Coastal Charms: A Floridian’s Day Trip Guide to St. Augustine

Ask a Floridian if they’ve visited St. Augustine before, and odds are, they’ll say yes. The subject of Florida History is studied state-wide during the fourth grade, and many Florida students cap their studies with a trip to the oldest city in the continental United States.

It’s also a place Michael and I have visited several times in the past decade, and for a place that holds so much history and culture, no two visits have ever been the same. For a recent visit, we opted to only visit places we’ve never been before (except the beach – of course, we couldn’t skip the beach!), and assemble this off-the-beaten-path guide for you today.

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We arrived at St. Augustine around 11 a.m. to find the city was already buzzing. Parking can be a bit tricky downtown, and we saved time by parking at the first pay lot we saw: right outside the Villa Zorayda Museum. Parking prices were listed at $10 when we arrived, but when we returned to grab something out of the car later, the cost had risen to $15.

We walked across King Street to pre-pay for our Flagler Tour tickets, as they tend to sell out, and then walked to Ice Plant for brunch, which is where this guide officially begins (honestly, shouldn’t all things begin with brunch?).

ST. AUGUSTINE DAY TRIP ITINERARY

Exterior of Ice Plant in St. Augustine — Ice Plant

Collage of photos of the atmosphere, food, drinks, and menu at Ice Plant — Brunch at the bar at Ice Plant

An ice-cold brunch

Housed in – you guessed it – a former ice plant, Ice Plant Bar serves modern Southern cuisine and innovative cocktails. We chose to sit at the old bar upstairs and enjoyed watching the cocktail-making process using various shapes of crystal-clear ice.

Michael enjoyed his order of buttermilk fried chicken and hoe cakes (that’s cornmeal pancakes, for the unfamiliar) and I nearly finished off my avocado toast, an incredible feat due to its size. Our cocktails were dangerously delicious; the only thing stopping us from ordering a second? The price tag.

→Ice Plant Bar // 110 Riberia St, St. Augustine, FL 32084

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Relámpago coffee shop interior — Relámpago

A coffee at lightning speed

Although stepping out into the bright sunshine should have woken us up sufficiently, after such a filling meal we needed a little assistance. I would have loved a pour-over at Relámpago (Spanish for “lightning”), but the heat persuaded us to order two cold brews to go.

→Relámpago | 74 Spanish St, St. Augustine, FL 32084

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Interior of Declaration & Co. in St. Augustine, FL — Declaration & Co.

Interior of Rosy Cheek Anchor Boutique apothecary shop in St. Augustine — Rosy Cheek Anchor Boutique

Boutique Shopping in St. Augustine

Because we had time to kill before our 2 p.m. tour of Flagler College, we wandered downtown a little, popping into small shops and boutiques along the way – and I’m happy to share a few recommendations if you find yourself with a shopping bug.

The Closet, though easy to miss (edit: now closed), held lots of great vintage clothing. If we were searching for souvenirs, we likely would have purchased them at Declaration & Co.

All located in the same building, the trio of Anchor Boutique, The Rosy Cheek Beauty Bar & Apothecary (edit: now closed), and West to East Design held a bevy of indie finds. In particular, I had difficulty not purchasing a few pieces of handmade jewelry at Anchor and trying all of the natural skincare, makeup, and fragrances at The Rosy Cheek.

While strolling through downtown, we also passed the Castillo de San Marcos and the heavily touristed St. George Street. If you’ve never toured the Castillo de San Marcos, I highly recommend it. As we’ve visited the fort several times, we skipped it on this trip. St. George isn’t really our scene, so we plowed down it, passing the cheesy pirate-themed shops and restaurants. The saving grace of St. George? Popsicles at The Hyppo. We were too full to get one on the day we visited, but otherwise, they are not to be missed.

→The Closet // Now Closed
→Declaration & Co. // 63 San Marco Ave #3257, St. Augustine, FL 32084
→Anchor Boutique // 77 San Marco Ave #3, St. Augustine, FL 32084
→The Rosy Cheek Beauty Bar & Apothecary // Now Closed
→West to East Design // now at 3 Charles St, St. Augustine, FL 32084

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Entrance to Flagler College in St. Augustine — Entrance to Flagler College

Enroll (in a tour) at Flagler College

Our Flagler College tour time arrived, and we were grateful we purchased tickets in advance as it was sold out. I had visited the college previously to visit a friend who was enrolled there, sneaking into the dorms to stay overnight, but this was the first time I had the chance to properly visit the historic property. According to the Flagler website, ground broke on the Hotel Ponce de Leon on December 1, 1885, and opened in January 1888. It served as a hotel seasonally, generally for very wealthy guests, until 1967. Flagler College opened the following year as a Liberal Arts and Sciences school for women (it has since changed to a co-ed institution).

Our tour guides were two currently enrolled students, and our tour group contained several prospective families. We visited the Ladies’ Parlor, where the women were to wait while the men checked into the hotel (it was said that the price of the stay was enough to cause a lady to faint). The room was ornately decorated, containing Tiffany chandeliers and a Thomas Edison clock. A unique feature of the room was the three-seated courting sofa – a chair for the lady, the gentleman, and the chaperone.

Our tour guides answered general questions about Henry Flagler, the hotel in its day, and contemporary college life. The $30,000 per year cost of tuition and housing for a student’s first year was a bit of a shock to the crowd, as was the idea of RA’s checking in on residents hourly during scheduled “visiting hours” with those of the opposite gender.

Ornate interiors of Flagler College in St. Augustine — Flagler College

A room with a three-person chair for conversation — A conversation chair at Flagler College

Our tour continued outside in the courtyard, and we viewed the sundial fountain and bell tower. Our guide spoke a bit more about life on campus, revealing that the campus has a tight-knit community, and citing engaging events on campus such as Harry Potter-themed activities.

We then returned to the interior rotunda, which was much more cool and pleasant than being outside on the warm April day. We gathered and listened as the guides described the placement of tiles and the symbolism of the names and figures on the walls before being led into the final section of the tour: the dining room.

A large Spanish-inspired fountain at Flagler College in St. Augustine — Flagler College Fountain

The bell tower at Flagler College — Flagler College Bell Tower

A mosaic rotunda at Flagler College — Flagler College’s mosaic rotunda

The ornate dining hall of Flagler College in St. Augustine — Flagler College Dining Hall

A Tiffany glass window at Flagler College — Tiffany glass at Flagler College

Alyssa looks out the Tiffany glass windows at Flagler College in St. Augustine — Tiffany windows at Flagler College

The dining room is the highlight of the tour. The space is as ornate as all of the others but on a much larger scale. The windows are all Tiffany glass and the ceilings and pillars are all decorated in gold and burgundy. We were allowed to wander the space freely for a few moments, save for the food service line.

Neither of us could get over the striking juxtaposition of these priceless windows and bottles of ketchup. At this point, we were free to exit and the room thinned. We headed back into the sunshine, grabbed our swimsuits out of our vehicles, and changed in the bathrooms in the rotunda to head to the beach.

→Flagler College // 74 King St, St. Augustine, FL 32084

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A collage from an afternoon spent at St. Augustine Beach: the pier, a book, a goldfish, and Alyssa on the beach — Scenes from St. Augustine Beach

Alyssa stands on St. Augustine Beach — St. Augustine Beach

St. Augustine Beach

St. Augustine Beach is located on Anastasia Island, about a 15-minute drive from downtown over the famous Bridge of Lions (fun fact, the lions on the bridge are copies of the lions located in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence, Italy). Parking at the public beach is free – if you can find it.

The day we visited was sunny and warm, and we weren’t the only ones with the idea of visiting St. Augustine’s namesake beach. We circled the public lots several times before finding a parking space. Finally, we made it onto the sandy beach, which, as expected, was packed with people.

We lazed on the beach for a couple of hours, enjoying the cloudless sky and people- and dog-watching (we didn’t so much enjoy our, uh, visit from a pelican overhead and had no choice but to flip our beach blanket over). Before you grow too sleepy from the sun, take a walk down the beach. And, of course, when you grow too warm from your walk, it’s time for ice cream at Cone Heads.

→St. Augustine Beach // Multiple Access Points
→Cone Heads Ice Cream // 570 A1A Beach Blvd, St. Augustine, FL 32080

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Outside and inside of Old Coast Ales in St. Augustine Beach — Old Coast Ales

Tap List at Old Coast Ales — Old Coast Ales

Toast to the day with a pint of local beer

We’d waffled over where to have dinner but finally decided on Llama, a Peruvian restaurant. The problem was, we didn’t have a reservation and they were fully booked. We scrambled to find another place, but nothing sounded as good. On a whim, I called to ask to put our names on a waiting list and was informed a cancellation had just been made. The table was ours! The only catch? The reservation was hours away, so we made an impromptu stop at Old Coast Ales to relax with a couple of their brews.

→Old Coast Ales // 300 Anastasia Blvd, St. Augustine, FL 32080

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Sign for Llama Restaurant in St. Augustine Beach — Llama Restaurant

Artful dishes at Llama Restaurant in St. Augustine Beach — Llama specializes in Peruvian cuisine – with a modern twist

Peruvian cuisine from Llama Restaurant in St. Augustine Beach — The restaurant’s signature dessert is accompanied by an empowering story

Dinner by way of Lima

Our reservation time arrived and we walked from Old Coast Ales to Llama, where we were warmly greeted and seated in the tiny (maybe seven? Eight tables?) restaurant. The place is family-run, and it shows in the warmth of service and passion displayed in their dishes.

Start with the Ceviche Lima and enjoy the experience of knocking the fish into the “sea” of lime marinade below. If you’re lucky, the chef will create a delicious amuse-bouche beverage, which we enjoyed before our entree, along with a bowl of corn nuts.

Michael’s main dish included lomo steak served over tagliatelle pasta, and I couldn’t resist ordering the paiche. The plantain wrap surrounded the fish so nicely; it was just like opening a gift!

For dessert, we shared the Alfajores Aftermath, which was an interpretation of the restaurant’s tough beginnings and served on a broken plate as a reminder. Hurricane Matthew struck two weeks after opening (inside the doorway you’ll see a line marking the flood level), devastating the young restaurant. Thankfully they recovered and grew their small eatery; after returning home we saw that Llama plans to open a sister restaurant called Luna Cafe.

Dinner lasted a long time, as any good meal out with your favorite companion should, and by the time we arrived home, it was technically the next day. Even if your day trip turns into a multi-day trip, it’s always worth a visit to St. Augustine.

→Llama // 415 Anastasia Blvd, St. Augustine, FL 32080

OUTFIT DETAILS

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Alyssa stands in front of the St. Augustine fort in a black dress and sandals — Silk Dress* | Leather Sandals* | Sunglasses | Leather Crossbody* | Copper and Leather Necklace*

I’ve been wearing this dress frequently as the weather warms (at least before we get to the impossibly sticky, sweaty summer), and it kept me cool while walking downtown throughout the day and still dressed up enough for dinner. For the beach, I changed into a swimsuit but kept these sandals on all day. I wouldn’t change a single thing!

*item is no longer available, and I've linked a similar product

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA

Flights are available on several major carriers to both Jacksonville International Airport and Daytona Beach International, which are both about an hour’s drive from St. Augustine. There are plenty of hotels, resorts, and bed and breakfasts, and Airbnb rentals are quite popular in the area as well.

Parking downtown can be a bit tricky if you visit during peak times. We preferred to just park where we found a paid lot versus driving around to find the most convenient spot, plus the $10 we paid at the private lot was cheaper than the $15 at the downtown garage.

If you’re visiting on a weekday or staying for several days, you might consider a ParkNow card which provides a generous discount on parking (the only catch is you have to purchase it in-person during their weekday-only hours). Edit: This program is no longer available, and discounts are only offered to residents in the current parking program.

Street parking may be available, and prices and time limits can be found online. ~~City meters are free on Sundays~~. If you plan on taking the Flagler Tour, collect your tickets early as tours can sell out (a schedule of tours can be found here). Though we didn’t visit on this particular day, new visitors to the area may consider touring the Castillo de San Marcos and/or the St. Augustine Lighthouse.

Food and drink abound, particularly downtown in the touristy area. There are a lot of hidden gems to be found, and I encourage you to stray from St. George Street. Before you visit, be sure to consult an event calendar or two to see if anything special is going on!

SPENDING DIARY: ST. AUGUSTINE

At the suggestion of The Luxe Strategist, personal finance blogger extraordinaire, I’m including a quick breakdown of what we spent, rounded for ease!:

$10 – Parking
$20 – Flagler Tour for two
$65 – Brunch and drinks for two, with tip, at the Ice Plant
$9 – Coffee at Relámpago
$6 – One double-scoop of ice cream at Cone Heads
$12 – Beer for two at Old Coast Ales
$105 – Dinner for two, with tip, at Llama

Grand Total: $227

This is, of course, much more than we’d spend on a day at home in our city, and we certainly don’t spend that much at restaurants in our hometown regularly. But I don’t think I’d change a thing about our day, because it was truly a perfect day for us. However…

If you’re looking to do a day in St. Augustine on the cheap: Since our biggest expenses were food and drink, I’d recommend skipping the big brunch and grabbing an Aussie Pie and coffee instead at The Kookaburra. Later order a selection of tacos for dinner at one of the Burrito Works locations (downtown or at the beach!). By doing this and teetotaling (yet keeping everything else the same), the estimated cost of a day trip for two would be around $75.

If you’re planning to live. it. up. for a day: The sky is the limit! In addition to a ton of bars and a few other upscale restaurants, there are plenty more shopping opportunities within St. Augustine (I know plenty of people who day-trip in just to hit the Outlets).

Looking for more? You may enjoy these other Florida guides:

Have you visited the Old City? What are your favorite sights?

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