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Historic St. Augustine
Historic St. Augustine's rich history and cultural diversity have helped shape a dynamic city valued by both tourists and locals as a treasured escape. Today, more than 50 historic points of interest are nestled in our nation's oldest city amidst boutiques, cafes, restaurants, hotels, and bed & breakfast inns. The downtown area offers a glimpse of what life must have been like many years ago, with homes listed on the National Register of Historic Places standing alongside more recently built structures embodying the same Old Florida Style. On the outskirts are shopping malls and retail centers, including the St. Augustine Premium Outlets. The unique mix of old and new beckons visitors to return to St. Augustine time and again, often for good!
Anastasia Island
Across the Intracoastal Waterway is the beautiful Anastasia Island, a barrier island lined with wide, sandy beaches loved by sun-seekers. The well-known St. Augustine Beach is located four miles south of downtown St. Augustine in the city of St. Augustine Beach. This area is home to the St. Johns County Ocean Pier and Pavilion which has a splash fountain and playground.
Popular activities include swimming, surfing, beach volleyball, miniature golf, bicycling, and tennis. A variety of accommodations, more than 150 restaurants and lounges, and a myriad of surf shops line A1A Beach Boulevard. Marsh Creek Country Club, a popular Anastasia Island development, offers luxurious homes around an 18-hole champion golf course.
Vilano Beach
Vilano Beach, one of the most popular locations in the county for surfing, skimboarding, jet skiing, and fishing, is located two miles north of historic St. Augustine just over the Usina Bridge, also known as the Vilano Bridge and is surrounded by water on nearly every side. A nature walk passes the saltwater marsh and beneath the Vilano Bridge, joining the residential area and Town Center Pavilions, one of which features a children's splash fountain. There are several hotels and motels within walking distance of the beach as well as several eclectic restaurants with ocean-side seating and Intracoastal views sprinkled along Coastal highway A1A.
Ponte Vedra Beach
Ponte Vedra Beach, just 20 minutes north of St. Augustine, features top-rated golf and tennis resorts and exclusive neighborhoods. Some of the most prestigious golf tournaments are headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, including the PGA Tour's flagship event, THE PLAYERS Championship. If golf and tennis don't pique your interests, you're sure to find something that does at Ponte Vedra's 138-acre Davis Park, complete with fishing ponds stocked for children's catch and release, dog parks, play ground and playing fields for soccer, football, softball, and baseball. Visit PonteVedraNaturally.com to find out more about Ponte Vedra.
Nocatee
Nocatee is a master-planned, unincorporated town, offering its residents a unique balance of work and play in a walkable, livable community for all ages. One of the fastest-growing communities in the United States, it is located 3 miles from Ponte Vedra Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. Approximately 85% of the community is in St. Johns County, and the remaining 15% is in Duval County.
Northwest St. Johns
Northwest St. Johns is only 30 minutes from St. Augustine to the north or Jacksonville to the south. Country living meets convenience in this picturesque community, where choice residential possibilities run along scenic State Roads 16, 13, and the St. Johns River.
Popular areas for outdoor family fun include Mills Field Recreational Park, Julington Creek Plantation Park, and RiverTown Park. Residents also enjoy boating, sailing, and canoeing in the northwest, an area famous for its bass freshwater fishing. The communities of RiverTown, Fruit Cove, Switzerland, and Julington Creek are a few of the communities that make up the rapidly growing area called St. Johns, known for its numerous golf courses and riverside mansions.
Palencia
Palencia, a master-planned golfing community located off U. S. Highway 1 North, spans 1,450 acres with more than 2 miles of land bordering the tidal marshes of the Intracoastal Waterway and Marshal Creek.
World Golf Village
The World Golf Village is a resort-style community enjoyed by residents and visitors alike, featuring the World Golf Hall of Fame and the IMAX Theater, as well as unparalleled accommodations and amenities. St. Johns Golf and Country Club and South Hampton are among the golf course communities along County Road 210.
South St. Johns
This area is St. Johns County's agricultural center. A drive south along State Road 207 will take you into southwest St. Johns County, primarily agricultural land comprised of the small residential area of Vermont Heights; just west of I-95; the unincorporated area of Elkton at County Road 13; and the community of Hastings 18 miles southwest of St. Augustine.
Hastings
Hastings dates back to the late 1800s when Henry Flagler needed a source of fresh vegetables for his St. Augustine hotels. He persuaded Thomas Horace Hastings (a relative of his architect) to develop the farmlands, and to this day Hastings is known as the "Potato Capital of Florida."
Other crops include cabbage, onions, eggplant, sod, and ornamental horticulture. In this part of our county, you can still experience the Old Florida main street, bustling farmsteads, and historic St. Ambrose Parish.
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Once Here...
Reach out to SJC Property Appraiser at 904.827.5500 to apply for Homestead Exemption for the property you own.
https://www.sjcpa.usTo update your driver's license with your new address, reach out to the SJC Tax Collector at 904.209.2250. There are four locations in St. Johns County.
https://sjctax.us/contactRegister to vote at the Supervisor of Elections at 888.960.2959 or https://www.votesjc.gov
To look for volunteer or job opportunities, reach out to www.careconnectvolunteers.com and CareerSource Northeast Florida at
904.819.0231 https://careersourcenortheastflorida.com/For places of worship, visit https://www.sjcchamber.com/list/category/churches-43
In case of an emergency, know your evacuation zone and sign up for Alert St. Johns Emergency Notification System:
https://www.sjcemergencymanagement.com/evacinfo.html -
St. Augustine Beach
St. Augustine Beach is located four miles south of downtown St. Augustine on A1A Beach Boulevard in the City of St. Augustine Beach. Anastasia Island is home to many attractive beaches in Anastasia.
St. Augustine Beach has everything you need for the ideal beach vacation – sunny accommodations, tropical seaside restaurants, a beachfront park with an impressive fishing pier, a large beachside pavilion, a splash park, and a sand volleyball court. Time spent in St. Augustine Beach can be as active or as laid-back as you like. The wide expanse of shoreline and hard-packed sand makes St. Augustine Beach the perfect place for a bicycle ride. Waves here attract skim boarders, boogie boarders, surfers, paddle boarders, and kiteboarders. You’ll find a wide assortment of surf sports equipment for purchase or rental.
State Park
State Park is at the St. Augustine Inlet, 1 mile east of Historic St. Augustine, directly north of St. Augustine Beach on Highway A1A.
More than 1,600 acres of unspoiled beaches, tidal marshes, maritime hammocks, and ancient sand dunes make this a captivating destination for visitors. Anastasia State Park is a haven for visitors and for wildlife. Abundant wading birds hunt for food along Salt Run, including colorful roseate spoonbills. Osprey and eagles rule the skies, and painted buntings and warblers often flit about the hammock forests. Visitors can observe wildlife along the beach from a canoe or kayak, or on the Ancient Dunes Nature Trail.
As an extra bonus, the park’s 139 campsites are just a short stroll from the beach.
Crescent Beach
Crescent Beach is 3 miles south of St. Augustine Beach on Highway A1A. Frank B. Butler County Park is 2 miles south of St. Augustine Beach on Highway A1A.
This crescent-shaped shoreline surrounds beachgoers with a beautiful stretch of quiet and family-friendly shoreline. With its sweeping coastline carving out a huge “C” where it meets the Atlantic Ocean (the crescent shape, of course, giving the area its name), Crescent Beach is tucked between the traditional tourist attractions of St. Augustine and Matanzas Inlet to the south. But for visiting beachgoers, Crescent Beach is slightly off the proverbial beaten path.
Locals love Crescent Beach because it is wide, has convenient parking, and isn't as congested as many beaches tend to be. Because it is on the southern end of Florida’s Historic Coast, it maintains an “old Florida” vibe as a quieter beach with white sand and is located in a mostly residential area. The few restaurants and taverns seem to pop out of the horizon at Cubbedge Road intersecting with Florida State Road A1A. The uninitiated could easily drive through Crescent Beach without knowing it. It’s absolutely a “family-friendly” beach.
Highway A1A Matanzas Beach
Highway A1A Matanzas Beach is at the southern tip of Anastasia Island, at the Matanzas Inlet, 7.5 miles south of St. Augustine Beach on Highway A1A.
Matanzas Inlet is located just minutes south of St. Augustine. It is a popular salty paradise to enjoy favorite activities like boating, fishing, surfing and shelling. Adventure abounds at Matanzas Inlet with sandy nooks and surf side fun. You will encounter friendly locals with fascinating stories to tell about the recent history of the area and how certain tropical storms have transformed the scenery over the years. There are miles of lush hiking trails to explore at Matanzas Inlet. Convenient rentals are also available for kayaks and jet skis for an aquatic adventure on the Matanzas River.
Vilano Beach
Vilano Beach is nearly surrounded by water and contains lovely beaches in Surfeside park. 1/2 mile north of the Vilano vehicle access ramp on Highway 101, Usina Beach is 7 miles north of Vilano Beach on Highway A1A.
For more than two centuries, Vilano Beach has been the beach that locals go to. It’s a choice spot north of St. Augustine popular for its casual atmosphere, quiet ambiance, and natural surroundings. To get to Vilano Beach, you must take the scenic route. And by that, we mean Coastal AIA, a designated All-American Road. This Byway supports a variety of wildlife including birds, the gopher tortoise, and other endangered species. The Vilano Beach Pier is located nearby on the river side of the Matanzas inlet, and it is one of the best vantage points to watch the sunset over downtown St. Augustine.
Ponte Vedra Beach
Ponte Vedra area beaches are found in Guana Tolomato Matanzas Beach and St. Augustine on Highway A1A.
Ponte Vedra Beach, the northeast corner of St. Johns County, is of particular interest to golfers, beach-goers, and fishers. Vacationers looking for a beachy getaway flock to the area that occupies a long strip of land running along A1A Scenic Highway and Historic Coastal Byway. Bordered by the Intracoastal Waterway on the West and the Atlantic Ocean on the east, This coastal community offers boating, fishing, and waterfront dining on both bodies of water. Boat rentals and charters in Ponte Vedra Beach make for a fisherman's paradise, whether fishing on the Intracoastal, on the beach, or on the ocean.
Mickler's Landing
Mickler's Landing is at the south end of Ponte Vedra on Highway A1A
The four-lane roads of Ponte Vedra Beach narrow to two as nature takes over the entire landscape. Mickler’s Landing (pronounced “mike-lers”) is just two blocks east of the A1A. The first public beach in Ponte Vedra, Mickler’s remains a local favorite, famous for its pink, coquina-sand stretches of beach. From the parking area, take the wooden walkway through 20-foot-high sand dunes to experience unspoiled natural habitats for local wildlife. This beach is also a great spot to hunt for shark’s teeth too.
South Ponte Vedra Beach Recreation Area
South Ponte Vedra Beach Recreation Area is 2.25 miles south of the GTMNERR on Highway A1A.
Located just two miles south of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve on Highway A1A, the South Ponte Vedra Beach Recreation area is a beautiful spot to enjoy a picnic or do some beachcombing.
The parking lot at 2993 S. Ponte Vedra Blvd. is across A1A from the South Ponte Vedra Fire Station.
Beach access points for the Ponte Vedra Beach area can be found on this interactive map.
There are limited facilities at this beach:
- Off-beach parking
- Picnic tables
- Grills
- Walkover with stairs to the beach
