Alternative Florida: Uncovering St. Augustine and Amelia Island’s rich history

British travellers have had a long love-affair with Florida, the USA’s easy-going southern state. But while many are drawn in by the natural wonders of the Everglades, the diverse dining scene of Miami or the dreamy beaches of the Keys, the Northeast Coast reveals a lesser-known side of the Sunshine State.

Here, the nation’s oldest city, St. Augustine, offers a fascinating journey into the history of “La Florida” and nearby Amelia Island’s rich cultural heritage encourages visitors to explore beyond its white-sand beaches and exhilarating surf.    

My journey along Florida’s “First Coast” began in Jacksonville, following an itinerary which led me through five centuries of European history and 14,000 years of Indigenous culture.  

Founded by the Spanish in 1565, St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied settlement of European and African-American origin in the USA. The city’s 17th-century Castillo de San Marcos fort is an impressive, imposing gateway into the region’s complex past, while its Colonial Quarter is a living-history museum, with costumed interpreters, immersive events and Old World inns and dining spots.

From there, it’s a 105km journey to Amelia Island, where tales of pirates and patriots fill the cobblestone streets of Fernandina Beach, Spanish moss sways from ancient oaks and laid-back seaside communities offer an idyllic Atlantic Coast escape.  

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My spin around Florida’s Northeast Coast offered the perfect blend of beach time, history and adventure. At the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park in St. Augustine, I joined the line for a drink from the fabled natural spring which bubbles up from a natural aquifer, and which legend has it first drew Spanish explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon, to Florida’s shores in 1513. While the anti-ageing properties of the state’s oldest attraction are still in question, the all-too-real impact of the Spanish arrival is told in a series of exhibits throughout the park, including a recreation of the Native American Timucuan village, where visitors learn about the fate of Florida’s first people and their culture, which disappeared due to warfare, slavery and disease.

The Spanish left a more celebrated mark on the city’s architecture, including the large shady plazas and the mission-style Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, built from the distinctive local coquina stone, formed over centuries from compressed coquina shells. Built by railroad magnate Henry Flagler later in 1888, Flagler College took inspiration from sumptuous Spanish designs too.

Join one of the Hop-on Hop-off Old Town Trolley Tours for a lively overview of the city’s past, stopping off to view the Gilded Age design collection at the Lightner Museum along the way, or take an after-dark dive into St. Augustine’s spooky side, with a Ghosts & Gravestones Tour of the Tolomato Cemetery and Romanesque-style Old Jail.

Originally inhabited by the Timucua, Amelia Island has changed rule eight times since Jean Ribault first claimed the isle for France in 1562, and the Eight Flags Road Tour from Amelia Island Historic Tours unravels the complex history, while taking in the Fernandina Beach Historic District. Covering more than 50 blocks listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this elegant enclave has wide, tree-fringed avenues lined by post-Civil War, Gilded Age and Victorian-era homes, with some now converted to museums, galleries, restaurants and boutiques.

The island also lives up to its Floridian reputation, with plenty of warm, sunny days and miles of powdery, white-sand beaches to spend them on. Join Amelia Island Horseback Riding on a bucket-list hack along the beach from Peters Point Beach Front Park, then head to Fort Clinch State Park at low tide to hunt for sharks teeth, before a pre-dinner Pirate’s Punch at the Palace Saloon, Florida’s oldest bar.

Northeast Florida’s subtropical climate makes it a great year-round destination, so consider a winter visit, when St. Augustine dazzles with its Night of Lights festival from mid-November to mid-January. The celebration sees the historic district illuminated with more than three-million lights, while shops and restaurants extend their opening hours, allowing guests to max out on the after-dark delights. Festivities include a Regatta of Lights on the bay front, Nights of Lights Old Town Trolley Tours and a Light Up Night! party in the Plaza de la Constitución, so book your accommodation early to be part of the extravaganza.

More information: visitstaugustine.com

It can really rain in the Sunshine State. During my trip it poured for an entire day – to the extent I had no option but to succumb to the ultimate crime against fashion: the plastic poncho. Pack a good waterproof jacket and umbrella to avoid suffering a similar fate. Embrace the rare rainy day with a visit to the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum, which displays the world’s largest collection of pirate paraphernalia and booty, or booking a relaxing pampering session at the Omni Amelia Island Resort & Spa, as if you needed any excuse to indulge… 

If you’re a foodie, schedule your trip to Amelia Island to coincide with one of the destination’s fabulous food and drinks festivals and join other like-minded gourmands sampling the best of contemporary Floridian cuisine. In January, Restaurant Week offers the island’s eateries the opportunity to showcase their signature dishes or speciality cocktails during a 10-day culinary extravaganza, including a closing-night event at AAA Triple-Diamond Salt at The Ritz-Carlton. Meanwhile, September’s Dining Month sees participating restaurants offering special prix-fixe menus and raising money for Blessings in a Backpack, a non-profit organisation which supports children facing food insecurity across America.

More information: ameliaisland.com/dining-month / ameliaisland.com/restaurant-week

The trip

The author travelled with North America travel specialist, America As You Like It, which offers a six-night holiday in Florida from £1,879 per person, including return flights from Heathrow to Jacksonville, six days fully inclusive car hire, three nights (bed and breakfast) at the Bayfront Marin House in St. Augustine and three nights (room only) at the Omni Amelia Island Resort & Spa. 

Discover more about St. Augustine at VisitStAugustine.com and Amelia Island at AmeliaIsland.com, or head to VisitFlorida.com to read more about the Sunshine State.