I get commissions for bookings and purchases made through links in this post, at no extra cost to you. How this works
In this guide
Most people come to St. Augustine and never leave the same few blocks. I get it, there’s plenty to do. But if you’re here for more than a weekend, some of my favorite days around here are a short drive away, or out on the water.
These are the ones I’d tell a friend about. Drive times are rough, from downtown, and they’ll run longer on a busy weekend.
| Trip | From downtown | Go for |
|---|---|---|
| Ponte Vedra Beach | About 30 to 40 minutes | Quiet beaches, hiking, golf-course views |
| A boat trip or charter | You’re already here | Dolphins, the skyline, fishing |
| World Golf Village | About 25 minutes | Playing golf, not the old museum |
| Washington Oaks and Marineland | About 30 minutes | Gardens, coquina rocks, dolphins |
| Palatka and Ravine Gardens | About 45 minutes | Old Florida and a garden hike |
Ponte Vedra Beach
This is where I’d go first. Take A1A north from Vilano, and within a few minutes the hotels and traffic give way to dunes and water on both sides. It’s a different feel from St. Augustine Beach: quieter, and a good deal more polished. You can make a full day of it without much of a plan.
Stop at Guana on the way up
The GTM Research Reserve is at 505 Guana River Road, with hiking trails through the woods and beach lots along A1A where you park and take a walkover to the sand. Parking is $3 per vehicle, and the lots are open from 8am until sunset. There are no lifeguards. The visitor center is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9am to 4pm.
Spend the afternoon at Mickler’s Landing
Mickler’s Landing Beachfront Park, at 1109 Ponte Vedra Blvd., is the easy beach stop, with restrooms, showers, picnic tables and an accessible walkover. People go looking for shark teeth here, so take your time at the waterline. You can’t drive on the beach up here, so if that’s what you want, check my beach guide.
Stop for lunch at Palm Valley Fish Camp
Palm Valley Fish Camp is the Ponte Vedra cousin of St. Augustine Fish Camp, and it’s the easy lunch stop on this drive. If you like the one on the San Sebastian River, you’ll know what you’re getting. Call first, since hours change with the season.
Finish at TPC Sawgrass
Even if you don’t play, you can stop in at TPC Sawgrass, 110 Championship Way. It’s home to THE PLAYERS Championship, and the clubhouse is open to the public, with PGA TOUR memorabilia and a terrace overlooking the 18th hole. Have a drink out there before you drive back. Call (904) 273-3235 before you go, especially around tournament time in March.
A boat trip or a charter
You don’t really know this town until you’ve seen it from the water. It doesn’t take a whole day, either. You can pick from a quick sightseeing cruise, a sail or a full fishing charter.
Sightseeing and dolphin tours
- St. Augustine Boat Tours leaves from the Conch House Marina, 57 Comares Ave. The one-hour dolphin, wildlife and history tour is listed at $27 for adults and $15 for ages 2 to 12. It’s an easy one with kids.
- Florida Water Tours leaves from 107 Yacht Club Dr. The 90-minute dolphin and wildlife tour is listed at $39, and it also runs sunset and Nights of Lights cruises.
- Schooner Freedom is the one for a sail. It leaves from the Municipal Marina by the Bridge of Lions, and the two-hour sunset sail is $65 plus tax. You can help set the sails. There’s no marina parking lot, so plan on using a garage or street parking.
Private charters
If you’ve got a family or a group, a private boat is worth pricing out, because you can set your own pace. St. Augustine Boat Tours and Florida Water Tours both offer private charters, so call and tell them what you have in mind.
Fishing charters
You can fish the river, go just off the coast, or head offshore for the day. As a rough idea, one St. Augustine captain I looked at lists a four-hour inshore trip at $500 for two people and an eight-hour offshore trip at $1,500. Fishing licenses, tackle and bait were included on that one, but ask before you book, since it varies by boat. For most people, I’d start with a half day inshore.
World Golf Village and the World Golf Hall of Fame
This one needs a warning. The World Golf Hall of Fame is closed. The St. Augustine museum shut down on Sept. 1, 2023, and the Hall of Fame moved to Pinehurst, North Carolina. A lot of older travel guides still list it, so don’t drive out there expecting a museum.
World Golf Village is still worth the trip if you’re coming to play. It’s about 25 minutes from downtown, off I-95, and The Slammer & Squire and The King & Bear are both still public courses. If you aren’t a golfer, though, I’d skip it and put your time into Ponte Vedra.
More easy day trips
Washington Oaks Gardens and Marineland
Head south on A1A, past Matanzas Inlet. Washington Oaks Gardens State Park has formal gardens on the river side and coquina rocks on the ocean side, and it’s $5 per vehicle, open from 8am until sundown. Marineland is just down the road if your kids want to see dolphins, but check what’s offered and book ahead, because it’s set up around scheduled programs. Add the free Fort Matanzas ferry on the way, if it’s running.
Palatka and Ravine Gardens
If you want to see a slower, older side of Florida, go west to Palatka. Ravine Gardens State Park has trails and suspension bridges through deep ravines, and it’s $5 per vehicle. The park is open from 8am until sundown, and the loop drive runs from 9am to 4pm.
What to know before you go
- Bring cash or a card for parking and park fees. Some state parks use an honor box, and Washington Oaks wants correct change.
- Book boats ahead. Sunset trips are the first to fill, and weather can cancel any trip, so don’t save it for your last day.
- Bring what the boat doesn’t. Sunscreen, a hat, water and a light jacket for the evening. It’s cooler out on the water than it is on shore.
- Watch the time on the way back. If you have a dinner reservation downtown, remember the Bridge of Lions can go up, and A1A slows down on busy weekends.
Which one should you pick?
- One free day and no plans: Ponte Vedra.
- Only a few free hours: a boat tour.
- Traveling with kids: a dolphin tour, or Washington Oaks and Marineland.
- A golf trip: tee times at World Golf Village, and a stop at TPC Sawgrass.
Staying a few days?
If you’re still sorting out the trip, see where I’d stay and how I’d spend the weekend. My free 8-page guide has the plan in one place. Get the free weekend guide.
Details were checked on Nov. 2, 2026. Prices, hours and boat schedules change, and trips can cancel because of weather, so confirm before you go.