Gift a Vacation Experience in St. Augustine to Your Special Someone

Impress your loved one with a curated trip to St. Augustine—and give them an experience this year! There is something for everyone in St. Augustine—use the ideas below to start a gift package for your special someone. Buy gift certificates from the businesses or just print out photos and let your loved one plan the trip with you (after you’ve given them a great start!)

Gifts for the Hopeless Romantic

Attraction: Horse and Carriage Tour

• Be a princess on a private horse and carriage tour! Schedule it through us and your carriage will pick you up in front of the inn.

Lunch: Your Choice

• There are a TON of romantic places in St. Augustine, and choosing just one is impossible. We love the dark mystery of Forgotten Tonic on Aviles, watching the crashing ocean at The Reef on Vilano beach, and any number of sexy places for a mid-day meeting, like the upscale Sainte George Restaurant or neighboring River & Fort.
• Or picture this—you and your significant other sitting in a raised palapa at the Conch House, overlooking the oyster shoals and enjoying the privacy of a tiki hut 15 feet in the air. After your meal, stroll along the pier hand in hand, and share a kiss overlooking the water.

Dinner: Collage

• You can’t get more romantic than Collage restaurant. Nestled in a cozy old Spanish house, Collage was named a Top 100 restaurant four times by Open Table. You don’t have to dress up, but we suggest you do—your hopelessly romantic partner will appreciate it.

Room: Marie Antoinette

• Insider’s Tip: When you book your room, spring for rose petals on the bed—or go all out with one of our romance packages.

Gifts for Your Wild Adventurer

Attraction: Ziplining Over Alligators

• Know someone who loves an adrenalin rush? They’ll love the ziplining course over the historic Alligator Farm. In addition to ziplines, there are rope bridges and other obstacles—all looking down on the gators.

Lunch: Pesca Rooftop

• Continue your high-flying weekend with a lunch overlooking all of Vilano Beach. Pesca Rooftop is at Hyatt Place in Vilano—just a short walk from our Beachcomber Cottages. The tuna taco appetizers are to die for—and don’t forget to order one of their craft cocktails!

Dinner: Llama

• Dinner at Llama is always an experience! Chef Marcel Vizcarra makes each meal an adventure—from Peruvian favorites to exotic drinks. We start our meal with the Flower Bomb—prosecco with an orchid sphere that opens as you drink it. And when you make the ceviche yourself—pushing raw fish and cut vegetables into a pickling spice in the center of a bowl–well, it doesn’t get much fresher (or more adventurous!) than that.

Room: The Lookout Suite on Vilano Beach

• Insider’s Tip: There are lots of fun activities—Swim with the Dolphins at Marineland, go standup paddleboarding with Latitude 29, and take a WWII-era plane for an aerial view of the town. If there is something you’ve always wanted to do, call us—we’re here to help plan your next adventure.

Gifts for the Kid at Heart

Attraction: Pirate Museum

• It’s not just for kids! Lots of history, plus authentic pirate memorabilia from owner Pat Croce’s collection. Plus, the shipboard room that bobs and dips with the waves is always good for a laugh!

Lunch: Mellow Mushroom

• We know Pizza Time on St. George Street has won national awards, and we love it too—but we are partial to the spring water fluffy crust at Mellow Mushroom. Check their Facebook page to see if they are hosting Bingo or Trivia while you’re in town—maybe your meal will be free!

Dinner: Treylor Park

• Nothing stuffy at the fun Treylor Park on Spanish Street! Enjoy a kid-themed drink (for grown-ups only!) like the Grapeful Dead—made with Grape Kool-Aid, Vodka, Lime Juice, and club soda. And save room for the fun foods—the grilled apple pie and chicken sandwich is better than any sandwich has a right to be.

Room: Lagoon Cottage

• Insider’s Tip: Borrow the bikes at our downtown location—and don’t come back until the sun is going down…just like the Gen X kids used to do!

Gifts for the Arts Lover

Attraction/Activity: Classes at STAAA

• See what is on the schedule at the St. Augustine Art Association—many of their workshops are held on a single day or weekend. The gallery is about a block from our downtown inn.

Lunch: Cordova Coastal Chophouse, Located in Casa Monica Hotel

• Enjoy lunch at Cordova Coastal Chophouse and Bar. On your way to the restaurant, check out the painted beams and Spanish tilework in Casa Monica’s Moorish-style lobby. Be sure to stop by the art gallery just off the lobby—from paintings to sculptures to blown glass, they feature a wide variety of talented artists.

Dinner: Bourbon and Boards

• Located on the corner of King and Charlotte Streets, Bourbon and Boards is the perfect place for an artfully crafted meal! Order from a variety of charcuterie boards, paired with one of 148 bourbons, 37 ryes, and 900 bottles of wine. Bourbon and Boards highlight artists each month on their gallery walls.

Room: Marine Street Apartment

• Insider’s Tip: Plan your trip for the first Friday of the month—it’s ArtWalk! Galleries are open late and have live music, wine, and artist meet-and-greets. Or schedule your trip during one of the Plein Air Paintouts. STAA hosts a city-wide event in April, and the Aviles Street Festival hosts in September.

Gifts for the History Lover

Attraction: Oldest House

• Sometimes it seems like everything is the “Oldest Something” in St. Augustine (Oldest Tee Shirt Shop, anyone?) But the Oldest House is the real deal. The St. Augustine Historic Society owns and operates the complex, which includes a history museum, map gallery, St. Augustine History Museum, and ornate gardens. Most recently, it added a Surf Museum.

Lunch: OC White’s

• Just a short walk from the inn, OC White’s is a casual restaurant housed in the old Worth Mansion, a beautiful old stone house from the late 1700s. Fun fact: It was originally located across the street, where the restaurant’s parking lot is now. It was moved—stone by stone—to its current location in the early 1960s.

Dinner: Columbia

• Spanish-Cuban immigrant Casimiro Hernandez Sr. founded the original Columbia in Ybor City in 1905. Since that time, the family has expanded to 6 other locations, including our beloved version of Hypolita. Order the 1905 salad—it’s made tableside, so you can see exactly how it has been made for over 100 years.

Room: Jose Simeon Suite

• Insider’s Tip: So much history in St. Augustine—and so many options!! Check out one of the newer museums in town, like the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center.

Gifts for Your Music-Loving Friend

Attraction: Tickets to the Amp

• Our award-winning Amphitheatre is one of the best places to see live music—and its lineup of artists is varied and wonderful. Bonus: the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall has been undergoing MAJOR renovations since last year—it should be re-opening in 2025.

Lunch: Café Alcazar.

• Café Alcazar is located inside the Lightner Museum (a museum that happens to have a large collection of music machines, from Victrolas to cylinders to a large nickelodeon!) But we recommend the café because it usually has a piano player or other solo musician—and because the café is in an old cement pool, the music sounds maestoso!

Dinner: O’Steen’s

• If you’re going to the Amp for a concert, why not eat just down the street? O’Steen’s is a stalwart in St. Augustine—many visitors have at least one meal there while in town. They do have the BEST fried shrimp—seriously, this is not the time to feel healthy and ask for it broiled. Don’t forget to take cash—they don’t take credit cards!

Room: Aviles Street Cottage

• Insider’s Tip: If you like music, you NEED to come to St. Augustine in September! Our annual Sing Out Loud event takes place all month. If you love making music, come to the Songwriter’s Festival, also in September.

 

Gifts for the Whole Family (Including Four-Legged Kids!)

Attraction: Fort Matanzas

• Fort Matanzas is the lesser-known fort, but it’s our favorite. Located off Anastasia Island, you take a free ferry to get there. It’s a self-guided tour, with plenty of space to run and tire the kids out!

Lunch: Mojo’s BBQ

• Mojo’s is a boisterous, fun BBQ restaurant that is tailor-made for kids (and dogs)! We get the house salad with grilled salmon and homemade honey mustard dressing. Kids love the BBQ because they can choose their own sauce—and kids LOVE customizing their food. The friendly staff is happy to bring a big bowl of water for the puppies on the patio.

Dinner: Marina Munch Food Trucks

• Food trucks are always fun—particularly with picky eaters! Marina Munch is located on the water on Route 1 and hosts a variety of food trucks throughout the year. We like anything with Funk Sauce from Funkadelic Food Truck (their blackened fish is particularly good), and all the kids like Let’s Taco Bout It.  Dogs are welcome.

Room: Oceanview Cottage on Vilano Beach

• Insider’s Tip: St. Augustine is a dog-friendly town! Make a note of all the pet-friendly restaurants before you go.

Gifts for the Friend Who Likes to Imbibe

Attraction: St. Augustine Distillery Tour

• An excellent tour through the various barrel rooms of the distillery. Learn about the intricacies of making spirits—rum, gin, whiskey, and bourbon. The tour is free—as are the samples!

Lunch: Ice Plant

• After your distillery tour, head to the restaurant located in the same building. The Ice Plant has a small daily menu—but the offerings are always exceptional. And, for the non-drinkers among you, don’t miss their house-made sodas…the ginger ale is perfect on a hot Florida day, and the lemon-lime soda will show you what Sprite could be if it just tried a little harder.

Dinner: La Cocina at San Sebastian Winery

• We love the rooftop view from the San Sebastian Winery—it is one of the best places to enjoy the sunset. In late 2024, La Cocina (previously located on Anastasia Island) moved into the restaurant space, much to the delight of everyone in town. Chef Norberto Jaramillo and his wife Cristina bring their Columbian roots and Latin American flavors to an interesting menu of world cuisine.

Room: Atlantic Suite at Vilano Beach

• Insider’s Tip: Time your visit to coincide with one of the popular food and drink events, such as the Whiskey, Wine and Wildlife Festival in October in Vilano Beach, or the Spanish Wine Festival, held each year in February.

Gifts for the Foodie

Attraction: Tasting Tours Food & Wine Tour

• One of the great things about the Tasting Tours is the way they perfectly match their tours to your tastes. Choose from their wine & dine package, or corks and forks, or specialized brunch tours.

Lunch: The Floridian

• In 2019, St. Augustine was named the Number One Food Town by Southern Living for the first time. The Floridian was one of just four restaurants recommended by the editors that year—and for good reason. We love the quirky homey feel of this restaurant, but don’t let the kitschy décor fool you—this is some seriously good food. Trust us: get the fried green tomatoes!

Dinner: Lotus Noodle House

• If you’re looking for a food experience, try the new(ish) Lotus. Chef Barry Honan has a style that is described as modern Japanese integrated with French techniques. Chef Honan creates dishes that are interesting, surprising, and truly elegant—it will definitely be something your foodie talks about for a long time!
• Bonus cache: In 2024, the Lotus team was invited to cook at the James Beard House in New York City. Whoa!

Room: Charlotte Street Hacienda.

• Insider’s Tip: The Marin is planning a Chocolate Lover Week in February! Stay tuned for more details…we’ll be featuring chocolate desserts, drinks, and a class for couples to make their own chocolate-covered strawberries. More information coming soon!

Gifts for the Film Buff

Attraction: St. Augustine Film Festival

• This year marked the 15^th St. Augustine Film Fest, held in January. It’s a great way to see a LOT of films, meet actors and directors, and hang with other film aficionados.

Lunch: Scarlett’s

• Named after Scarlett O’Hara from Gone with the Wind, Scarlett’s is a casual place to grab a burger or wings downtown. It’s right across from Flagler College, where most of the films are shown during the festival.

Dinner: Chez L’Amour

• Live in a rom-com of your own at this fun French restaurant in Uptown. Jazz music is on tap—and champagne is usually flowing, just like in your favorite black-and-white movies.

Room: Any room at the beach, and the following rooms downtown: Marine Street Apartment, Casita, Hacienda, Aviles Street Cottage, Jose Simeon Suite, Josephina Suite, and Lyndsay Michelle. They all have microwaves for popcorn!

• Insider’s Tip: Make a list of movies before you come, and bring your Roku or Netflix login information.

Gifts for the Bougie

Attraction: Flagler Heritage Tours

• Take a tour of Flagler College to see how the bourgeois lived in the Victorian Era when the building was the Ponce de Leon Hotel.

Lunch:  La Nouvelle

• This upscale restaurant features a French chef (called Frenchie!) and a menu to match. Get the oysters of the day, and the Quiche Lorraine for lunch. Yum…delicate AND decadent!

Dinner: Catch 27

• Enjoy the freshest, best seafood in town (nothing but the best for your bougie!) Catch 27 is walkable, but if your bougie is wearing her highest Louboutins, arrange for a private golf cart or car service to pick you up.

Room: Josephina’s Suite

• Insider’s Tip: We deliver breakfast in bed every day—make it extra special with a pitcher of mimosas.