The unseasonable warmth in north Florida may have holiday travelers worried the coast forgot about December, but don’t let the recent heat wave fool you: it’s still the holiday season on the Florida coast. If you’re planning a coastal trip to wrap up your 2015, consider stopping by St. Augustine to check out their annual Nights of Lights.
Lighting up the palm trees and coquina structures lining Florida’s historic coast, the St. Augustine Nights of Lights holiday event is currently underway. Going on now through January 31st, 2016, the event is a must-see for any traveler making their way to St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra, or any nearby beaches. Don’t take a local’s word for it, either: St. Augustine made National Geographic’s Top 10 list of places to see holiday lights.
While millions of lights are now the trademark of the big-and-bright holiday event, The St. Augustine tradition has rather modest beginnings. According to floridashistoriccoast.com, the Christmas spectacle traces its roots back to an early Spanish tradition of lighting a white candle and placing it in the window to celebrate the holiday season.
There are several ways you can enjoy the lights during your visit to St. Augustine, from taking a trolley tour to going all-out with a horse-drawn carriage ride down the historic corridors of the centuries-old city. If you’re on a budget, consider taking everything in on-foot by parking in the Historic District’s parking deck and making a loop: south on St. George Street until you get to the Plaza de la Constitución (Cathedral Place and St. George), taking in the lights around the historic square and Flagler College before heading east on Cathedral Place toward A1A. Then you’ll walk north – the historic district on your left with the inlet and the Bridge of Lions on your right – as you make your way back to Orange Street, where taking a left and heading west will run you right back to the Historic Parking Facility.
For more information on St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights, check out the following resources:
National Geographic: Top 10 Places to See Holiday Lights
Florida’s Historic Coast – Nights of Lights
