Jacksonville travel guide for British visitors — Atlantic beaches, craft breweries, nature preserves, and Florida's biggest (and most underrated) city.
It isn't a theme-park or nightlife destination. It suits visitors who want a working Florida city as a base for beaches, history and wildlife: St. Augustine is under an hour south, Amelia Island half an hour north, and the Jaguars' home games bring a steady stream of NFL fans. It's also the natural first or last stop on a road trip down the Atlantic coast from Georgia and the Carolinas.
Jacksonville's beaches stretch along a barrier island on the Atlantic coast, about 20-30 minutes east of downtown.
The main beach town. A proper community with surf shops, restaurants, a pier, and a relaxed coastal vibe. The beach is wide, public, and rarely as crowded as South Florida beaches.
Quieter and more residential. The Town Center has excellent restaurants and a Saturday farmers' market. The beach itself is quieter and good for surfing.
Sandwiched between Jacksonville Beach and Atlantic Beach. The smallest and most laid-back of the three. Pete's Bar is one of the oldest bars in Florida — a locals-only dive that somehow sells excellent cheap beer.
About 30 miles north of Jacksonville. A barrier island with a charming downtown (Fernandina Beach), excellent shrimping heritage, Fort Clinch State Park (a well-preserved Civil War-era fort), and some of the most beautiful beaches on the Eastern Seaboard. Less crowded and more upscale than the Jacksonville beaches.
Downtown Jax has undergone significant revitalisation:
Jacksonville's biggest surprise for visitors is its natural landscape. The city preserves vast areas of coastal and river ecology.
46,000 acres of wetlands, islands, waterways, and historic sites — one of the last unspoiled coastal wetlands on the US Atlantic coast. Managed by the National Park Service:
Dramatic shoreline with "boneyard beach" — dead, sun-bleached trees standing in the surf. One of the most photogenic beaches in Florida and completely free of commercial development.
A pristine barrier island with undeveloped beaches, nature trails, and excellent birdwatching. Camping available for the adventurous.
A sanctuary for big cats (lions, tigers, leopards) rescued from private ownership and roadside attractions. Night feeding tours are spectacular. Not a zoo — a genuine rescue operation.
Jacksonville has one of Florida's best craft beer scenes:
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