This year more than ever, most families are getting the urge to travel. St. Augustine located on the Northeastern coastline of Florida is the perfect destination for the whole family even your four-legged one. This historic location is the oldest city in America, founded in 1565, with the oldest masonry fort. Our family came for the beaches and fell in love with everything that the city had to offer. We’ve rounded up the best experiences and sights for your family to do during your visit.
1. Marineland Dolphin Adventure
Grab your swimsuits for this can’t miss opportunity. Get up close and personal with the friendliest marine animals and even get the chance to swim with them. Our whole family got in the water together for an encounter and swim with the Dolphins. The experience lasts 30-45 minutes with multiple interactions and photo opportunities. The moments that you collect here will last a lifetime. Check out the sea turtles, sharks, and other marine life in the rest of the park too. Find out all the details of this experience by visiting Family Fun at Marineland in St. Augustine.
2. Black Raven Pirate Ship
Ahoy there, Mateys! Board this pirate ship for a fun-filled adventure including sword fighting, cannon firing and even capturing a treasure. Our pirates enjoyed signing along to all the pirate shanties and getting a piece of the treasure to take home. The 1.5-hour experience is great for the whole family. Costumes are optional but definitely helps get you in the spirit.
3. Tour the City
There is so much history here in the oldest city in America. The architecture of the buildings is breath taking and makes you feel like you are somewhere else entirely. Check out Old Town Trolley Tours or rent a golf cart or Segway from Fun Rentals. We do recommend a narrated travel guide to tell you all about this wonderful city. Our family did a golf cart tour and it was a great time for everyone including our dog.
4. Alligator Farm/ Crocodile Crossing
This experience was so thrilling! I find alligators fascinating and terrifying at the same time. We scheduled a behind the scenes tour upon arrival which I highly recommend. They gave us a tour of the alligator nursery where we could learn about baby alligators and even hold a couple. Next, we visited with a very unusual and dangerous bird, Cassowary, during its mating season which reminded me of a scene straight out of a Jurassic Park movie. We finished the tour by feeding tons of alligators with a special formulated pellet food. Plan to spend the whole day visiting this park. There is so much to see with all the different species of alligators plus demonstrations and more photo opportunities with snakes or alligators.
Crocodile Crossing
Crocodile Crossing could almost count for another one in our top 10 all by itself. Zip lining over alligators was an exhilarating ride. Watching the live crocodiles under your feet as you climb across obstacles or zip line over top was something that I never thought I could do but loved it. My oldest two boys also joined in and at first, they were a little scared especially so high up but once they got going, they loved it too! Tip: If you schedule the zip line first then you will get a coupon for discounted tickets to the Alligator Farm.
5. Castillo de San Marcos
Tour the oldest masonry Fort in America including the cities first jail and Chapel. The best views of St. Augustine can be seen from the second level along with closer looks at the towers and cannons. Kids are free under 15 and adults are just $15 (no pets allowed inside). Due to the pandemic, there is a maximum capacity of 100 people and hours of operation are 9am – 5pm Wednesday through Sunday.
6. St. Augustine Lighthouse
My obsession with lighthouse is real. This beautiful lighthouse in white and black stands along the nation’s oldest port. We walked around the Lighthouse but after a day at the Alligator farm, the boys were too tired to climb the 219 steps to the top. I hope we can go up to the observation deck next time and take some photos of the amazing views.
7. Carnival Sweets
Satisfy your sweet tooth but visiting this sweet shop. There are tons of popcorn flavors to choose from along with funnel cakes and snow cones. My favorite was the Cotton Candy burrito…Amazing! It was Easter time and they even had an Easter bunny available for photo opportunities. This family-owned and operated shop has a lot of passion for what they do, and we enjoyed our visit.
8. Ripley’s Believe it or Not
Okay believe it or not, we had this on our to do list but didn’t make it. However, it is still recommended to attend as it is fun for the whole family. Pose with the world’s tallest man or view optical illusions. Admission to the Odditorium is $20 for adults, $10 for kids (4-11), and 3 & under are free. If you are up to facing your fears, then join in on the haunted castle investigation (previously Ghost Train Adventure) and hunt ghosts with state-of-the-art equipment. This attraction sells out way in advance so book early.
9. St. George Street
Travel back in time walking on the cobblestone streets and viewing the beautiful architecture. There are so many great restaurants to choose from along with tons of shopping. On the pedestrian only streets, there are a lot of boutiques, bistros, galleries, and gift shops. Many of the restaurants are pet-friendly that we dined at which included Pizzalley’s Chianti Room, The Florida Cracker Café, Harry’s Seafood, Bar, and Grille, and O. C. White’s Seafood & Spirits. The food and atmosphere at each were very enjoyable for the whole family.
10. Beaches
Last by certainly not least are the white sandy beaches! We came for the beaches but loved the city for so much more. We found the beaches to be very clean and not very crowded. There are 42 miles of beaches for everyone to spread out. Plus, pets are allowed on the beaches too. Ruby, our puppy, loved the ocean. Check out her shark swim vest!
We hope you enjoy your stay and please share your experiences in the comments. We can’t wait to visit again soon!
