otto Lightner, publisher of Hobbies magazine, eventually purchased it to live in and keep his eclectic collections in, which included shrunken heads, mummies and other oddities.

Today, the museum is on the National Register of Historic Places and features antiques, Gilded Age pieces, fine and decorative art, natural history and special exhibits on Impressionism, stained glass from Tiffany Studios, Downton Abbey clothing collections and vintage photographs (along with the mummies and shrunken heads). It’s worth a walk-by to take in the Spanish Renaissance Revival-style architecture of the exterior.  

Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Museum

Photo: Ripley's St. Augustine Facebook

Who doesn’t visit every Ripley’s Believe it or Not! there is? Okay, maybe that’s just me. This eclectic museum is famous for its oddities and fun exhibits on everything strange, shocking, weird and bizarre. Opened in the ‘50s, the St. Augustine Ripley’s was the first branch in the odd Ripley family tree.

The Ripley’s building, originally built in 1887 and known as Castle Warden, was the scene of several unsolved murders and paranormal happenings. You can even take a special after-hours tour with the lights turned down. If that’s not your style, just peruse the collections of vampire lore, scientific discoveries, oddly formed animals and displays depicting art on bread slices and the world’s tallest man.

Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Site

Photo: Ponce de Leon Archaeological Site Facebook

The Fountain of Youth is a 15-acre park and open-air Spanish settlement. Located along the ICW on Hospital Creek, it’s likely the 1513 landing site of explorer Ponce de Lion. It was settled by Pedro Menendez de Aviles in 1565 (long before Plymouth Rock and Jamestown) and was the oldest continuous European settlement in the U.S.

Be sure to visit the Spring House and take a sip from the freshwater well while you’re there. Even if you don’t receive perpetual youth, it’s worth a try. Other sites within the park include the Navigators Planetarium, Discovery Globe, blacksmith exhibits, Timucuan Village and free-roaming peacocks.

Anastasia State Park

Photo: Sandy Allen

Anastasia State Park is located on Anastasia Island, which connects to St. Augustine via the Bridge of Lions. The protected wildlife sanctuary offers 1,600 acres of tidal marshes, sand dunes and forest hammocks that are home to wading birds like roseate spoonbills, osprey, eagles, buntings and warblers. Search for the tiny Anastasia Island beach mouse while you’re there. On an interesting history note, the area was the site of coquina quarries, which were used in the construction of Castillo de San Marcos.

Photo: Anastasia State Park Facebook

Check out the Ancient Dunes Nature Trail for hiking, or go kayaking, swimming, bicycling, boating, birdwatching or nature viewing. There are campsites, concession stands, restrooms, picnic facilities, sandy beaches and an amphitheater. There’s a boat launch, Lighthouse Park Boat Ramp, near the St. Augustine Lighthouse along Salt Run if you’re looking to explore by boat from a boat dock rental.

The next time you’re looking for something to do from a private boat lift in St. Augustine, be sure to check out some of these fun attractions. Happy travels!