This Florida Scenic Byway Is The Road Trip Of A Lifetime
Way back in 1513, when Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León first set foot on what is now Ponte Vedra Beach on Florida’s Atlantic coast, he could scarcely have imagined the impact his arrival was to have. Gazing upon an unspoiled coastline of sand dunes, coastal forests, and marshlands that seemed to stretch forever in all directions, his fruitless search for gold and the fabled Fountain of Youth nevertheless ended in his claiming “La Florida” for Spain.
Take a drive along the A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway and you can experience for yourself some of what Ponce de León must have felt when he first looked out over this magnificent shoreline. Now part of the much longer Jimmy Buffet Memorial Highway (so named after the legendary musician passed away in 2024), this 72-mile All-American Road starts near Ponte Vedra Beach and heads south through St. Augustine, ending at Gamble Rogers Memorial State Park.
Sure, while you can drive the route in around 90 minutes, don’t. Instead, take your time and turn it into a multi-day adventure, stopping to enjoy some of the Sunshine States’ best beaches, top golf courses, centuries’ old historic sites, and classy resorts along the way.
Ponte Vedra Beach
While I began my A1A adventure a little further north in Mayport, east of Jacksonville (I’d been visiting beautiful Amelia Island), the Historic Coastal Byway officially begins in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Home to the PGA Tour headquarters, it’s a place where avid golfers might want to book tee times at one or more of the nation's most prestigious golf courses like the famous TPC Sawgrass with its island green on the 17th hole. This stunning course also attracts spectators from around the world for The PLAYERS Championship each spring.
Stop at Bird Island Park, adjacent to the Ponte Vedra Beach Library, for your first taste of the natural wonders that lie ahead. The park protects a rookery that serves as a crucial stop along the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, along with easy walking trails with interactive art sculptures and educational displays about local ecosystems and the birds that live (or visit) here.
The GTM Research Reserve
Continuing south, you’ll enter the 76,760-acre Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve. Usually shortened to just “GTM Research Reserve,” this vast stretch of coast encompasses important coastal hammock, salt marshes, and those endless beaches, and supports many endangered wildlife species.
Pop into the Environmental Education Center for exhibits explaining the area's biodiversity, taking time to explore the miles of hiking trails that wind through ancient dune ridges, some reaching 35 to 40 feet high, as well as tidal creeks teeming with marine life.
During the winter months, you might spot North Atlantic right whales migrating close to shore, while year-round creature residents include diamondback terrapins, wood storks, and the occasional manatee in the warmer waters of the Tolomato River.
Parking is plentiful at the three GTM Beach Access points alongside the A1A. Clearly marked so you can easily pull off and out the way of the speeding traffic, payment is required but well worth it for peace of mind. Dedicated road crossings are also provided with signals letting approaching cars know to slow down and stop so you can cross safely. The boardwalks leading to the beach are well maintained and a mobility friendly.
Explore Vilano Beach
Vilano Beach deserves more than a quick drive-through on your A1A scenic byway adventure. You’ll know your there when you see The Reef restaurant on your left. An excellent place to stop for lunch, this family-owned restaurant serves fresh local seafood and boasts some of the best ocean views you’ll find on the Jimmy Buffett Highway (opt for a table on the patio and order the fried shrimp).
If you brought a fishing rod with you, head next to Vilano Beach Fishing Pier. Rebuilt after Hurricane Matthew, it extends 260 feet into the ocean and provides free fishing and ample parking. The Vilano Beach Nature Boardwalk is another must-do and consists of a level, quarter-mile-long path through salt marshes that’s decorated with wildlife mosaics.
And if you’ve got time and a padlock, the pedestrian walkway over A1A has become famous as the Locks of Love Overpass, where couples attach a lock as a display of their commitment to one another.
Enjoy An Overnight Stay
A few miles further along and you’ll find the first-rate St. Augustine Beach House hotel. I broke up my journey with a two-night stay in a cozy corner suite, making sure I left the screened patio door open all night long and lulled to sleep by the sound of the Atlantic brushing up against the shore.
It is also an ideal spot for a balcony coffee as you watch the sunrise. Better still, the hotel provides a great breakfast which you can have prepared for pick-up to enjoy in your room. It is well worth it.
The property's location at the quieter north end of Vilano Beach means you actually get the beach pretty much to yourself at sunrise and again as night falls. A hop, skip, and a jump from the hotel, you can walk for miles searching for shark teeth and shells.
Vilano Beach is also an ideal jumping off point from which to explore historic St. Augustine, just a mile or two away on the mainland and the next stop on the A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway.
Arriving In St. Augustine
Well rested, now you’re ready to tackle the crown jewel of Florida’s Atlantic coast: St. Augustine. Crossing over the Vilano Bridge, the byway enters America’s oldest continuously inhabited European settlement. Established in 1565 by the Spanish and predating Plymouth Rock by a full 55 years, there’s so much to see and do in the incredible historic community that you’ll want to dedicate at least a full day exploring (better still, make a two or three-day getaway of it).
It's a popular tourist destination, so pay attention to parking. The best bet is to arrive early and park at either the Old Town Trolley Tours parking lot on the edge of downtown (it’s just over the bridge and is free to trolley riders; I left my car there the whole day) or a little further along at the Historic Downtown Parking Facility (paid parking).
While both lots are on the A1A, the latter places you at the impressive St. Augustine and St. Johns County Visitor Information Center where you can see exhibits related to the town’s early history and get tips and tactics from helpful staff to make the most of your day. You can also purchase a budget-friendly Explorer's Passport for admission to many town attractions. While the info center is also one of 22 dedicated stops for trolleys, you’re also close enough from here to walk to the Old City Gates and start exploring.
Exploring St. Augustine
Wherever you park, make sure you visit the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. Standing guard over Matanzas Bay since its completion in 1695, this imposing fortress is the oldest intact masonry fortification in the continental United States. In addition to walking its perimeter, an experience that provides a true sense of the structure’s scale, an entrance fee will open up the fort's interior with its dungeons and cannons.
Other Old Town highlights include the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, the country’s oldest Catholic parish; the magnificent Lightner Museum; and the stunningly attractive Flagler College. Once famous as Gilded Age luxury hotels, these last two attractions are worth touring and offer an incredible inside look at the opulent lifestyles of the rich and famous during the early 1900s.
While there’s no end of great places to drink and dine in St. Augustine, a few stood out to me for their uniqueness. For a morning coffee and something sweet, pop into Claude's Chocolate for an espresso and a homemade treat in a quiet setting near the Lightner Museum (Whetstone Chocolates is another good option).
The Lightner gets a thumbs up for its unique dining room set in what was once a swimming pool favored by millionaires (true story!). And for bourbon and gin fans, the St. Augustine Distillery, though slightly off route, offers fun tasting and “Fill Your Own Bottle” experiences. Be sure to also check out the neighboring Ice Plant Bar for a tasty cocktail afterwards… another good reason to book a stay in St. Augustine.
Anastasia Island
Leaving Old Town St. Augustine, cross over the famous Bridge of Lions to get to Anastasia Island. Home to Anastasia State Park with its four miles of beautiful beaches, nature trails, and sand dunes, it’s also where you’ll find the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. This 165-foot-tall, 219-step attraction boasts superb views over the coastline and Matanzas Bay and its fort.
Continue 12 miles south from the lighthouse and you’ll come to Fort Matanzas National Monument, a Spanish watchtower built in 1742 to guard Matanzas Inlet. Though accessible only by a free ferry service, it’s well-worth a visit as you can also wander the surrounding nature preserve, a habitat for the Atlantic coast's largest least tern nesting area.
A little further south, the River-to-Sea Preserve is another good spot to sample local flora and fauna, as is Washington Oaks Gardens State Park. A combination of formal gardens and a unique rocky coastline quite unlike anything else you’ll see in Florida, the coquina rock formations along the beach create tide pools harboring small marine creatures.
Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area
The final stop on your Florida scenic byway adventure, Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area spans both sides of A1A and provides access to both the Atlantic Ocean beachfront and the Intracoastal Waterway. The ocean side features a mile of undeveloped beach backed by rolling dunes covered in sea oats and coastal scrub, while the western portion includes boat ramps, picnic pavilions, and nature trails.
It’s a great spot for wildlife spotting, too. Winding through coastal hammock, trails lead past spots where you might see gopher tortoises and painted buntings nest during spring migration (so bring your binoculars). It’s also a great spot for campers, with sites located just behind the primary dune line for a budget-friendly experience set to a backdrop of breaking waves.
The Bottom Line
Having traveled the entirety of the 340-mile-long Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway from Amelia Island all the way to Key West, I can safely say that the portion that comprises the A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway is undoubtedly Florida’s best scenic drive. Although just 72-miles long and possible to cover in just a few hours, take your time and you can definitely draw this road trip out to a few days, or even a week or more, in order to truly experience all there is to see and do on this adventure of a lifetime. For other ideas, tips, and tactics, visit A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway.
