Beaches
Photo: Ebyabe / CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Beaches
Anastasia State Park
About
Some of the better surf on Florida's east coast breaks along the four miles of beach here, a short bridge from the oldest city in the country. From late fall into early spring, surfers want a full wet suit. A lifeguard watches the swimming area at the ramp behind Island Beach Shop and Grill from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Salt Run, past the ancient dunes, is calm water for kayaks and windsurfers, with roseate spoonbills in the marsh along it. A walk through the maritime hammock reaches the Old Spanish Coquina Quarry, where workers cut the shellstone for the Castillo de San Marcos in the 1670s. The 139 campsites sit under the live oaks, a short walk from the beach. On busy weekends and holidays the lot fills (entry is $8 a car); come back an hour or two later and there's usually room.
Highlights
Four miles of wide Atlantic white-sand beachOld Spanish Coquina Quarry that built the Castillo de San MarcosSalt Run lagoon for kayaking, windsurfing, and paddleboardingMaritime hammock and ancient-dune nature trailsOceanfront camping under the live oaks near downtown St. Augustine
Getting there
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