St. Augustine, fl Honeymoon?

Me and my sister stayed in St Augustine for a night before going on a cruise. This was probably 10 years ago so I know a lot has changed. It’s such a quaint little town. Seemed like lots of yummy places to eat. I seem to remember having dinner at a little cafe. There’s the fountain of youth, the was some big fort, I think you could tour it. There was a lighthouse but it was closed by the time we got there. And they was a nice shopping area, plus the beach! I say go for it!

I would recommend looking into Savannah (and you have tybee/Hilton head island for beaches). My husband and I just got back from going over thanksgiving weekend. There was so much to do and we didn’t even go to the beaches. We were there for three days and we could have stayed longer.

Ever consider the gulf coast? I live in Sarasota. 3 perfect beaches, tons of night life and FABULOUS restaurants. All the water sports (or boat tours) you could ask for. We have 5 - FIVE - live theaters that produce amazing shows, and even an opera house. There is the famous Ringling Circus Museum as well as a beautiful Aquarium. We are an hour from Clearwater, St. Petersburg and about and additional 10 minutes further to Tampa.
Just tossing it out there. Personally I think Daytona is just so over rated. 😊 Have fun planning!

View Quoted Comment This! How much time have you spent in Florida? My in laws and mom both live on the east coast of Florida so we’ve spent a ton of time there but far far prefer the gulf coast. Naples is just gorgeous (the Ritz is a great property for a honeymoon stay) and we absolutely love Clearwater. The sand is soft, the water is closer to tropical and there’s so much to do.
My in laws live in New Smyrna Beach just outside Daytona and we’ve found Daytona has really gone downhill in terms of accommodations, beach quality and restaurants.

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Hi Pat! Thanks for all of the info! My grandmother lives in the Bradenton area and we love the gulf coast! We were considering St Augustine, Miami, Jacksonville, etc. to explore the opposite side of FL, since I've never had the opportunity to venture over there.

We stumbled upon St. Augustine because we like that there is some history sight-seeing to do as well as beach relaxation. We were considering staying in St. Augustine but taking day trips to places like Jacksonville and/or the Kennedy Space center. Perhaps the grass isn't always greener though.

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Hi Kylie! Thanks for the response! I have spent a decent amount of time on the west side of Florida, as my grandma lives in the Bradenton/St. Pete area. We do love it over there but were looking for a change of scenery to add a little something special to our mini-moon without doing the whole Disney/Universal thing.

Do you have an opinion on what it would be like if we stayed in St. Augustine but maybe took day trips to Jacksonville and/or the Kennedy Space center. Would it be a hassle?

We're definitely not ruling out the gulf side, so maybe we will reconsider. Do you have any recommendations that are maybe a step away from the Tampa area that also has plenty to do and nice beaches?

St Augustine has lots to do, depending on your vision you could easily do 3 beach days, and 2 days in the town and enjoy a great trip. Having frequented all 3 (St Aug, jacksonville and Daytona) I wouldn’t waste time on your honeymoon with driving to Daytona or Jacksonville. Same kind of beaches, just different types of crowds. In st Aug There’s even a winery with free wine tastings, and 2 distilleries that offer free tastings. There are plenty of options for activities. You’ll get great food in st aug and everything is walking distance once in the historic downtown area.

Hi there! I'm from Florida and have been to Daytona and St Augustine many times. I think St Augustine is a wonderful idea for a honeymoon, especially with all the history and the distillery there. And honestly, Daytona is extremely touristy and not a nice representation of FL beaches. However, in my opinion, I think Jacksonville Beach would be a great alternative to Daytona if you're looking for a beachfront resort. There is a TON to do in Jacksonville and it's actually a little closer to St Augustine than Daytona is. Look into Amelia Island, it's beautiful there.

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Hi there! Thanks for the info! Any suggestions for resorts in the area that could be a nicer place to stay for honeymooners?

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Thanks for the info! Do you have any suggestions for resorts? We looked into "Beachcomber Cottages on Vilano" but aren't sure if we want to spend the money on them.

I don’t for beach hotels since I haven’t stayed at any (I am local to North FL so it’s easy to go for just a day).

But regarding regular hotels the weekend of my wedding I did stay at the Bayfront Marin house which is an older building (historic area) and thus very quaint and authentic feeling. It was a clean place. Nice stay.