Florida’s Historic Coast Facts

St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States, features more than 60 historic sites and attractions, national monuments, and architecturally-rich churches that render old world charm with a variety of activities for visitors to enjoy.

Ponte Vedra Beach is home to the PGA TOUR, TPC Sawgrass, and THE PLAYERS Championship along with other notable world-class golf and tennis facilities, award-winning spas, an abundance of boutique shopping, notable restaurants, and the finest collection of recreational and social amenities available.

The Beaches of Florida’s Historic Coast span 42 miles from Ponte Vedra in the north, to Marineland in the south. The seaside Anastasia State Park has more than 1,600 acres of natural habitat with four miles of pristine beach, a tidal salt marsh, and a maritime and upland hammock. The activities are varied and plentiful - from swimming and surfing to shell collecting and hiking. The beaches of this beautiful stretch of Atlantic shoreline have been listed in TripAdvisor’s Top 10 U.S. Beaches.

ATTRACTIONS - With more than 450 years of colorful local history to draw from, themed attractions and historical sites bring the history and romance of the Old City to life. Popular attractions include the Castillo de San Marcos, the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum, The Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum, Marineland Dolphin Adventure, the Colonial Quarter and many others.

ACCOMMODATIONS - Florida’s Historic Coast has a variety of resorts, hotels, condominium rentals, vacation homes and Bed & Breakfast Inns offering a wide range of lodging choices. The area boasts more than 10,000 accommodation units. The area’s resort hotels are award winning, too. Ponte Vedra Inn & Club is Five Diamond AAA rated and The Lodge & Club at Ponte Vedra Beach and the Casa Monica Resort & Spa in St. Augustine are all Four Diamond AAA rated.

GOLF - The area offers more than a dozen golf courses and a wide range of play with challenges for beginners and seasoned pros alike. World Golf Village in St. Augustine is home to the World Golf Hall of Fame and features top-rated accommodations at the Renaissance Resort, two championship golf courses, the PGA TOUR Golf Academy, golf-themed dining and much more. In Ponte Vedra, THE PLAYERS Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass hosts THE PLAYERS Championship in March. Plus, there are numerous courses throughout the area that are both beautiful and challenging.

SHOPPING - There are nearly 50 art galleries and 25 antique shops in St. Augustine as well as trendy resort boutiques in Ponte Vedra Beach. One of the most popular outlet malls in the Southeast, the St. Augustine Premium Outlets - feature stores like Gucci, Talbot’s, Cole Hahn, Kenneth Cole, GAP, Tommy Bahamas, White House Black Market, TaylorMade Golf Factory Store and more.

DINING - Year-round fresh seafood, locally sourced produce and cultural influences make the area a foodie’s paradise. Along with the more than 95 restaurants on Florida’s Historic Coast, there are food and wine festivals held throughout the year. Tour the St. Augustine Distillery with spirits made from locally sourced ingredients including Florida Cane Vodka, New World Gin and its Discovery Rum Series. Free tours and samples are offered at the San Sebastian Winery, purveyor of fine Florida wines.

MEETINGS - With more than 162,000 square feet of meeting space and 5,800 guest rooms, Florida’s Historic Coast has facilities to accommodate successful meetings with 10 to 1,500 or more attendees. Each of the area’s highly rated resorts and hotels provide professional services to assist the planner in making sure all of the group’s needs are met so they can focus on their role of planning and implementing the agenda.

GETTING HERE - VIA Air provides air service between the Northeast Florida Regional Airport in St. Augustine (UST) and Charlotte, N.C. (CLT) with connecting service to Beckley W.V. (BKW). The airport, which is also available for private and chartered planes, is a 5-minute drive to downtown St. Augustine or 20-minutes to Ponte Vedra Beach. Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) is 50 minutes north of St. Augustine and 30 minutes from Ponte Vedra Beach and provides additional air service including Air Canada, Jet Blue, Delta Airlines, American Airlines, Allegiant Air and more. By car, Florida’s Historic Coast easily accessible from the north and south by I-95 and from the west by I-10.