Kayaking in St Augustine might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you’re planning a visit or thinking about what to do on the weekend. We have some pretty incredible paddling spots though, and I’d be lying if I said that I hadn’t gone through the whole process of becoming a permitted kayak guide at one point. Whether you’re brand new to kayaking or you want a challenging endurance paddle, we have some great suggestions for kayaking in and around St Augustine.
If you have have questions about where to launch or need more details about any of the kayaking spots we cover, please let us know. Leave a comment or send us a note, and we’ll go out and research if we don’t have immediate information. Kayaking in St Augustine is really cool, and I know it’s going to become your favorite activity here!
Kayaking in Downtown St Augustine
Being a waterfront town means that there are lots of boats going by at all times, sometimes they’re big and sometimes they’re small kayaks. There are a few ways you can paddle the St Augustine waterfront and I have to say, it’s one of the most unique places in Florida to go kayaking. Just one more thing making out city special.
Vilano Boat Ramp
When I’m going kayaking with friends and they want to see downtown St Augustine from the water, the Vilano Boat Ramp is my top pick for where to launch. It’s an easy paddle out from the ramp to the edge of St Augustine Bay and then on the back side of the sand bar through Hospital Creek. You can check out the tiny islands and even get out on a few of them before continuing along to the seawall in front of the Castillo de San Marcos.
Kayaking in front of the fort is what most visitors ask about when they inquire about kayaking in St Augustine. Yes, it’s neat and for sure unique, but if you’re close to the seawall you can’t really see the Castillo. I recommend paddling about 20 yards off the fort so you can both enjoy the view and maybe have some fun dolphin interactions.
San Sebastian River
Another way you can go kayaking in downtown St Augustine is by starting over on the San Sebastian River. Launching from one of the marinas (listed below) you can paddle south and then make a left onto the Matanzas River. This will guide you past the larger St Augustine Municipal Marina and to the Bridge of Lions where you’ll then be able to kayak all along the sea wall. You can even pull up to the Castillo in the old dingy port and take a little break there if you like.
- Oasis Boat Marina
- River’s Edge Marina
- English Landing Marina (Marina Munch food truck park)
You can also launch from the Doug Crane Boat Ramp and paddle with the tide towards downtown, but this is a longer paddle than you might be hoping for. It’s great though because this is a fantastic area to launch and watch for dolphins, manatee and roseate spoonbills.
St Augustine Kayaking with Historic Sites
I know that kayaking in downtown St Augustine is nifty and you’ll get to see our beautiful, historic waterfront and fort, but there are more historic places you can kayak if you like. I mean, you can’t go anywhere around town without coming across something historic, but we’ve got some places we love to kayak that have really special sights to see.
Salt Run and the St Augustine Lighthouse
If I had a nickel for every time I’ve gone kayaking at the St Augustine Lighthouse I’d have more than a dollar. Launching from the Lighthouse Boat Ramp is one of my favorite places for kayaking, and I bring visitors here all the time. It’s an easy paddle with plenty of parking. You can launch your kayaks or SUPs from the sand or from the concrete ramp. There is a dock as well, which I like to pull my SUP onto when I deflate it.
Besides seeing the lighthouse towering over you as you launch, what’s the draw of kayaking at Salt Run? Easy: wildlife. Salt Run is the body of water that starts at St Augustine Bay and stretches into Anastasia State Park. There are a few homes along Salt Run, but for the most part it is undeveloped and absolutely teeming with creatures. This is a great place to see juvenile sea turtles, there are always dolphins, we’ve seen countless manatees, sharks of different types, roseate spoonbills and much more.
Kayaking at Fort Matanzas
While the Castillo de San Marcos is the most famous fort here in St Augustine, it’s not the only one, let alone the only one you can enjoy kayaking at. Fort Matanzas National Monument at the south end of Anastasia Island is really cool, and I think one of the most overlooked sites in our town. To paddle to Fort Matanzas and the surrounding area, you’ve got a few options.
- launch from the beach at Fort Matanzas National Monument on the Intracoastal side (you’ll need to portage to the sand)
- launch from the 206 Bridge (below the bridge) and paddle with the tide southward. I do this with friends and we leave one vehicle at the start and one at the finish.
When kayaking at For Matanzas, there is plenty of wildlife to watch for, particularly dolphins and sea turtles. They love this area where the Matanzas Inlet joins the Intracoastal Waterway, so there’s always something to see. When it comes to the fort itself, the public is prohibited from going ashore at the fort and entering the direct Fort Matanzas area. You can go ashore on the beach to the south and all along the Inlet, just don’t try to go to the fort structure.
If you want to visit the fort and actually tour it, you need to do this as a part of a group tour which is free. Head to the Fort Matanzas National Monument visitor center early on the day you want to tour to secure your timeslot for the passenger ferry to the fort.
How to Kayak at the Castillo de San Marcos
I know I already talked about kayaking in downtown St Augustine and how this includes the Castillo de San Marcos, but there’s a bit more to know about it. Being an historic site and being nationally protected for its preservation, you can’t just kayak up to the fort and climb the walls. When you’re kayaking at the Castillo de San Marcos, there is a designated place that you can pull your kayak into. The steps up from here are very slippery, so exiting ashore is at your own risk. Also, there are not cleats to tie up your vessel, so be mindful that it doesn’t get swept out to sea.
When you’re kayaking at the Castillo, be sure that you’re paying attention to any communication from the National Park Rangers. There are times that they do cannon demonstrations and although they aren’t firing actual cannonballs, they still require a safety clearance in front of the fort. And if the rangers give you other directions for any other reason, this is a federal zone and you need to follow their instructions.
NOTE: our city is OLD and this means that there are artifacts everywhere. If you’re at the Castillo and you see something metal or broken pottery or something poking out of one of the walls or the ground, leave it and get a ranger. That’s the National Parks Service policy so they can preserve it and catalogue it.
Nature Kayaking around St Augustine
I know our historic sites and downtown are pretty, but we have some really beautiful natural areas all around St Augustine that are perfect for kayaking too! You don’t have to go far to get to paddle with wildlife and WITHOUT motorized boats. We’ve actually got some very easily accessible kayaking spots that are great for experienced or novice kayakers.
Butler Park to Moses Creek
For a long time this was my neighborhood kayak launch, but then we moved and now I miss it so much. Butler Park West has a wonderful kayak launch that gets you right out to the Intracoastal Waterway or gives you the option to stay in the sheltered areas along the passage. There is a canal just south of Butler Park that goes past the Treasure Beach neighborhood before putting you out at the main thru-way of the Intracoastal which isn’t difficult to cross.
Once you cross safely, the west side of the Intracoastal Waterway is amazing to explore. There is an area that every spring acts as a stingray nursery, there are grassy islands where the manatees feed at high tide, there’s an incredible roseate spoonbill rookery tree… When you’ve cross the waterway, you can either head a little further south and continue up Moses Creek, which is brackish so also has alligators, or to the north where you’ll have amazing birdwatching.
This whole area is wonderful for seeing dolphins, sharks and turtles. I really enjoy paddling here before sunrise and being across the Intracoastal just as the sun comes up. It’s such a beautiful place for kayaking in St Augustine.
Faver-Dykes State Park
Located at the south end of St Augustine where Highway 1 meets I-95, Faver-Dykes State Park is truly a unique place to paddle. Kayaking here is exploring a slice of Old Florida. Stilt homes and rivers of grass make this a beautiful, vintage sort of paddle. Launching from the State Park, you can paddle up stream as Pellicer Creek makes a slow zigzag through the grass. The birdwatching is epic here, and if you pay attention, you’ll see alligators and even river otters. It’s dreamy!
If you’re a newer kayaker, before you set out to paddle up Pellicer Creek, check the tide tables. Because the creek is connected to the Intracoastal Waterway which is connected to the ocean, the tide impacts how fast the creek flows out. If you can paddle upstream at the end of the incoming tide and then turn around to paddle back downstream when the tide has started going out, you’ll have a very easy paddle.
Guana River at the GTM Research Reserve
We love spending time at the GTM Research Reserve, from the amazing beaches to the hiking trails through the hammock and coastal savannah, but there is also kayaking here. There’s a great boat launch from the Guana Dam area right by the education center. This puts you into the Guana River which flows down to the Tolomato River. Here you’ll see alligators, manatees, sometimes dolphins and lots of awesome birds. This is a part of the Intracoastal Waterway that is easy to overlook.
Something really cool about kayaking in this part of St Augustine is that in the fall, this is where you can kayak with bioluminescent comb jellies. Going out at sunset and not even having to paddle far, you can set out with a kayak and a jar or bucket to experience bioluminescence with the jellyfish that make their way upriver. It’s one of the most unique kayaking adventures in our area.
St Augustine Kayaking Tours
Depending on what you want to experience, you have quite a few options for booking kayaking tours in St Augustine. You can go for the downtown paddle to learn some history and maybe see some dolphins, or you can do the Instagrammable clear kayaks. You can go on a wildlife adventure or have a guided paddle through the calm waters of Salt Run. Take your pick!
There are a few kayaking guides that do tours downtown. I really like going out with St Augustine Eco Tours. They give a great historic and ecological tour of the waterfront and up Medicine Creek. This is a good kayaking tour to do with kids because there’s usually a fair amount of wildlife and you get to see our beautiful fort from a cool perspective.
Another cool kayaking tour in St Augustine is through Get Up and Go, who does clear kayaking. They depart from the Vilano Boat Ramp and explore some of the islands, sand bars and a portion of the Tolomato River. Pretty cool activity!
Here are some options for kayaking tours to choose from all around St Augustine:
- St Augustine Eco Tours – from Municipal Marina along waterfront to the marsh
- Get Up and Go Clear Kayaking – from Vilano Boat Ramp
- Geotrippin’ Wildlife Kayaking on the Intracoastal – from Cubbage Road / 206 bridge
- Three Brother St Augustine Kayaking – from the Lighthouse Boat Ramp (SUP tours also available)
There are lots more spots for kayaking around St Augustine and heading inland towards the springs, but these picks are all right around town and are very easy if you have your own gear or want to do a tour. If you have any questions about our favorite kayaking spots or need additional suggestions, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more!
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