St. Augustine is known as the “Nation's Oldest City”. It is the longest continuously occupied settlement of European decent in the United States.
Historians credit Juan Ponce de Leon with the discovery of Florida on March 27, 1513 which was Easter Sunday. He claimed the territory for the Spanish and named it Florida after the Easter season, known in Spanish as Pascua Florida. The claimed territory extended north and west to include most of the land known as North America.
 On August 28, 1565 Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles first sighted the coast of Florida. Twelve days later on September 8, 1565 Menendez set foot on the Florida shoreline with his crew of soldiers and voyagers. Menendez renamed the land “St. Augustine” in honor of the “Feast Day of St. Augustine” which was the day Menendez first sighted the new land.
In 1672, construction began on the fortress known as the Castillo de San Marcos. The fort was completed in 1702. It was completed just in time to protect the attack by the British from the Carolinas. Only Castillo de San Marcos survived the destruction of the city by the British invasion. In 1763, the Treaty of Paris gave St. Augustine to the British and in 1783 the second Treaty of Paris gave the city back to the Americans. The Americans returned the city back to Spain as a reward for their assistance in the war against England. In 1821 the Spanish turned over Florida to the United States.
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In 1886 Henry Flagler, one of the partners of the Standard Oil company owned a railroad company that linked St Augustine with cities of the northeast. In 1887 Flagler’s company began construction on two large and ornate hotels, the Ponce de Leon and the Alcazar. A year later, Flagler added a third hotel, the Casa Monica. This hotel had been originally started by another developer. The richest people stayed at the Ponce de Leon, which was the grandest of the hotels. Flagler created a winter resort for the wealthy which became the winter tourist capital of the United States.
St. Augustine Today
Today, St Augustine continues to thrive and prosper as it proudly proclaims its four centuries of history. The city of St Augustine celebrated its 400th anniversary in 1965.
More than 2 million people visit the city annually to discover the unique history of the city. Throughout the city, thirty-six buildings of colonial origin and another forty have been reconstructed from the colonial buildings. Visitors can only appreciate the rich heritage that makes St Augustine a unique getaway.
Visitors of St. Augustine may explore the city’s history by visiting the many museums in the city to see the life of the early Spanish immigrants. Visitors may enjoy the history of the city by strolling the narrow streets and balconied houses that are identified by the architecture introduced by the Spanish settlers of the old world. Stroll the famous St. George Street which is pedestrian-only. Visit some of its unique shops. St George Street and its adjacent streets are lined by 18th century buildings which are historic landmarks. You may visit some of the many museums throughout the city. You can also visit some of the beautiful churches that were built centuries ago.
St Augustine is also the home of some of the best restaurants in Florida. There are a number of different choices which include casual, small and quaint, semi-formal, and elegant restaurants. You may choose French, Italian, Greek, Asian, Continental and Seafood cuisine. Fine dining is only minutes away from Waters Edge. St. Augustine offers visitors some of the best tasting food in the world.
St. Augustine Attractions
St. Augustine, America's "oldest city" is a delightful town to explore. Discover the history of St. Augustine by visiting some of the cities attractions. Numerous interesting buildings and streets bring history alive for children and adults alike. Water's Edge is only two miles from Historic Downtown St. Augustine.
During your visit to St Augustine, you may choose to take one of the tram or trolley tours to see the city. You can also discover St. Augustine by water as its original founders had centuries ago in one of the many cruises throughout the city. You may choose to take a turn-of–the-century horse and carriage ride to see the city and the waterfront. You can also take a guided bike tour around the city. There are also helicopter tours to see the oldest city. At night you can take one of the haunted ghost tours.
There are many things to see and do when you are touring St. Augustine. Some of the sites you may wish to visit may include:
The St Augustine Lighthouse is where you can climb 165 feet to the top and enjoy the stunning views of the ancient city and surrounding water
The Fountain of Youth has a spring where guests are invited to sample the water. This is where the Spanish first came ashore and Ponce de Leon put his cross of 27 stone slabs, (15 in the staff and 13 in the beam) to indicate the year of his visit, 1513.
The Flagler Hotels include the “Ponce de Leon” which is now Flagler College, the “Alcazar”, which now houses the Lightner Museum and the “Casa Monica” which is now the St Johns County Courthouse.
The Old Jail has tours guided by deputies and inmates. Here you can see the original inmate cells, the maximum security area, and a large collection of guns which were used in actual crimes of the past.
The Oldest School House which was built prior to 1763 still stands in its original state. Here you can see some of the rare old school books of the time.
The Old Drug Store has a fascinating collection of turn-of-the-century merchandise
The Oldest House is the oldest surviving Spanish colonial house.
San Sebastian Winery offers guided wine tours, award winning wines and complimentary wine tasting.
The Alligator Farm celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1993. It is the only place in the world that you can view 23 species of crocodiles in one location.
Marineland is the world’s first oceanarium where you can view dolphins, sea turtles, sharks and other marine life.
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