Stays within walking distance of the Colonial Quarter

If colonial living history is the reason you're coming, the case for staying downtown is simple: the Castillo, the Colonial Quarter, and the Oldest Wooden School House are all walking activities. Guests who stay on St. George or Cuna Street tend to visit the Castillo twice, once in the morning for the cannon demonstration and once at dusk when the crowds thin and the light comes off the bay. You can't do that from a car.

We manage five properties in this part of the city: one on St. George Street itself and four in the Pomar House on Cuna Street, one block over. They're all within a few minutes' walk of the Colonial Quarter.

The suite on St. George Street

Historic St. Augustine Balcony Suite with Parking is a one-bedroom apartment for two on St. George Street, with the Oldest Wooden School House and the City Gates practically at the door. The Colonial Quarter sits on the same pedestrian street a short stroll away. You step out of the building and you're already in the part of town you came to see.

The balcony is the point. It's a private one overlooking St. George Street: you hear the live music drifting up and watch the street empty out at night. Inside there's a king bed, a smart TV, and an oversized desk set against the window. There's a mini fridge, and we leave coffee and snacks.

Two practical things decide this one for some people and against it for others. The suite is on the second floor, reached by stairs, with no lift. And parking downtown is the recurring headache of a St. Augustine trip, which is why a parking permit comes with the unit, good for the Tolomato lot at 7 Cordova Street. You park once and leave the car there. Sixty-seven reviews and an average just shy of a perfect ten.

The Pomar House on Cuna Street

Cuna Street runs parallel to St. George and a touch calmer. The Pomar House sits on it, with four suites across the building. The reason to choose Cuna over St. George is sleep: St. George is the busiest pedestrian artery in the old city, which is wonderful at seven in the evening and less wonderful if you're a light sleeper. From Cuna you're still walking to the Plaza, to St. George, to dinner. You're just not above it.

The Modern Rose is on the ground floor of the building. Mention you're staying upstairs and you get a complimentary coffee with any food order, which shapes how your mornings go.

Historic St. Augustine Balcony Apartment — Suite One. The two-bedroom in the house: a king in the main bedroom, a queen in the second, sleeps four. If you're two couples or a family that needs a proper second room, this is the one. One bathroom shared between the two rooms, so plan accordingly.

Cozy St. Augustine Apartment: Perfect for Couples — Suite Two. A renovated Spanish-style one-bedroom for two, king bed, kitchenette with a microwave and coffee maker, and a washer and dryer in the unit, which matters more on a four-night trip than people expect.

St. Augustine Apartment: Walk to Historic Sites! — Suite Three. One bedroom with a king, plus a sofa bed in the main room, sleeps three. A good fit for a couple travelling with one other person.

Night of Lights HQ — Suite Four. Also sleeps three, king bed and a sofa bed, and the name tells you something about how it books during the holiday season. If you're coming for Nights of Lights, this one fills early.

All four Pomar suites are on the second floor up stairs, and none has dedicated long-term parking. The city garage at 1 Cordova Street is two blocks off, and you can use the driveway to unload.

How to plan the history itself

The colonial sites cluster at the north end of the old town, which is exactly where these five properties are. The Colonial Quarter covers four periods, from the sixteenth-century Spanish first city through to the eighteenth-century British colony. You can climb the watchtower and eat inside the museum at the Bull and Crown or Taberna del Caballo. The Castillo is a few minutes' walk north; admission is fifteen dollars for anyone sixteen and over and the ticket is good for a week, which is the detail most visitors miss. Children under sixteen go free.

Fort Matanzas is the half-day. It's about fourteen miles down A1A, and you cannot drive to the fort: a passenger boat runs from the visitor centre dock and the crossing takes around ten minutes. The ferry doesn't operate every day of the week, so check the park service schedule the morning you plan to go.

A reasonable rhythm for two nights: Colonial Quarter and the Castillo on foot the first full day, the Oldest Wooden School House and the galleries along St. George in between, then the drive south to Fort Matanzas on the second morning while the downtown streets are still filling up.

Before you book

• Stairs. Every property here is a second-floor walk-up. If that's a problem, tell us before you book, not after.
• Parking. Only the St. George suite includes a permit. The Pomar suites use the city garage two blocks away, subject to availability.
• Sleeping three or four. Suites Three and Four sleep three; Suite One sleeps four. The St. George suite and Suite Two are set up for two.
• Dates. Availability and rates move a lot between the quiet months and Nights of Lights season. Book direct and call us if the calendar looks tight; we can often tell you which unit is about to open up.

We've been managing homes in this city for over twenty years, all of it locally owned and independently run, with someone reachable around the clock while you're here. Book direct, tell us what you actually want to see, and we'll point you at the right door.