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We lived about an hour from St. Augustine for YEARS and never once spent the night. We'd come down for the day, or for Nights of Lights, and head home. So when we retired, sold the house, and hit the road in the RV, guess where our very first stop was? Yep. Two brand-new retirees, and our first stop was the Fountain of Youth.

We spent a full week in St. Augustine with our two doodles, Lottie and Rupert. We did the big-name stops, and we found the places most visitors drive right past: a little Aussie coffee shop with the best chai I've ever had, a canopy trail draped in Spanish moss, and a state park that felt like Butchart Gardens gone wild.

Here's exactly where we stayed, where we'd stay if we weren't camping, what was worth it, where we ate and where we walked the dogs.

Prefer to listen or watch? We talk through the whole week on the Sunshine Travelers Podcast, Episode 190. Listen here or watch it on YouTube.

Where to Stay

If you're camping: We parked the RV at Stagecoach RV Park, about 7 miles from the historic district, and paid $479 for the week. It was a great park in a convenient location and we loved that there was a dog park onsite. So in addition to all the Florida State Parks we took them to in the area, they also got to play ball in the dog park.

A couple of fun surprises: five or six wild turkeys wander the campground, and one of our neighbors told us the park used to be a potato field for Lay's potato chips. Who knew?

We really wanted to stay at Anastasia State Park, but our fifth-wheel was too long for the campground. Big rigs, check the site lengths before you book. We still went over for the day, and it's beautiful.

How we did the week: the RV stayed put, and we did day trips from there: downtown, the beach, and state parks as far as Palatka. Staying a full week meant we had adventure days AND lazy campsite days, which is exactly how we want to travel now.

If you'd rather have a real bed: decide where you want to spend most of your time. Stay in the historic district if you want to walk everywhere, or head across the Bridge of Lions toward the beach if sand and sunsets are the goal. We haven't stayed at these ourselves, but they're the ones we'd look at first.

Historic downtown hotels

• Casa Monica Resort & Spa, at King and Cordova streets. It opened in 1888, and Henry Flagler bought it just months later. It sits right across from the Lightner Museum and Flagler College, so you can walk to just about everything (history).
• Hilton St. Augustine Historic Bayfront, 32 Avenida Menendez. Right on the bayfront, steps from the Castillo, with an outdoor pool and a lot of rooms looking out over Matanzas Bay.

Bed and breakfasts

• St. Francis Inn, 279 St. George St. Built in 1791, with 19 rooms in five historic buildings, a hot breakfast, an evening social hour and a heated pool. It has FREE parking, which is a big deal downtown, and it's listed as pet friendly, so call about the details (details).
• Bayfront Westcott House, 146 Avenida Menendez. An 1880s inn right on the water, with a full gourmet breakfast, an evening social hour and porches looking out toward the river and the lighthouse.

Beach-focused stays (St. Augustine Beach)

• Guy Harvey Resort on St. Augustine Beach, 860 A1A Beach Blvd. Directly on the ocean, with a walkway over the dune from the pool deck straight to the sand, plus a restaurant on site.
• Embassy Suites by Hilton St. Augustine Beach Oceanfront Resort, 300 A1A Beach Blvd. A newer oceanfront resort (built in 2018) with three restaurants on site.

Traveling with your dog? Call ahead about pet policies. And remember, dogs aren't allowed on the beaches at Florida state parks.

Flying in? Jacksonville International Airport is your best bet, and Daytona is the next closest. Either way, rent a car. And if you're spending a week in Orlando, St. Augustine is about two hours away, so it makes a great day trip.

Want the RV side of the story? What we paid for our Brinkley and F-350 (and what we'd do differently) is coming in a bonus video on our YouTube channel, Sunshine Travelers Podcast.

Why It's Called America's Oldest City

Quick history, I promise. St. Augustine was founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés. That's 42 years before Jamestown and 55 years before the Pilgrims. The National Park Service calls it the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the continental United States (NPS).

The streets still follow the old Spanish plan: a grid around a plaza facing the water, with narrow streets and small blocks. That's why downtown is SO walkable.

And the town has changed hands more than you'd think. Spain, then Britain in 1763, back to Spain in 1784, then the United States in 1821.

The Big-Name Stops: Our Honest Take

The Fountain of Youth. Honestly? It was BETTER than we expected. We didn't really know what to expect, and it turned out to be so much more than just the fountain. Our favorite was the blacksmith demonstration. We were surprised how much we liked the Globe theater, and the planetarium showed how sailors used the stars to navigate back then. We grabbed the barbecue lunch right there on site, too. Overall, a fascinating place.

Castillo de San Marcos. DEFINITELY worth going. It's a National Park Service site, so if you have an America the Beautiful pass, you get in free. Otherwise it's $15 per adult (16 and up), good for 7 days, and kids 15 and under are free. Heads up: cards only, no cash (NPS fees).

Here's the part I love. The fort was built from coquina, a stone made of tiny shells, between 1672 and 1695. It's porous, so when cannonballs hit the walls, they sank in instead of shattering them. The Park Service calls it the oldest masonry fort in the United States (NPS).

Coquina walls that swallowed cannonballs

A cannon's-eye view of the bay and the Bridge of Lions.

Flagler College. This was Henry Flagler's Ponce de Leon Hotel, and now it's a college. The courtyard was closed for a private event the day we went, so check ahead of time. But if you can get into the rotunda, LOOK UP. That dome is unreal.

Look up. Just trust me.

The famous frog fountain out front.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse. We climbed it several years ago with our son, Will. It was VERY windy that day, but the views were great, and we had so much fun climbing up and down the stairs. There are 219 steps, with eight landings to catch your breath. It's open daily 9 to 6, and parking is free. Leashed dogs are welcome on the grounds, but not in the historic buildings or up the tower (St. Augustine Lighthouse).

Those black-and-white stripes.

219 steps. Worth every one.

Windy? Us? Never.

Nights of Lights. We've been twice, and if you can time a trip for it, DO. This year it runs November 21, 2026 through January 18, 2027. More than three million white lights go up downtown, and it's free to walk (Florida's Historic Coast).

The first time we went, it was pretty chilly, so we ducked into Starbucks for hot chocolate and kept walking. Bring a jacket! We haven't done the Nights of Lights trolley yet, but it's a really popular way to see it.

My tips: don't try to drive and park downtown. Use the free park-and-ride lots and shuttles on the busy nights. The lights stay on from about 5:30 pm until after 2 am, so going later helps you beat the crowds. Light-Up! Night is November 21, and it gets BUSY (Visit St. Augustine).

Nights of Lights at the Lightner Museum

Every inch of the bayfront sparkles.

First Friday Art Walk. It's the first Friday of every month, 5 to 9 pm, with more than 25 galleries. A free trolley runs from February through November (Visit St. Augustine). When we went, Scott bought a mug at Jensen Pottery on Aviles Street, and he STILL uses it.

Golden hour on the Art Walk

Where We Ate (and Where We Got Our Sweet Fix)

Quick note: I'm trying to stick to eating gluten-free so I'll tell you what worked for me if I found something.

Kookaburra (the State Road 207 location). This little Aussie-American coffee shop started downtown in 2012 and now has several locations. The one on SR 207 roasts its coffee right there, and they sell bags of beans, mugs and merch. I had the house-made chai with almond milk, and it was probably the best chai tea I have EVER had. I also got the crustless Aussie pie, which had vegetables in it, and I really enjoyed it. Scott had the brown sugar apple pie muffin and the Aussie Iced coffee. It's strong! GF/DF tip: the regular pies list wheat, so ask about the crustless option, and they have oat and almond milk.

Crustless veggie pie. Yes, please.

Mayday Ice Cream. My #1 ice cream pick, and it's local to the Jacksonville area. Get a FLIGHT so you can try a bunch of flavors. They have labeled dairy-free flavors, so ask for a clean scoop.

Kilwins. It's a chain, but if you have a sweet tooth, the salted caramel ice cream is SO good.

Claude's Chocolate. Handmade European chocolates and gelato, right across from the Lightner Museum, near Flagler College. We went once, and it was really good (Visit St. Augustine).

Cap's on the Water. A longtime favorite. Ask for the deck and go at sunset. Leave the dogs at home for this one. There are some gluten-free options, but ask about prep.

Treylor Park (downtown). We've eaten here a couple of times. The inside is styled like an upscale Airstream, which RVers will love.

St. Augustine Distillery. Fun story: we met one of the founders on a delayed flight from Vancouver to Victoria! We've done the tastings, and we brought home their bourbon, plus their vodka for our niece Katie, who loves it. It makes a great gift.

Tootsy's Footsies. Not food, but worth a stop. They do custom anklets, bracelets and permanent jewelry, and they fixed our bracelets for us. A souvenir that actually lasts.

Dog-Friendly State Parks Near St. Augustine

We used our Florida State Parks annual pass ALL week, and if you're visiting more than a couple of parks, it pays for itself. These were the highlights with Lottie (the black one) and Rupert (the white one).

Faver-Dykes State Park. Our favorite dog walk of the week. Drive to the campground and park by the station, and the trailhead is right there. We took the Plantation Trail out to the overlook on the water. The sign there says it's 1.3 miles back, so plan on about 2.6 miles round trip. It's a classic coastal Florida walk under live oaks dripping with Spanish moss. It was so peaceful, and the pups did great. We didn't see any wildlife, but we didn't mind one bit.

Honest tip: the distances on the park map, the website and the trail signs don't really match, so plan by time, not miles. Bring bug spray, and there's a "Watch Out for Ticks!" sign at the trailhead, so do a tick check on you and the dogs afterward.

The canopy trail at Faver-Dykes

Fort Mose Historic State Park. History you can feel. Fort Mose was founded in 1738, and it was the first legally sanctioned free Black settlement in what's now the United States. The short Flight to Freedom trail has QR codes with videos along the way, and there's a 700-foot boardwalk out into the marsh. It was also our closest park, so it was perfect for a quick morning walk with the dogs.

People escaping slavery in the British colonies could find freedom here, but they had to pledge allegiance to the Spanish crown, become Catholic and serve in the militia protecting the border. The park does a really good job of telling that story.

The posted hours say the park is open 8:30 to 5 daily. The museum and fort are closed Tuesday and Wednesday, and fort tours run Friday through Sunday at 10 am and 1 pm.

Lottie checking out Fort Mose

Ravine Gardens State Park (Palatka). The surprise of the week! It reminded me of Butchart Gardens in Canada, just wilder. There's a paved 1.8-mile loop that's closed to cars, plus "choose your own adventure" trails that drop down into the ravines, with suspension bridges, ponds and huge elephant ears. There are dog bags, water, restrooms and benches along the way. Go when the azaleas are blooming if you can, but it's a lovely walk either way.

Two happy doodles on the ravine loop

One of the Suspension Bridges at Ravine Gardens

Washington Oaks Gardens State Park. We visited a couple of years ago and really enjoyed walking around the gardens. Try to go when things are in bloom. Heads up: dogs aren't allowed in the formal gardens, but they're welcome on the other trails.

Us, a couple of years ago at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park

Still on our list for next time: Bulow Plantation Ruins, Bulow Creek, Tomoka, Dunns Creek and the GTM Research Reserve.

Quick Tips Before You Go

1. Don't try to drive and park downtown. Stay outside town, go early, and save the afternoons for the parks and the beach.
2. Bring your America the Beautiful pass for the Castillo, and get a Florida State Parks pass if you'll visit more than a couple of parks.
3. Big rigs: check campground site lengths before you book. Anastasia's campground didn't fit our fifth-wheel.
4. Pack bug spray for the trails, and do a tick check after Faver-Dykes.
5. Visiting for Nights of Lights? Bring a jacket, and use the free park-and-ride shuttles.

We lived an hour away for YEARS and never stayed. So here's my question for you: what place near YOU do you keep putting off? Go. Don't wait for someday.

Have you been to St. Augustine? Email us at [email protected] and let us know your favorite part?