St. Augustine is known as the oldest city in the United States, founded in 1565 by Spanish admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés. The settlement was named after the feast day of St. Augustine. The city is beautiful, historic, and just a short drive out to the beaches on the east coast of Florida.
When staying in St. Augustine, you'll likely stay in 1 of 3 areas:
Downtown St. Augustine, where all of the action is
St. Augustine Beach, where it's less busy but still a ton to do
Vilano Beach, north of St. Augustine, more quiet and off the grid
Of these three areas, downtown St. Augustine is the most popular area to stay, followed by St. Augustine Beach. Personally, I prefer St. Augustine beach for two reasons:
Significantly less people and more quiet than downtown
You are on one of the most beautiful beaches on the east coast of Florida
St. Augustine beach is just a 10 minute car ride into downtown, and there is ample paid parking areas. TIP - you can grab a delicious dinner from downtown St. Augustine and bring it out to the beach for a sunset picnic! Check out this post on Top Eats in St. Augustine.
Where to stay in St. Augustine
Top 10 Hotels in downtown St. Augustine, St. Augustine Beach, and Vilano Beach
1. Casa Monica Resort & Spa (Marriott) - downtown St. Augustine
2. Casa de Suenos B&B - downtown St. Augustine
3. St. George Inn - downtown St. Augustine
4. Carriage Way B&B - downtown St. Augustine
5. Agustin Inn B&B, Adults Only - downtown St. Augustine
6. The Collector Inn B&B, Adults Only - downtown St. Augustine
7. Pirate Haus Inn, Hostel - downtown St. Augustine
8. Embassy Suites - St. Augustine Beach
9. Hilton St. Augustine Historic Bayfront - St. Augustine Beach
10. St. Augustine Beach House - Vilano Beach
Airbnb & VRBO
There are a lot of Airbnb and VRBO options in historic downtown St. Augustine, as well as a few on St. Augustine beach. The neat thing about renting a home for your stay is that you can find many historic, Victorian-style homes for rent with charm and character. Some of them are even smack dab in the middle of downtown, so you are walking distance to everything. This is also a great option for families with young kids where separate rooms are needed, or for large parties.
I hope this list of hotels and areas to stay helps you get a feel for the city and how close you are to the action, no matter where you stay. St. Augustine is one of the most charming cities, and you are going to love it!
CHEERS.
Jenna
