Discover authentic experiences in our small towns
Looking for places with fascinating stories for your next excursion? The small towns and beach towns of St. Johns County offer just that – remarkable sites to visit, the best scenic drives, countryside to explore and great ways to relax. This guide offers up a variety of small town experiences near the beach and in rural settings with things to do and iconic restaurants to savor along the way.
For one of the best scenic drives in northeast Florida, enjoy a leisurely drive on the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway along the Atlantic Ocean, exploring beach towns and their stories. For more information visit scenica1a.org.
Ponte Vedra was developed in the early 1900s during World War I. The National Lead Company bought the rights to the valuable minerals discovered in the local sands. The area was named Mineral City. In 1922, the National Lead Company built a nine-hole golf course for its workers. Eventually, the demand for minerals ended. A resort community was planned and Mineral City was renamed Ponte Vedra Beach in 1928. Today, golf, tennis, and beach activities continue to thrive here. It is the home of the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, the PGA TOUR, and many wonderful, iconic restaurants. Be sure to visit the amazing Guana River State Park while you’re here.
Photo: Guana River State Park
Colonial maps called this location “Punta Quartel.” It was where the Spanish built a small watchtower to scout out enemy ships. By the 1920s, Nobel prize-winning author Sinclair Lewis rented a bungalow in Vilano Beach. Here, he developed ideas for his novels, including his most popular novel “Elmer Gantry“ in 1927.
Today, Vilano Beach is a charming beach town with unique architecture from its 1920s cottages, the Art Deco designs of the Thirties and Forties and up to post-World War II.
Photo: Beachcomber Cottages on Vilano Beach
In 1911, Anastasia Island was selected as the site of a summer “Chautauqua” – an event that began in 1874 at Chautauqua Lake, NY and became immensely popular. Held outdoors under tents, these events included speakers, teachers, musicians, showmen, preachers and specialists of the day. No surprise then that in 1911, Henry Flagler donated 200 oceanfront acres for a summer Chautauqua in Florida and named the location “Chautauqua Beach”. Nearly 50 years later, the area was incorporated into the City of St. Augustine Beach.
Today, St. Augustine Beach enjoys a pleasant small town atmosphere with plenty of things to do.
Photo: St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
South of St. Augustine Beach, Frank A. Butler, an African American educator, purchased a strip of property and established Butler Beach in 1927. Butler developed this beach for African Americans as there was no other place along the coast available to people of color. He built bathhouses and a motel, and installed a merry-go-round and picnic facilities. Butler Beach stayed popular through the 60s. Though Frank Butler died in 1973, the legacy he built as one of Florida’s first successful African American businessmen remains. Today, Butler’s remaining property is divided into two county parks: Frank Butler Park East and Frank Butler Park West.
Photo: Courtesy of Visit St. Augustine
Frank Butler County Park – Visit Butler Park East’s historic beach to enjoy easy access to the ocean and Butler Park West’s great views of the Intracoastal Waterway. Each park has amenities such as free parking, beach access, restrooms, showers, BBQ grills and picnic pavilion.
Crescent Beach is a community where old Florida resort homes built in the 1920s can still be seen. One of the town’s most distinguished residents was Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings who was very enamored with Florida. In 1940, with the proceeds from The Yearling (for which she received a Pulitzer Prize), Rawlings bought a cottage on the dunes in Crescent Beach. She lived and worked here for many years.
Photo: Fort Matanzas National Monument
Fort Matanzas, Anastasia Island – This park and historic site offers a glimpse into history as well as scenic trails and shoreside access for fishing and collecting shells.
Another of north Florida’s best scenic drives is through St. Johns County’s rural farmland. Explore stories going back to the late 1800s in this interesting corridor of small towns. While there, experience its iconic restaurants.
HastingsIn the 1880s, Henry Flagler needed a source for fresh vegetables and fruits for his St. Augustine Hotels. He asked his cousin, Thomas Horace Hastings, to start a farm. In 1890, Hastings and his family settled on 1,569 acres owned by Flagler’s Model Land Company and a railroad depot was constructed. By 1920, the town of Hastings was thriving with stores, a bank and hotel. However, changes in the regional transportation network eventually brought Hastings’ boom period to an end. During World War II, the railroad’s connection was severed and by 1970, Interstate 95 siphoned traffic off the highways serving these small towns. For more information see here, and check out these historical photos.
Happily, there are plans for the rebirth of Hastings. In 2019, the River-to-Sea Loop/Bike Trail completed its Palatka-to-St. Augustine trail with the section that runs right through Hastings’ town center. For more information, see river2sealoop.org.
Photo: Sykes and Coopers Farm
Wander through the countryside of Northwest and West St. Johns County. Explore small towns along the St. Johns River and Bartram Scenic Highway gems as you work your way south. Experience the remarkable Wildlife Refuge and enjoy a stop at World Golf Hall of Fame.
Fruit CoveFruit Cove was named for the orange groves that once filled this region. Here St. Johns County’s William Bartram Scenic Highway begins at the county line. The Rev. Theophilus Wilson Moore was the early settler who named Fruit Cove after he established an orange plantation here in 1873. The plantation was a success, and the area has continued to grow ever since. Fruit Cove is not only the gateway to the scenic highway, but a wonderful place to explore.
Photo: Courtesy of Visit St. Augustine
Beluthahatchee Park – 1501 S. R. 13 North, Fruit Cove, FL, 32259. Part of the Bartram Trail
The homestead of activist, conservationist, and author Stetson Kennedy, this magical four-acre park is part of the 70-acre tract of land purchased by Kennedy in 1948. Kennedy created restrictive covenants setting aside the land in perpetuity as a wildlife refuge. Experience Kennedy’s home and enjoy park amenities including a picnic pavilion, canoe dock, access to the Beluthahatchee Lake and use of the two wildlife observation platforms.
Switzerland sits just below Fruit Cove on the St. Johns River. Historically, Switzerland was one of the most essential areas in the early settlement period, with former Swiss citizen Francis Phillip Fatio establishing a 10,000-acre plantation at Switzerland Point. Today, the area continues to appeal to folks with its natural charm.
Alpine Groves Park – 2060 State Road 13, Switzerland, FL, 32259
This picturesque 54-acre park on the St. Johns River features a late 19th-century homestead and shed containing the grove’s machinery, used to process the fruit. Another two-story board and batten framed structure contains curios collected from around the country. The park also includes a citrus grove, butterfly garden, nature trails and a dock for fishing.
Orangedale was named after orange groves, once a major part of the local economy. It continues to be a source of the rustic, agricultural and outdoor aspects that make the William Bartram Scenic & Historic Highway appealing. One location that embodies the spirit of the scenic corridor is Shands Pier, a draw for anglers seeking to continue the centuries-old tradition of fishing in these waters. Another is the iconic Woodpecker’s Backyard BBQ.
Enjoy a leisurely drive down rural FL-16 E to two iconic venues – the St. Augustine Wild Reserve and World Golf Hall of Fame
St. Augustine Wild Reserve – 5190 Farm Creek Road, St. Augustine, FL, 32092
The remarkable reserve is a sanctuary for exotic animals. Enjoy a guided tour of the 7-acre animal compound, where you’ll meet white tigers, orange tigers, a very rare golden tabby tiger, lions, liger, servals, lynxes, leopards, jaguars, hyenas, and a host of wolves ranging in color from black to white. Tours by appointment only. For more information visit sawildreserve.org.
World Golf Village – 1 World Golf Place, St. Augustine, FL 32092
Enjoy activities in the Village with your whole family. Dine at the famous Caddyshack Restaurant, owned by Bill Murray and his five brothers. Take in a Hollywood Blockbuster or engaging documentary at the World Golf Hall of Fame IMAX Theater or enjoy shopping at the nearby Premium Outlets.
For more information visit worldgolfvillage.com.
Photo: Courtesy of Visit St. Augustine
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