Vacation Rentals & Villas

Also known as the First Coast, the strip of Florida running from the Georgia State line down to Palm Coast is home to the largest city in Florida (Jacksonville) and the oldest city in the USA (St Augustine). Close to the Georgia line, there is a distinctive Southern feel to the region that - ironically – is not as noticeable in the central and southern regions of Florida. Vacation rentals available in this area range from modern coastal and inland developments to older more idiosyncratic properties dotted throughout the region. The length of the coast offers miles of white sandy beaches for walking, sunbathing, swimming and snorkeling, water sports, fishing and more. State parksand estuarine reserves dot the shoreline offering great bird watching, walking and riding thought miles of undeveloped trails.

Built around the banks of the St Johns River, Jacksonville is a large city with plenty to offer the visitor. The city centre does not offer much in the way for vacation rentals, being more hotel-based accommodation but there is plenty of holiday accommodation up and down the coast allowing visitors easy access to Jacksonville. Visitors to the city can enjoy shopping and dining at Jacksonville Landing and stroll along the Jacksonville Riverwalk. Water taxis operate to take passengers between the north and south banks. Museums, historic buildings and sites and art galleries dot the centre. A monthly open air art festival called ArtWalk occurs on the first Wednesday of each month. Attractions for kids in the area include Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, Shipwreck Island, (a water park, Adventure Landing (an amusement park) and Jungle Quest which offers climbing and zip line fun for kids of all ages.

St Augustine is famous as being the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the continental USA. Settled in 1565 by the Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, the area is unusually rich in hisort, with original buildings and forts still visible today. The city is famous for it colonial era buildings and 19th century architecture when it was developed as winter resort for wealthy families from the North by Henry Flagler in the 1880s. The St Augustine Alligator Farm founded in 1908 is a popular attraction, allowing visitors to get up close and personal with Florida's most famous native animal. The Fountain of Youth Archaeological park is a great way for families to learn more about the history of the area and the legend of the Fountain of Youth and Ponce de Leon who come to Florida in search of this legendary site. Various walking and tram tours operate throughout the city.

Vacation rentals in the St Augustine area range from holiday cottages in the heart of historic St Augustine to beachside condo rentals with pools. South of St Augustine in the Palm Coast area, there is good access to Daytona Beach and the Greater Orlando area. Marineland offers some unique dolphin encounter experiences including up close experiences, trainer for a day and deepwater diving with the dolphins. You can even purchase your very own piece of original dolphin-created artwork – watercolour of course!. Organised kayak and fishing tours in the estuary offer some great chances to catch some of Florida's best game fish. With I-95 running along the coast and Ocala National Forest and Orlando not too far away. The First Coast offers the opportunity to book a vacation rental in Florida's quieter and historic northeast coast without missing out on some of the more popular attractions in Central Florida.