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When a longer trip isn’t an option, weekend getaways in Florida can provide the dose of excitement and adventure you need to boost your mental health. Weekend escapes with the one you love are wonderful for strengthening your relationship too.
Weekend Getaways in Florida: St. Augustine Ranks High on Romance
Where is the best place to go for a romantic weekend getaway in Florida? According a study of romantic small towns conducted by New York Travel Guides, St. Augustine is the no. 1 most romantic small town in Florida and the no. 3 most romantic small town in America.
America’s oldest city dating back to 1565, St. Augustine ranks high on the romance scale thanks to its historic architecture and scenery. Whether you’re strolling the brick streets of its historic downtown or exploring its secluded beaches, you’ll find St. Augustine is an enchanting Florida destination for romance.
Considered the best part of Florida for couples, St. Augustine and Florida’s Historic Coast offer historic charm, quiet beaches, and plenty of romantic tours and activities. To help you plan your romantic escape, here’s our itinerary for a perfect St. Augustine weekend getaway.
St. Augustine Weekend Getaway Itinerary Day 1
Explore Castillo de San Marcos, A National Monument in Florida
Start your St. Augustine weekend getaway with a self-guided tour through the oldest historical site in Florida. Completed in 1695, St. Augustine’s Castillo de San Marcos is also the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States.
Built to defend the Spanish colony from British and pirate attacks, Castillo de San Marcos has stood the test of time and cannon fire thanks to a surprisingly strong building material made from seashell rock. The Spanish built the fort using coastal Florida coquina stone – a unique type of limestone formed by the accumulation of coquina clam shells over thousands of years.
Instead of being shattered by cannon balls when English forces blasted the fort for 27 days in 1740, the coquina rock absorbed the shock. Cannon balls just bounced off the walls or were “swallowed” by the stone.
The Castillo de San Marcos is cool piece of Florida history and also a great spot to admire the view of St. Augustine’s Matanzas Bay.
On Saturdays and Sundays, you can watch historic weapons demonstrations where volunteers dressed as Colonial Spanish or British soldiers fire either cannons or muskets. The fort entrance fee is $15 per adult.
Stroll Through the Old City
Across the street from the Castillo, you can step through the St. Augustine city gate made of coquina stone and wander the brick streets of the old town. Check out historic landmarks and museums like the Oldest Wooden School House and the Spanish Military Hospital Museum.
Explore charming courtyards and shops, and admire the beauty of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, the first Catholic parish in the U.S.
Enjoy a Spanish-style lunch at the Columbia Restaurant or take a strolling St. Augustine food tour for a sampling of local cuisine in the historic district.
Raise a Glass to Weekend Getaways in Florida with a Wine Tasting
Nothing ups the romance factor for weekend getaways in Florida like a wine tasting and scenic boat cruise. St. Augustine’s wine tasting cruise combines both for one dreamy adventure. Look for dolphins as your tour the St. Augustine waterfront sampling six wines along the way.
For a free wine tasting in St. Augustine, check out San Sebastian Winery. The Florida winery offers a free self-guided tour and tasting of Florida wines from Vinifera and Muscadine grapes. The winery also features a Cellar Upstairs wine bar and restaurant with an open-air deck perfect for enjoying the glow of a St. Augustine sunset.
If spirits are more your style, check out St. Augustine Distillery for a free self-guided tour and tasting of Florida craft spirits. Upstairs, the Ice Plant bar and farm-to-table restaurant offers a unique dining experience inspired by the historical period of the early 20th century. The building was once home to a 1920s ice plant and bartenders craft cocktails using custom cubes cut from large blocks of ice.
Experience a Spooky Adventure at the St. Augustine Lighthouse
It’s long been said that when the sun goes down in St. Augustine, the ghosts come out. Not just for Halloween season, ghost tours are popular activities for weekend getaways in Florida at any time of year in historic spots.
While St. Augustine offers a variety of ghost tours in the old city, the St. Augustine Lighthouse Dark of the Moon Ghost Tour is a unique spooky adventure. With only a glow stick to light the way, the lighthouse ghost tour takes through the keeper’s house, grounds and lighthouse. Don’t worry, the spirits who roam here are mostly friendly and playful.
If you’re brave enough to climb the lighthouse in the dark, you and your sweetheart will be treated to an amazing, romantic view from the top.
St. Augustine Weekend Getaway Itinerary Day 2
Start Your Sunday with a Sunrise Walk on Vilano Beach – Weekend Getaways in Florida Need a Little Beach Time
Because weekend getaways in Florida are always better with a little beach time, start your morning with a sunrise walk on secluded Vilano Beach. It’s just three miles northeast of the St. Augustine historic district. Walk south and around to Porpoise Point for a beautiful view of the St. Augustine Lighthouse and the old city.
Enjoy Sunday Brunch at Raintree Restaurant
One of St. Augustine’s most romantic restaurants, Raintree Restaurant serves an award-winning intercontinental menu inside a historic Victorian house.
The restaurant’s brick courtyard is a perfect spot to sip mimosas and enjoy a relaxing Sunday brunch. For food, the perfectly-cooked Eggs Benedict and flavorful Croque Norwegian are mouthwatering choices.
Stroll Through St. Augustine’s Sacred Acre
Just across the street from Raintree Restaurant, you’ll find the National Shrine of Our Lady of Leche at Mission Nombre de Dios. The first Mass on North American soil was celebrated at this “sacred acre” on September 8, 1565.
Considered the most peaceful tourist spot in America, the beautiful waterfront grounds of the National Shrine are free to visit and open daily for prayer and reflection. This incredibly peaceful place in St. Augustine features a historic chapel, a 208-foot-tall cross, a rosary garden and more.
Sip from the Fountain of Youth on a St. Augustine Weekend Getaway
Next to the National Shrine is another romantic spot in St. Augustine, the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park. Located at the site of a Timucua Native American village where Ponce de Leon first came ashore, the natural spring inside the park is known as the spring of eternal hope. It’s where Ponce de Leon sought the secret to eternal youth.
Housed inside a coquina building, the Fountain of Youth invites visitors to sip from the spring’s restorative waters. Even if drinking the spring water doesn’t restore your youth, experiencing mini adventures like this on weekend getaways in Florida will surely help keep your relationship young.
Besides the Fountain of Youth, a flock of beautiful free-roaming peacocks are the highlight of the park. You can purchase a bag of peanuts to feed them and some will even eat right out of your hand.
Tour Beautiful Flagler College, Formerly Hotel Ponce de Leon, a Glamorous Spot For Weekend Getaways in Florida
Complete your St. Augustine weekend getaway with a historic tour of stunning Flagler College. The gorgeous college campus was originally the opulent Hotel Ponce de Leon, a Gilded Age luxury resort hotel built by railroad tycoon Henry Flagler.
As you learn about the hotel’s history and construction on a one-hour tour, you’ll get an up-close look at the grand hotel’s Spanish Renaissance architecture, Tiffany Stained Glass windows, hand-painted murals, handcrafted Austrian crystal chandeliers and more.
Flagler College offers the historic tours daily for $17 per person. Make sure to book your tickets in advance.
Where to Stay for a Romantic St. Augustine Weekend Getaway
Though you can’t stay the night at the Hotel Ponce de Leon, you can find plenty of other lovely hotels and inns in St. Augustine perfect for romantic weekend getaways in Florida.
From cozy St. Augustine bed & breakfast inns to the luxurious and historic Casa Monica Resort and Spa, another Gilded Age beauty, St. Augustine offers a variety of romantic retreats.
More Weekend Getaways in Florida
Looking for more weekend getaways in Florida? Check out our favorite destinations for a Florida girls’ trip.
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