Lighthouse Guided Paddle Tour!

On the gray Atlantic edge of northeastern Florida, Anastasia State Park frames a shallow world of tidal creeks, sea grass flats and sandy barrier-island shoreline — the setting for the Lighthouse Guided Paddle Tour! This half-day outing starts at Anastasia Watersports -- 300 Anastasia Park Road, St. Augustine, FL, 32080, where guides fit you to a kayak, canoe, or paddleboard and run a brief safety talk before launching into quiet water. Expect roughly two hours of paddling through winding channels that open onto broad coastal views, then a two-hour on-land visit to the St.

Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. The route is equal parts natural history and close‑to‑home wildlife watching. Paddlers skim over eelgrass and oyster bars, pass salt marsh fingers and dunes, and often watch bottlenose dolphins arc offshore while herons, egrets and ospreys hunt along the edges.

Guides interpret the coastal ecology and regional maritime stories as you move, giving context to the maritime museum visit that follows. Admission to the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is included; visitors who meet the 44-inch height requirement can climb the tower and inspect exhibits that chart centuries of seafaring life along Florida’s first European settlement.

What makes this trip special is its blended rhythm: a quiet, kinetic paddle through living coastal habitats followed by the tactile history of a working lighthouse and museum. For St. Augustine visitors this package compresses two signature experiences into one seamless outing—no separate parking shuffle and no worrying about rentals.

The group size is kept small (about 10), so the guides tailor interpretation and safety instruction to the pace of the group. Practicalities matter: the full experience runs about four hours, wear closed-toed shoes for the lighthouse and bring sunscreen, a refillable water bottle, and a camera. Park entry fees aren’t included; sunscreen, snacks and water can be purchased on site.

A $5 dry bag rental is available for electronics and layers. Cancellations with 24 hours’ notice receive a full refund. This trip sits squarely in the coastal landscape of St.

Augustine and is ideal for families, pairs and solo travelers who want accessible outdoor time with interpretive leadership and a touch of maritime culture. It’s an efficient, low-impact way to understand the barrier-island system while connecting to the human stories that have shaped this coastline. Whether you came for the city’s colonial streets or the ocean, paddling here is a clear way to meet the natural and historical currents that run through northeastern Florida.

Meet at Anastasia Watersports to start — rentals, instruction, and museum admission are all bundled into the price, making this a straightforward half-day option for visitors who want a mix of nature, history, and easy coastal adventure and lasting memories.