City Profile: St. Augustine

By VISIT FLORIDA staff
Published: January 15, 2008
Last Updated On: October 27, 2011

Text Size A A A

Related Cities & Topics:

St Augustine

As the nation's oldest city, St. Augustine is a fascinating historic destination with the charm of a modern-day small town.

With its old-world charm, unique attractions and delightful dining and shopping options, it's easy to see why "The Nation's Oldest City" is one of Florida's top vacation destinations.

Founded in 1565, St. Augustine is America's oldest city. Whether you want to explore old lifestyles and long-ago wars, marvel at unique oddities, or see re-enactments of days gone by, this historical city will provide an entire vacation's worth of activities.

Many tours of the city are available by horse-drawn carriage, train or trolley. Area events are known for their pageantry and individual charm. Quaint bed and breakfast establishments, hotels and motels, private rental properties, condominiums, townhouses and campground facilities assure that there are comfortable accommodations for everyone's taste and price range.

You'll feel like you've stepped back in time as you stroll down St. George Street in St. Augustine's historic district. You'll find hundreds of shops and landmarks and specialty gifts such as handmade candles, woven goods and wooden crafts, or resort and beach wear. With more than 20 antique shops and 35 art galleries, a bounty of treasures - from original creations by local artisans to valuable heirlooms - await discovery throughout 144 blocks of historic homes and sites.

Popular golf and tennis facilities are nearby, as well as boating and fishing. World Golf Village features a world-class resort and a time share, two championship golf courses, unique shopping and dining and is the home of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

A few minutes away across the Bridge of Lions, St. Augustine Beach, with its smooth, sandy shores, is a popular seaside destination. Nearby Ponte Vedra Beach is home to some of the most outstanding resorts in the country, with first-class golf and tennis facilities.

Families will find plenty to keep them busy in the nation's oldest city. From popular attractions, like Castillo de San Marcos National Museum, to water-based activities, including jet skiing, sailing and fishing, kids of all ages will delight in St. Augustine's abundance of activities.


The History of St. Augustine

Founded 42 years before the English colonized Jamestown and 55 years before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, St. Augustine is a time capsule with nearly 500 years of intriguing history.

It was a time of exploration for new trade routes, new lands, and treasures. The search for riches prompted explorer Don Juan Ponce de León to journey westward from Spain in 1513. On March 27, he became one of the first Europeans to sight the North American mainland. Claiming the continent for Spain, he called it "La Florida," or the "Land of Flowers."

The six Spanish expeditions that settled the land between 1513 and 1563 all failed. In 1564, the French established a fort and colony on the St. Johns River, threatening the Spanish treasure fleets that sailed along Florida's shoreline.

A reverence for the city's rich heritage and an eye to the future have helped St. Augustine retain its old-world charm.

Spanish King Philip II sent Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles to Florida to establish a military base and drive out the French trespassers. After destroying the French garrison on the St. Johns River, Menendez set about building the town of St. Augustine, converting the Native Americans to Christianity and exploring the land.

Some 20 years later, in 1586, the English corsair Sir Francis Drake attacked St. Augustine and set it ablaze. The Spanish rebuilt St. Augustine, but 82 years later the pirate Captain Robert Searle plundered the town, killing 60 inhabitants.

In 1702 and again in 1740 the English attacked St. Augustine. Neither attack succeeded, but ironically, St. Augustine was handed to the English peacefully when Spain ceded Florida to England in 1763. Under the terms of the Treaty of Paris, Florida was returned to Spain in 1786. It remained part of the Spanish Empire until 1821 when it became a U.S. territory.

The United States acquired St. Augustine just in time to experience an epidemic of yellow fever and the outbreak of the Seminole War. Forty years later, during the American Civil War, the town was occupied by Union troops.

Following the Civil War, Henry M. Flagler, cofounder of the Standard Oil Company, arrived with his railroad and grand ideas of making St. Augustine a winter haven for the rich. He built the luxurious Ponce de León and Alcazar hotels as well as a number of churches and public buildings throughout town.

St. Augustine also played a part in shaping the nation's African-American heritage. The African-American contribution has been as deeply rooted in St. Augustine's rich history as that of the Native Americans, Spanish and British. The influence of African-Americans can be seen from the site where Fort Mose once stood as the nation's first black settlement to the church steps where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood on June 9, 1964 declaring he would participate in a sit-in the next day. In 1866 freed slaves established Lincolnville, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The neighborhood was initially named Africa, and shortly after its founding was renamed Lincolnville in honor of President Abraham Lincoln.

Present-day St. Augustine is, of course, quite different than it was when it was a Spanish colony. But a reverence for the city's rich heritage and an eye to the future have helped St. Augustine retain its old-world charm.