4 Reasons to Cycle Florida’s Historic Coast
Florida’s city of St. Augustine is a bit obsessed with their age, and as America’s oldest city, rightfully so. The state’s entire northern Atlantic shoreline is steeped in rich history, with the apt name “Florida’s Historic Coast.”
Our St. Augustine bike tour spans the expanse of this coast, with the Ancient City as the centerpiece. With great lodging, beautiful natural scenery, inspiring architecture and plenty of white sand beaches, the tour has a little bit of something for everyone. Here are a few reasons to join us in cycling Florida’s Historic Coast.
Reason #1: Distinctive Lodging
Each one of the inns and hotels we stay at along the tour have unique identities that immerse guests into the history and culture of the area. Within walking distances of quirky towns with shops and eateries, miles of open beach, and historical sites, the lodges enrich the experience of biking the historic coast.
On the first night, we settle in for a relaxing evening beachside at Golden Magnolia Resort. A small, intimate boutique hotel, Golden Magnolia has a flare for extravagance. After a walk into Flagler Beach for dinner, guests can take a dip in the warm mineral pool, nap on hammocks, and rejuvenate in the sauna. Early birds can enjoy watching the sunrise over the Atlantic from the oceanfront patio before breakfast.
“The bedding in my hotel room at the Golden Magnolia was seriously some of the most comfortable I’ve ever experienced,” says bike tour manager and guide Jason Andelman.
While in St. Augustine, we are right in the middle of history for two nights at the St. George Inn. Situated on the pedestrian-only St. George Street, the inn overlooks the imposing Castillo De San Marcos and City Gate. The historical highlights of the city are all within walking distance. After a stroll around town, guests can enjoy a sommelier-approved selection of vintage wines at the attached Bin39 Wine Bar.
Probably one of the most eccentric stays of the trip is at Hotel Palms in Atlantic Beach. A converted and expertly updated motor court, it is a hip and modern hotel. If up for it after a day of riding, guests can grab an old beach cruiser to ride along the water at low tide.
Jumping back into the historical, the last night is spent at the Florida House Inn. A vintage 1857 inn located in the heart of Fernandina Beach, the hotel has a varied history of its own. Originally built as a boarding house for rail workers, after the onset of the Civil War the inn housed Union soldiers. Finally, after the war, the town became a thriving seaport and the inn welcomed vacationing guests. Some of the many guests throughout the years include Ulysses S. Grant, Jose Marti, Henry Ford and others.
Reason #2: Natural Beauty
Between canopies of old Spanish moss hanging from ancient oak trees, the expansive white sand beaches, and salty marshes, the natural beauty of Florida shines from the saddle of this bike tour. Every day is a new sight to see.
On the first day of riding, we will ride the Ormond Scenic Loop to Tomoka State Park. Vistas from the saddle include rivers, creeks, marshes, barrier island dunes and beaches. The state park boasts 12 miles of shoreline and over 2,000 acres of maritime hammock and estuarine salt marshes. Tomoka is a bird-watcher’s paradise, especially during the spring and fall migrations, with over 100 species spotted.
Later on in the trip, we visit Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve. The reserve is a dynamic, ever changing place with interconnected habitats from ocean to forests. It is one of only 29 National Estuarine Research Reserves in the country. We take a break from pavement to pedal along wooden boardwalks and smooth dirt trails, allowing ample opportunity to view wildlife and immerse ourselves in nature.
All along the route are sprawling plantations and public beaches, which are great places to take a break, enjoy some shade, and take in Florida’s natural beauty.
“I stopped at the Mala Compra plantation to use the bathroom and was impressed by the archeological site there,” says tour guest Christ L., “That and it was a nice shady area.”
The trip is punctuated with a sightseeing boat tour along the Amelia River. Guests get one last look at the flora and fauna of Florida’s historic coast before the tour comes to an end.
Reason #3: St. Augustine itself
There are many reasons why St. Augustine is the centerpiece of the tour. We spend two nights in the Ancient City to give plenty of opportunities to explore the history and blended culture.
The first glimpse of the skyline is breathtaking as we ride into town over the Bridge of Lions. This drawbridge was completed in 1927, connecting St. Augustine on the mainland with Anastasia Island. It was designed as a work of art as much as an overpass for cars, and gets its name from two replica marble Medici lions standing guard on the west side of the bridge.
As the buildings and steeples come into focus, the architectural history of the city is on full display. Dominating the skyline are the two twin steeples of Hotel Ponce De Leon, now home of Flagler College. Constructed entirely of poured concrete and adorned with red terra cotta, iron decor and ornate trimmings, the Ponce is an example of the main architectural style of the city, Spanish Renaissance Revival.
On our first morning in town, guests are treated to a guided riding tour with a local expert on all things St. Augustine. The tour weaves through the city’s streets, visiting landmarks such as the iconic Magnolia Avenue. Draped with Spanish moss, the 100-year-old oak trees create an arch over the street. It is one of the most photographed streets in the United States.
After the guided tour, guests have the afternoon to explore the oldest city in America on their own. If anyone has a sweet tooth like tour guide and manager Jason Andelman, he suggests checking out the abundance of creameries, bakeries and treat shops throughout town.
Reason #4: The History
Florida’s Historic Coast is aptly named, but it is still utterly surprising just how many relics of the past are concentrated along one shoreline.
“The things that excited me the most were the historical sites and being close to the beach,” says tour guest Chris L, “While I was expecting some historical sites, I wish I had known how many there were going to be!”
Starting from the beginning of the trip, we encounter the unique history of Ormond Beach. Known as the “Birthplace of Speed,” the town hosted the first time automobile race on the hard-packed beach in 1903. Additionally, ruins from old sugar mills and several plantations dot the surrounding landscape.
Guests have the opportunity to visit the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum on their own on the third day of the trip. The lighthouse, first lit in 1874, is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks. At 165 feet tall, the lighthouse is a welcoming array of black and white stripes with red detailing. The museum details over 6,000 years of local maritime history, from shipwrecks to modern boat building.
While in St. Augustine, guests can choose to tour the Castillo De San Marcos. Built by the Spanish in the late 1600s, the fort became a protected National Monument in 1924. As the oldest masonry fortification in the continental United States, it stands as a monument of Spanish and British history in the region.
Near Florida’s northernmost city, we visit Fort George Island and ride a loop to visit several historical sites. One being the Kingsley Plantation. Managed by the National Park Service, the plantation is now classified as an ecological and historic preserve. The preserve tells the story of early plantation owners, and those enslaved during the troubled past of America.
On a short ride on the last day of the tour, we are met with a row of cannons pointing across the St. Mary’s River. These old relics from the Civil War era protected Fort Clinch, a contested battleground at the Florida-Georgia stateline. Later, the fort acted as a barracks during the Spanish-American War and even an operations center during the second World War.
There is much more history to explore throughout this tour. For history-buffs, beach-chillers, natural-lovers, and bikers of all kinds, this is bound to be a ride of a lifetime. Cycle Florida’s Historic Coast with us.
Wilderness Voyageurs operates fully supported, inn-to-inn bicycle tours across the United States. We offer more rail-trail tours and biking destinations than any other U.S. based bike tour company.