Historic St. Augustine and cozy Amelia Island offer contrasting Florida options

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Few Florida destinations hold as much historic appeal as St. Augustine, the dazzling little jewel of the Sunshine State tucked away in its northeast corner.

By contrast, sleepy Amelia Island, a laid-back old-Florida-style seaside town, offers a chance to decompress while doing as much — or as little — as you want.

And while you’ll have a chance to look into the checkered past of St. Augustine — founded in 1565 by the Spanish, it is billed as the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the continental United States and has flown six different flags during its five centuries of existence — you’ll also have the opportunity, maybe, to feel young again by sipping from the world-famous Fountain of Youth.

Most sun seekers head south for the beaches’ warm rays and basic seaside downtime. And, sure, the St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra Beach area can offer you typical Florida fun with its nearly 70 kilometres of sugar sand shores, but, wow, does it have so much more to offer.

History and hauntings (if you believe in such things, just about everywhere in the city is home to the ghosts of the long dead) are first on the menu in this glorious little city, which quickly rose to the top of my list of places in Florida I must spend more time in. A quick, three-day visit isn’t nearly enough time to explore the old-world charm of St. Augustine, first made famous by Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon and his discovery of the mythical Fountain of Youth nearly 500 years ago and later put on the map by industrialist Henry Flagler.

Once you’ve hit the ground in St. Augustine, the best way to get a lay of the land is to take a tour aboard the Old Town Trolley, which stops at many of the area’s most famous attractions, including the 17th-century Castillo de San Marcos, the Fountain of Youth Park, the Old Jail and the colonial quarter. It’s a 90-minute narrated round trip but your ticket is good for the day and allows you to hop on and off at whatever stops you like.

Being a history buff, my first stop on the trolley tour was at the Castillo, a massive fortification that once protected the city’s coastline from invaders and the oldest masonry structure of its kind in the U.S. It’s fascinating wandering around the star-shaped fort, poking my nose into every nook and cranny, while imagining what has gone on inside its historic coquina walls over the centuries.

Next up was a stop at Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, a 15-acre site that commemorates the Spaniard’s exploration of the area in 1513 and subsequent discovery of a natural fresh-water spring. Located alongside the Matanzas River and St. Augustine Inlet, the park is home not only to the famous spring, which you can drink from, but also a recreation of a Timucuan village that was home to the area’s Indigenous people, and historical actors who depict life from when the city was settled.

Try to time it right to see the cannon firing but it’s also cool to see a talk about the period arquebus gun and its firing along with crossbow demonstrations. Or just wander through the stately oaks and cedars, breathing in history, while walking alongside the many peacocks on site.

I stopped to see the Old Jail in daylight but the real fun here happened after dark on the guided Ghosts and Gravestones Tour aboard the ‘Trolley of the Doomed,’ which has been dubbed St. Augustine’s premier ‘Frightseeing Tour.’

The host and other actors involved in the tour were dressed in period costumes, which enhanced the experience and made it a ton of fun. At the Old Jail, an actor dressed as a condemned man took our group through the cell block after making a, ahem, dramatic entrance and finished up at the outdoor gallows.

Earlier in the day, I boarded the Victory III, part of the St. Augustine Scenic Cruise fleet, for a cruise around the Matanzas River and out towards the city’s legendary lighthouse. Seeing the Castillo from the water made it more imposing and getting a photo of the lighthouse (did I mention it’s haunted?) from the boat made it a worthwhile trip.

Other things you might want to see in St. Augustine are the Ximenez Fatio House that depicts life in the 18th century, and picturesque Aviles Street plus St. Augustine Distillery, an option for adult readers who enjoy artisanal spirits.

One last stop was at Flagler College for a tour of the school that was once Henry Flagler’s luxurious Ponce de Leon Hotel. The college offers guided tours that explore the history of the campus dating back to the golden days of the Ponce hotel.

If you’re looking for some varied dining options, try Columbia Restaurant in the city’s historic district, a local favourite that serves Cuban-Spanish influenced dishes, the Cordova Coastal Chophouse in the Casa Monica Hotel, and Meehan’s Irish Pub and Seafood House, another busy place that is a bit more casual.

AMELIA ISLAND

Heading out of St. Augustine, I drove the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway and stress seeped away the closer I got to Amelia Island for a relaxing two-night stay. Just a 90-minute drive, the coastal route gave me a chance to check out the seaside dunes and smaller towns like Ponte Vedra Beach (headquarters of the PGA Tour) and Sawgrass, home of the famous TPC Sawgrass golf course that hosts The Players Championship annually.

After the bustling tourist town of St. Augustine, my stay on Amelia Island was like a breath of relaxing air. If you’re looking for a laid-back vacation in sunny Florida, where you can clear your head and avoid the massive crowds, Amelia Island is a perfect choice.

Fernandina Beach is the island’s main town and, in many ways, showcases the old Florida lifestyle as a Victorian seaport village. It’s a snapshot of small-town Florida, with a tree-lined main drag filled with boutique shops and other places — like, for instance, the Palace Saloon, reputedly Florida’s oldest bar — to poke around while decompressing.

It wasn’t always that way though. Fernandina Beach was once home to pirates, bootleggers and other, uh, colourful characters as well as Gilded Age millionaires and shrimpers looking to get rich. Now, though, the town is much quieter.

A walk through Amelia Island State Park will enhance the chill vibe of the area. Stroll along the beach and look for shark’s teeth and shells, try to spot the wildlife and explore the salt marshes and coastal forests for a ‘Real Florida’ experience. Heck, you can even wet a line on the George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier and take advantage of the amazing fishing conditions.

Or if you want to dip your toe back into the historical aspect of the island, visit Fort Clinch State Park. The park is home to Fort Clinch, one of the best-preserved 19th-century forts in the U.S. It might even give you a classic wow-that’s-cool photo moment like I had, when an American submarine and its entourage sailed up the Cumberland Sound past Fort Clinch on its way to a sea deployment from King’s Bay sub base.

I got to explore Cumberland Sound myself during a 75-minute trip with Amelia River Cruise. Highlights were getting the chance to see Georgia’s Cumberland Island, a 28-km island that is home to some 200 wild horses that can often be seen roaming the beaches, many types of birds, and the remains of Dungeness Mansion, once owned by the Carnegie family. Your cruise guide will even point out the copper-roofed house used in The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking, a 1988 film based on the character created by a Swedish author.

I wound down even further with a drink while enjoying a half-hour session of miniature bowling, a variation of Canadian five-pin bowling, at Duck Pinz Fernandina. It was fun but would have been even better with a group of friends.

There were plenty of dining options in the Amelia Island area. If you’re looking for a higher-end restaurant with fine dining, try POGO’s Kitchen, which got a four-star review from the New York Times. Simpler fare can be found at Salt Life Food Shack near the entrance to Fort Clinch State Park, a casual beachside eatery, and the Salty Pelican, a personal fave (I ate there twice!) in downtown Fernandina Beach.

After saying my farewells to fantastic Fernandina Beach, I hopped in the car for a short 45-minute drive to Jacksonville airport and my flight home.

WHERE TO STAY IN ST. AUGUSTINE

I spent two nights at the St. Francis Inn, a quiet bed and breakfast in the heart of the city’s historic district that is within easy walking distance of many restaurants, museums, antique shops and steps from other tourist attractions, including the Gonzalez-Alvarez House, billed as the oldest (1723) surviving house in St. Augustine and now open as a museum.

The Inn itself dates back more than 230 years — it was built in 1791 — but has all the modern comforts despite its sometimes quirky (and did I mention haunted?) interior. I stayed in the Ballerina Room and, fortunately, did not get a visit from any apparitions.

St. Francis Inn is a member of Select Registry, a distinguished group of luxury inns across North America, and well worth booking for your visit.

WHERE TO STAY ON AMELIA ISLAND

My beachside condo at the Amelia Surf and Racquet Club, which was provided by Coastal Wave Properties, offered the perfect base of operations. I’d highly recommend it for anyone, but particularly families due to the secure location, multiple bedrooms, full kitchen and laundry, and many amenities, including an outdoor pool and beach. You might even see some endangered beach turtles hatching!

HOW TO GET HERE

Air Canada offers non-stop flights from Toronto Pearson to Jacksonville, which is a one-hour drive from St. Augustine and slightly less from Amelia Island. You’ll obviously need to rent a car if you decide to fly. But driving to the area isn’t a bad idea, either, being one of the closer Florida destinations for anyone from Ontario.