St. Augustine

The oldest masonry fort in the continental United States, built of shell-based coquina from 1672 to 1695, which changed hands six times without ever being taken by force.

💡 Arrive at opening time, before the groups, and ask at the ticket desk for the times of the cannon firings. Parking is scarce around the fort, so use the municipal car park near the visitor centre and walk five minutes. The non-resident surcharge for the eleven major parks does not apply here. Price: $15 per person aged 16 and over, about €13, valid for seven days, free for younger visitors.

Henry Flagler's former Hotel Ponce de Leon of 1888, a Spanish Renaissance Revival landmark whose frescoed rotunda and Tiffany-lit dining room are shown on student-led guided tours.

💡 The entrance courtyard and its fountain can be seen freely, but the interior opens only on guided tours, several times a day, booked at the university's ticket desk or online. The tours stay on the ground floor. Price: $21 per person, about €18.

Flagler's former Hotel Alcazar, now home to Otto Lightner's collections of Tiffany glass, Victorian furniture and mechanical musical instruments, with a café in the old indoor pool.

💡 The museum opens every day from 9am to 5pm, last entry at 4pm; come in the morning for the demonstrations of the mechanical instruments, at set times. Price: $20 for an adult, about €17, free up to age 11.

A black and white spiral lighthouse of 1874 on Anastasia Island, whose 219 steps lead to a gallery with views over the city, the estuary and the Atlantic.

💡 Children must be at least 1.12 metres tall to climb, and everyone climbs unaided. Come in the late afternoon for the light on the city; the site is open until 6pm, 6.30pm from March to September, with the last ticket half an hour before. Price: $17.95 from age 13, about €15, $12.95 up to age 12, climb and museum included.

A 650-hectare state park with 6 km of wild beach backed by high dunes, the calm Salt Run lagoon for kayaking and the old coquina quarries of the Castillo.

💡 Arrive before 10am on summer weekends, as the entrance closes when the car parks are full. Keep your distance from the marked turtle nests and turn off lights on the beach at night. Price: $8 per vehicle for up to eight people, about €7, $2 on foot or by bike.