Our family had the BEST time on our vacation to St Augustine this last week. We had almost 4 days of fun and adventure, and got to see and do alot along the way! Read along to see all that we did day by day, for the best family friendly St Augustine Vacay 🏰

Our first stop as we arrived in St Augustine was the St Johns County Beach Fishing Pier! It has a small splash pad, park, fishing pier and is right on the Atlantic Ocean! The splash pad is nothing special but the kids still had fun and it was a great way to spend an hour or so. This was also the kids first time seeing the Atlantic Ocean! This beach was nothing super special, but fun to walk the beach after the splash pad!

After we finished the splash pad we were able to check into our AMAZING vacation home: Island Retreat by Runaway Escapes. This is by FAR the best vacation home I’ve ever stayed at. Jill has thought of absolutely everything you could need or want in a vacation home. There were games and toys for the kids, beach gear, an entire game room set up in the garage, and even a water table for littles! I could go on and on with everything the house offers, but just trust me, it’s AMAZING. Truly, our family never wanted to leave. This is an ABSOLUTE must stay when your family visits St Augustine. Visit their website and book right here! https://runawayescapes.com you can also see the full house tour on my Instagram here!

Day 1

Our first stop on our first full day to St Augustine was the Castillo De San Marcos! This is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States and was FULL of rich history! The coquina architecture was so cool, and the kids loved getting to see all the old weapons and cannons. The kids also got to become Jr Rangers and earn badges for the Castillo! They filled out a booklet with questions and answers about the fort and earned badges for completing them. This place was super cool and one of the best places for the kids to be able to run around freely and look at what we wanted to at our own pace.

The next stop on our first full day in St Augustine was the St Augustine Wild Reserve! This was one of the highlights of our trip as our whole family absolutely loves big cats! Wild Reserve has lions, tigers, li ligers, cougars, jaguars, wolves, bears, and more! You’re able to get so close to the animals and learn so many animal facts! This was a bit challenging with the two littlest, as it’s hard to remember to stay behind the railroad boards that you have to stay behind. I’d recommend baby wearing any babies, and bringing lots of snacks for toddlers to stay in a stroller or wagon. You do have to book in advance, and they only do guided tours on specific days. You can book tours on their site here !

Day 2

We began our second day at Anastasia State Park! This was such a beautiful place and the perfect place for the kids to enjoy the beach. The dunes were beautiful and the waves were so fun for the kids to ride boogie boards on! It’s 8$ to park for the day and so worth the visit!

The second half of the day we went to Ponce De Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archeological Park. This place was SO COOL! It was completely set up like the original settlement 500 years ago. There are SO MANY hands on historical learning activities, along with demonstrations! We got to see blacksmiths, boat makers, and even watch a cannon get shot! This was so nice for the kids because they could run at their own free pace, and be able to have hands on learning experiences. You can even drink from the original fountain discovered by Ponce De Leon! The kids also loved all the peacocks everywhere! This is a must visit, full of rich history and great for kids to get hands on learning! You can visit their website here !

Day 3

We started our final full day in St Augustine watching the sunrise over the Atlantic. Then we headed to the St Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum! This is the oldest lighthouse in the continental US! This place was super cool! To be able to go to the top of the lighthouse, you have to be over 45 inches and be able to climb up completely by yourself. Thankfully, they have a ship playground at the bottom of the lighthouse for littles who can’t go to the top! I will say, this is not for people afraid of heights. I have a fear of heights, and I thought I would be okay since it’s a building, but it really scared me when I got to the top. BUT the kids had so much fun and had a lot of learning opportunities here! The museum next to the lighthouse gave hands on learning opportunities along with a spot for people to learn about the lighthouse and the history behind it. You can visit their website to learn more here !

After the museum, we headed to walk around beautiful Historic George Street! This place was so cool and was another place full of history! We passed the oldest schoolhouse, and got to see old architecture and the old city gates! There are shops and restaurants all along the street, along with street performers and even a guy who had snakes to hold and see! This was such a cool spot to walk around and grab food and souvenirs.

After George Street we hopped on the Old Town Trolley and rode around St Augustine! This was perfect to see all the big places around St Augustine, along with getting the history of each place and the entire town! It was so fascinating to learn the rich history of the city, and the trolley was so fun for the kids. Make sure to bring snacks to keep littles happy! The trolley has over 20 stops all over St Augustine and you can get on and off as much and wherever you’d like. The full trolley ride is 1 hour 45 minutes, and totally worth the full ride! They even sell discounted tickets to other St Augustine Attractions! You can see their website here

The final stop on our last day was Project Swing Playground! This place is so fun and is made to look like the surrounding architecture! The kids loved that it was all wooden, and there was so much for them to play on. It’s also located in the middle of downtown, so a perfect way to get littles who need to run some space to do so!

Our family had the best time on our vacation to St Augustine. It is a beautiful place, rich with history and has things to do for all ages! I hope this blogpost has been helpful for your family to enjoy a fun family vacay to St Augustine! Thanks for taking the time to read this post, and know you are loved!