Snorkeling in St. Augustine offers an unfulfilling experience with poor water visibility and strong waves, but check the aquarium which has a sweet program to go underwater and observe housed marine life.
St. Augustine, the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the United States, is rich with history at every corner. Located in a strategic inlet location surrounded by Matanzas, Tolomato, and San Sebastian Rivers, St. Augustine is right in the middle of all the fun. The historical monuments are dotted all around the city, beaches are only a bridge away, and modern amenities are within a quick drive. Vilano Beach to the north and Anastasia Beach and St. Augustine Beach to the south offer miles of pristine, uninterrupted ocean views and sandy walks.
There are plenty of hikers, beachgoers, and fishermen around St. Augustine, enjoying its each activity to the fullest. Surfing is also quite prominent here as the waves provide some good rides. But one activity you may be hard pressed to see is anything underwater. Overall, the snorkeling in St. Augustine leaves much wanting due to poor water visibility and strong waves, similar to the Jacksonville Beaches, its neighbors to the north. But there is a cool opportunity for those that do want to go snorkeling, albeit within a man-made structure. St. Augustine Aquarium offers an experience called Snorkel Adventure that may be one of the better options around.
St. Augustine Snorkeling Profile
Closest Major Airport: Jacksonville International Airport (JAX), Jacksonville, FL- 50 miles away, 60 minute drive
- St. Augustine is a decent sized city but just not big enough for a major airport. The closest major airport is in Jacksonville, which is approximately fifty miles north. Jacksonville International Airport is on the northern outskirts of the town, so it is a longer drive but really the only option. You will have to cross the St. John River and drive down US Hwy-1 to St. Augustine. There may be some traffic coming over onto central Jacksonville, but overall should not be too bad of a drive. JAX has plenty of flights to major cities in the east coast with major airlines, so there shouldn’t be any problem with finding flights.
Closest Major Metro Area: Jacksonville, Florida
- St. Augustine is technically considered to be within the greater Jacksonville metro area. Jacksonville has been one of the largest cities in the Sunshine State for some time, but it continues to develop its reputation as a destination. Downtown Jacksonville to St. Augustine is approximately fifty miles, or about an hour drive. But given that you will have to fly into Jacksonville, taking in the city and its various attractions should definitely be on your list. The city is known for its vibrant, historic neighborhoods, breweries, and its various museums and gardens.
Recommended Method of Transportation to Destination: Fly into Jacksonville International Airport and Drive to St. Augustine.
- The only logical option to come into St. Augustine is to fly into Jacksonville International Airport, which has connections to major cities all across the eastern United States. Since there is quite a distance to St. Augustine, it would be wise to rent a car to drive down. There are rideshare options available in St. Augustine, but including the drive down, it may save you more money and hassle to rent a car instead.
Introduction
Settled in 1565 by Spanish conquistador Pedro Menendez de Aviles, who would later go on to become the first governor of Florida, St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the United States. The town served as the Spanish Florida’s northern outpost for centuries and the state capital of East Florida until 1824 when it moved to Tallahassee after the consolidation of West and East Florida. Much of the city’s rich history has survived, with Castillo de San Marcos and Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park demonstrating the lifestyle during its Spanish era.
The city of St. Augustine is separated from the beach communities by the Matanzas River. There are three main beach communities nearby: Vilano Beach on the northern end, Anastasia Beach which includes its namesake state park, and St. Augustin Beach in the very south. All three beaches are gorgeous, with plenty of sparkling seashells within its sandy coastlines. Vilano Beach is the most remote of the three, only filled with resorts, homes, and the beachfront. Anastasia is a neighborhood within St. Augustine, with a strip of beach by the state park. St. Augustine Beach is the center of nightlife along Beach Blvd, with the fishing pier, numerous resorts, and various parks.
How is Snorkeling in St. Augustine?
St. Augustine, much like its neighbors to the north, the Jax Beaches, offer some great activities including fishing and surfing. But it also exudes murky waters that provide low visibility, much different from the crystal clear waters you see in the Caribbean. St. Augustine is located by the mouth of the Matanzas River, which carries significant sediments from the tidal marshes it flows through. It also receives sediments from St. Johns River, the longest river in Florida, a blackwater stream which primarily flows through swamps and wetlands. As the coast currents in Florida flow counter-clockwise, so the murky waters flow down from Jacksonville.
Sediments from numerous rivers contribute heavily to poor water visibility, and create a tough environment for snorkeling in St. Augustine. In addition, the waters in the St. Augustine Beaches are a bit cool for coral reefs to thrive, so the on-shore marine life is not great as well although you may notice some bigger wildlife around, such as an occasional whale. Certain locations have artificial reefs or jetties that provide a decent environment for snorkeling, and there are jetties by Vilano Beach, but the water is simply too murky.
Snorkel Adventure – Go Snorkeling in St. Augustine Aquarium’s Awesome Program
But if you are keen on taking a half-day from your visit to go underwater, there is a pretty cool program nearby that will allow you to do just that. The St. Augustine Aquarium is approximately seven miles west of the city center, and in addition to showcasing hundreds of marine life species native to Florida, it also has a snorkeling program. The Snorkel Adventure takes visitors on a guided tour with over 100 Florida reefs and fishes, with all the equipment provided. This will be the best option for snorkeling in St. Augustine, and despite being indoors, don’t dismiss the quality of the guided tour and the marine life on display.
Final Word:
Much of the Florida’s First Coast, which comprises northeast section of the state, contains very murky waters as the rivers that empty out to the Atlantic Ocean flow through swamps and wetlands. St. Augustine and Jacksonville Beach also have some decent waves coming through, which makes for some good surfing. However, as you may guess, all these factors mean that snorkeling in St. Augustine is not ideal. But the St. Augustine Aquarium provides a great alternative to those that wish to go underwater and check out marine life native to Florida. A great option to have in your back pocket in case you get the itch to swim with tie fishes.
Snorkeling in St. Augustine Rating: 2/5 Snorkels – Decent Options Around!
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