North East

North East Florida, sometimes called the “Gold Coast”, has many of the oldest settlements in the State if not in the entire United States. The Castillo de San Marcos at St. Augustine, for example, is a 1672 fort built on the site of earlier wooden enclosures. St. Augustine, itself, is one of the oldest European settlements in North America. In the North East, even the fishing towns and quiet villages come with a historic flavor.

The North East section of Florida runs 300 miles up the east coast from Edgewater to Dayton and Ormond Beaches to Saint Augustine to Jacksonville Beaches to Fernandina Beach. Inland, you can find Ocala National Forest, Ocala, Silver Springs, the Marjorie K. Rawlings Historic State Park and Micanopy. All attractions worth considering, but the most worn path is on the east coast and the beach.

This section of Florida is widely varied offering amazing beaches with stunning sand and, overall, many places of reticent development. A free map of North East Florida, obtained from your travel bureau, indicates the variety of choices. There are the small towns and larger resorts, the quiet islands and the hot beds of action and cultural spots interspersed with natural wonders. The North East is also the home of a classic, long running event. The Daytona 500 dates back to 1903.

Of primary attraction is the North East Florida fishing charters. These are particularly popular in and around St. Augustine. Fishing charters in North East Florida are also common in other communities up and down the coast. You can sport fish under the guidance of skilled fishers on their charter boats in the following areas, Fort Pierce, Cape Canaveral, Daytona Beach, St. Augustine, and Jacksonville. Half and full-day trips are common. You can take out a boat or try your hand at fly fishing in North East Florida. You can also try bottom trawling and surf fishing. The most common catches in these areas are grouper, snapper, sailfish, shark and wahoo. The chances of catching a fish increase in North East Florida fishing vacations.

This diversity found in vacation opportunities in North East Florida also applies to the types of housing available. In North East Florida a beach house rental is as common as finding a condominium in which to spend your vacation. You can find Beach house rentals in North East Florida in such communities as Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island and at St. Augustine, Jacksonville Beaches and Daytona Beach. There are also privately owned cottages and homes available for rent. Due to the popularity of this natural and manufactured playground, do book far in advance.