Looking for a relaxing vacation spot? We may have found the place for you. Founded in 1565 by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, the small, Spanish influenced city of St. Augustine is a beautiful site for all to see with its old school architecture and long sandy beaches.  However this old age is a charming aspect for St. Augustine with its narrow cobblestone side streets with boutiques and small shops.

St. Augustine is located on Anastasia Island, a small island off the coast of the Florida mainland, meaning golden, silky, sand beaches surround the island on all four sides with crystal clear warm ocean water. Anastasia Island is the suspected place of the Fountain of Youth founded by Spaniards a long time ago, which still stands in the center of town. St. Augustine has many popular tourist spots such as the St. Augustine lighthouse, the Castillo de San Marcos (the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States), and Flagler College, which attracts many students, although it is a reasonably small college.

Moreover, it is very family friendly and has recreational centers, and everything is age appropriate for ages 1 to 100 in the city, making it a great family vacation spot! Some popular restaurants include the Collage Restaurant on Hypolita Street, and a small yet popular coffee shop called The Chocolate Turtle which has fabulous desserts. Most importantly though, is that you check out the Cold Cow ice cream shop as you drive into town. You haven’t lived and cannot call yourself an ice cream addict until you’ve tried one of their many creative flavors, all homemade. Popular hotels/inns include La Fiesta Inn & Suites, overlooking one of its popular beaches and Jay Bird’s inn, a small but cozy place to stay for a few nights on your vacation.

I talked to a long time resident of St. Augustine and she told me what she loves most about the city is that, “there’s always something going on, but it still has a small town feel. Obviously I love the beaches and warm weather and the casual feel is definitely a plus! What’s great about St. Augustine though is that it hasn’t lost its old world charm and that makes it really unique.” I asked her about tourists too, and she said, “There are tourists, but they tend to be in the following categories snow birds from Thanksgiving to Easter.  But as long as you go out to dinner after 7 they are all in bed!  Families from GA, FL and other southern states come in May, June, July (school starts in Aug).”

St. Augustine’s uniqueness and old school charm has made it a popular, relaxing tourist spot for people nation and worldwide. So this year, instead of say, taking a trip to Disneyworld this year, dig deeper and check out St. Augustine and learn about some history, while relaxing under the sun at one of their many silky, sand beaches with clear, water. It won’t disappoint.