Florida’s Historic Coast: 6 Best Beaches
More than 500 years ago, Ponce de Leon spotted beautiful, inviting beaches that drew him to shore and led to…
Convenient white sand beaches with ties to civil rights history.
Butler Beach on Anastasia Island is located only eight miles south of St. Augustine’s historic district and offers wide stretches of white sand beaches perfect for swimming and sunbathing.
Visitors may access Butler Beach via the Frank B. Butler County Park. The Mary Street Beach ramp takes drivers to the beach ($10 per car for beach access). To the right before the pay station, unpaved Gloria Avenue has free beach parking.
Butler Beach offers plenty of amenities, making it a great option for a day of family fun. The park staffs the beach seasonally with lifeguards, and other amenities include free parking, restrooms, showers, barbecue grills, and picnic pavilions. Dogs are welcome on Butler Beach but must be leashed at all times.
In the early 1900’s, a young black man named Frank B. Butler moved to St. Augustine. Upon arriving, he settled in the predominantly African-American area known as Lincolnville – now one of the city’s historic districts. At that time, Florida’s beaches were for the use of “whites only.” In 1927, Butler became so annoyed by this injustice that he began purchasing oceanfront property on Anastasia Island.
Butler was eventually able to acquire a tract stretching across the island from the Atlantic to the Matanzas River. He named it Butler Beach and opened it to African-Americans. It became the only stretch of beach between Daytona Beach and American Beach, north of Jacksonville, where African-Americans were allowed to enjoy the sand and the sea.
Local Tip: For a great view of the Intercoastal Waterway, head to the west-side of the park.
Florida’s Historic Coast: 6 Best Beaches
More than 500 years ago, Ponce de Leon spotted beautiful, inviting beaches that drew him to shore and led to…
History
St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches
Hotels & Places to Stay | St. Augustine & Ponte Vedra, FL
Search St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra Beach hotels, bed & breakfasts, resorts and vacation rentals, and find the perfect place…
Family Fun
Planning a family vacation in Florida? Try St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra Beach!
The Hague School: The Second Golden Age of Dutch Painting at Lightner Museum75 King St.
St. Augustine, FL 32084
The Gilded Age: Treasures from the Lightner Museum75 King St.
St. Augustine, FL 32084
Shared Brunch Sail with St. Augustine Sailing3076 Harbor Dr.
St. Augustine, FL 32084
Moonlit Mysteries: Stargazing and Haunted History with Florida Water Tours107 Yacht Club Dr.
St. Augustine, FL 32084
Art in Public Spaces: "Under the Same Sky: Aviles & St. Augustine, 1924-2024"500 San Sebastian View
St. Augustine, FL 32084
Bioluminescent Sunsets with GeoTrippin Adventure Company505 Guana River Road
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
Ximenez-Fatio House Museum: Mortality and Mourning - A Century of Death20 Aviles St.
St. Augustine, FL 32084
Bright Star presented by Limelight Theatre11 Old Mission Ave.
St. Augustine , FL 32084
Paranormal Investigation with After Dark Investigations442 Ocean Vista Ave.
St. Augustine , FL 32080
P.A.St.A. October Feature Artist Linda F. Hawkins214 Charlotte St.
St. Augustine, FL 32084
Butterfield Garage Art Gallery Silver Jubilee 25th Anniversary137 King St.
St. Augustine, FL 32084
Solo Exhibition: ‘en la noche prevalece un corazón lleno’ featuring Spanish artist Pablo Vindel48 Sevilla Street
Saint Augustine, FL 32084