Whether you are coming in from the North, South or West of us, there’s always cool stops to make along the way. We are going to point out a few of our favorite “must-see” stops on your way to Crescent Beach. Some folks have even made a day trip out of some of these must see areas.
Castle Otttis On Vilano Beach
Many locals love to rave about the fact that the First Coast has a castle. Castle Otttis is located on Vilano Beach near The Reef, just off A1A on Vilano Beach. As much as we love to call it our castle, it isn’t really a castle. For those of us that have actually toured the beautiful piece of architecture, it’s more of a church than a castle. There are lots of stairs, and the ground floor has a setting for service with dirt floors. The castle is only accessible by appointment; however, it does hold a public interdenominational Christian worship service the last Sunday of each month. It is truly a hidden treasure and a must-see.
If you don’t have time to get an appointment during your visit, the castle is on the flight path at First City Helicopters that flies out of St. Augustine Airport on US 1.
Vilano Beach
As you may have experienced or heard by now, the old saying is true, “Not All Beaches Are Alike.” If you have time after viewing Castle Otttis, take a walk along the beach. You will be amazed at how many shark teeth you’ll find on your casual stroll along the First Coast beach.
The Coconut Barrell
The Artisan Market in St. Augustine is such a cool place. It’s unique display showcases 200 storefronts with local talent that is based in St. Augustine. This unique setting has various treasures such as:
- Gifts
- Home Décor
- Foods & Spices
- Handmade Jewelry
- Home Furnishings
- Unique Furniture
And the list goes on and on. They even have a Tea Gallery where they give you a free cup of coffee or tea to enjoy while you shop.
Don’t miss their Farmer’s Market starting September 3rd every Thursday from 5pm-8pm.
Matanzas Beach
Our guests often ask, “Where is the best place to buy shells?” of course us natives don’t suggest you buy any shells. We simply direct our guests to Matanzas Beach which is about 5 minutes south of Beacher’s Lodge. You can probably find some cute shells at our property as well, but Matanzas has an abundance of shells there. In fact you may want to make sure you wear your flip flops because it is so “shelly”.
This past weekend we had a pretty big storm blow in which meant there were going to be some amazing finds on the beach. I personally headed down that way and found a beautiful big sand dollar. It was perfect in every way and now sits on my end table and serves as a beautiful centerpiece.
Turtle or Manatee Watching
If you have to make sure you see a sea turtle or Manatee, then head up to the Conch House on Anastasia Island. Walk down to the marina and go to what they call, “Charter Row.” You can’t miss it, it is the first entrance down to the docks and it has all the charter boats lined up. If any of the first set of boats are missing you will see a turtle or two playing in their slip. If all the boats are in, walk down a bit further until the dock turns right. You will see more open space on both sides of the dock. Turtles play there all the time and so do the manatees. The best time to see them is in the late afternoon. As the tides are changing you will see dolphins play on the left side of the dock as they chase their dinner. Yes, they really do come this far in to play and catch a meal or two.
There’s always something interesting to do or see in our area. Of course, you could always stay and lounge around the Beacher’s Lodge and enjoy the island life. There’s nothing wrong with that, but if you feel the need to get out and explore, this is a great place to start.