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Northeast Florida

The northeast corner of Florida is a jumble of farmland, forests and pasture, urban sprawl and college towns, built-up beaches and bucolic sea islands. You'll find spots like Amelia Island – a natural escape for the country-club crowd – a mere hour's drive north from Jacksonville, one of the most spread out, sprawling cities in the country. Hit the road for a little more and you're in Gainesville, peppered with fair-trade coffee shops and craft cocktail bars (and, to be fair, a raucous fraternity-friendly party scene).

St Augustine, the oldest continuously occupied city in the US, has something for everyone – history, architecture, culture, a gamut of excellent dining and plenty of kid-friendly tourist schmaltz. Further south, you'll find odd-duck antique-laden small towns and (hey, it's Florida) more miles of soft, sandy beach.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Northeast Florida.

  • See

    Daytona International Speedway

    The Holy Grail of raceways has a diverse race schedule. Ticket prices skyrocket for good seats at big races, headlined by the Daytona 500 in February. It's worth wandering the massive stands for free on non-race days. First-come, first-served tram tours take in the track, pits and behind-the-scenes areas, while all-access tours give you a glimpse of media rooms and pit stalls. The 30-minute Speedway Tour (adult/child $23/13; 11:30am, 1pm, 2pm and 3:30pm) covers the basics. Die-hard rev heads may wish to up the ante with the hour-long All Access Tour (adult/child $26/20; hourly 9:30am to 3:30pm) or three-hour VIP Tour ($55; 1pm Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday); the last covers everything NASCAR from the comfort of an air-conditioned coach. Real fanatics can indulge in the NASCAR Racing Experience, where you can either ride shotgun around the track or take a day to become the driver.

  • See

    Lightner Museum

    Henry Flagler's former Hotel Alcazar is home to this wonderful museum with a little bit of everything, from ornate Gilded Age furnishings to collections of marbles and cigar-box labels. The dramatic and imposing building itself is a must-see, dating back to 1887 and designed in the Spanish Renaissance Revival style by New York City architects Carrère & Hastings.

  • See

    Villa Zorayda Museum

    Looking like a faux Spanish castle from a medieval theme park, this gray edifice was built out of a mix of concrete and local coquina shells in 1883. The structure was the fantasy (and maybe fever dream) of an eccentric millionaire who was obsessed with Spain's 12th-century Alhambra Palace. Today, it's an odd but engaging museum. The Moorish-style atrium and rooms contain quirky antiques, archaeological pieces and other artifacts: highlights being a 2400-year-old mummy's foot and an Egyptian 'Sacred Cat Rug.'

  • See

    Castillo de San Marcos National Monument

    This photogenic fort is an atmospheric monument to longevity: it's the country's oldest masonry fort, completed by the Spanish in 1695. In its time, the fort has been besieged twice and changed hands between nations six times – from Spain to Britain to Spain Part II to the USA to the Confederate States of America to the USA again. Park rangers lead programs hourly and shoot off cannons most weekends. There is a parking lot on site, but blink your eye and it will be filled up.

  • See

    De Leon Springs State Park

    Fifteen minutes north of town, these natural springs flow into the 18,000-acre Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge and were used by Native Americans 6000 years ago. Today they're a popular developed swimming area that's great for kids. Water-equipment rentals and boat tours are available: inquire at the park office. Experienced hikers can attack the robust, blue-blaze 4.2-mile Wild Persimmon Trail, meandering through oak hammocks, floodplains and open fields.

  • See

    Silver Springs State Park

    This state park was once an amusement park – glass-bottomed boats were invented here in 1878 to show visitors the natural springs and stunningly clear waters of the Silver River. Although the amusement side of things closed in 2013, the natural beauty and the boat tours (adult/child $11/10) over Mammoth Spring remain. The spring is the world's largest artesian limestone spring, gushing 550 million gallons of 99.8%-pure spring water per day.

  • See

    Southeast Museum of Photography

    We love this hidden treasure in Daytona, a service of the Daytona State College: it's the only museum in Florida dedicated solely to photography. This vibrant modern gallery with excellent lighting and facilities doesn't shy away from provocative subjects in its rotating exhibitions. Best of all, it's free (though donations are welcome)!

  • See

    Big Talbot Island State Park

    Deposit your fee in the blue envelope and pull into the lone parking lot at this stark but lovely park. Take your camera on the short trail to Boneyard Beach, where salt-washed skeletons of live oak and cedar trees litter the white sand, framed by a 20ft bluff of eroded coastline. Magical.

  • See

    Little Talbot Island State Park

    This pristine island (which despite the name is almost the same size as Big Talbot Island) has 5 miles of unspoiled beaches, river otters, marsh rabbits, bobcats and grand tidal fishing for mullet and sheepshead. Camping available.