A1A from Jacksonville to Daytona: forts, lighthouses and coquina

Route description

Leave Jacksonville on SR 105, Heckscher Drive, along the St. Johns River to Fort George Island, where Kingsley Plantation sits at the end of a narrow dirt road through the Timucuan Preserve. Then take the St. Johns River Ferry from Fort George Island to Mayport, a short crossing that keeps you on A1A; it carries cars and RVs, charges a higher fare for vehicles over 20 feet and runs every half hour during the day, but it has shut for weeks at a time for repairs, so check before you go.

South of Mayport, A1A runs through Atlantic, Neptune and Jacksonville Beach, then along the quieter shore at Ponte Vedra to St. Augustine, about 60 km. The oldest European-founded city in the continental US is best on foot: park in the historic-district garage and walk St. George Street, the Castillo and the bayfront. The streets are narrow and parking is tight for motorhomes, so leave larger rigs at a campground on Anastasia Island.

Cross the Bridge of Lions to Anastasia Island for the striped St. Augustine Lighthouse, then follow A1A south about 25 km to Fort Matanzas. The free boat to the little watchtower leaves from the visitor center, with boarding passes handed out on the day; there is no ferry on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Beyond Matanzas Inlet the road runs between ocean and river to Washington Oaks Gardens, where coquina boulders line the beach below the formal gardens.

Flagler Beach is a low-key town with a fishing pier, and here A1A runs right along the dunes; storms have damaged this stretch several times, so check for lane closures. Continue through Ormond Beach to Daytona Beach, about 200 km from Jacksonville in all. Two relaxed days are enough. Spring and autumn are pleasant, while Daytona’s race weeks in February and motorcycle rallies in March and October fill every campground.