Scenic A1A Byway Self Guided Driving Audio Tour
Description
Embark on an unforgettable journey along Florida's A1A Scenic Highway with this self-guided driving tour. You’ll start in Jacksonville Beach and end at Fort Matanzas, just south of Saint Augustine. Along the way, get ready for expansive white sand beaches, historic architecture, and so much more. As you drive, you’ll hear fascinating audio stories about flora, fauna, and Florida’s history, from its days as the Winter Film Capital to a devastating fire that nearly destroyed Saint Augustine. This driving tour of A1A is the best way to make the most of your scenic drive! After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, as many times as you want. This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.
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Itinerary
It’s dotted with beautiful beaches. The first one we can visit isn’t far: Mickler’s Landing, coming up soon on the left. There’s surfing, seashells, and shark teeth! Note: The tour is over 44 miles long, with more than 38 audio stories, and takes about 2-3 hours to complete. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
Why is a former jail so pretty? Well, financier Henry Flagler didn’t want any ugly buildings in St. Augustine. So the old jail was built to look like a Victorian manor!
The Spanish Governor decided to do something about it. He ordered the construction of the fort, which began in 1672. It took a whopping 23 years to build!
It’s dotted with beautiful beaches. The first one we can visit isn’t far: Mickler’s Landing, coming up soon on the left. There’s surfing, seashells, and shark teeth!
Whew, that’s quite a mouthful! Let’s just call it the Guana Reserve, like the locals do. Scientists come from all over the world to study the animals and plants in this expansive estuary.
The ocean flowed into other parts of the Timucua lives. They understood the moon to be a symbol of water. Since water was associated with life, the Timucua saw the moon as the goddess of all mothers. And because water held such an important place in Timucuan society, that meant mothers did too! Family lines were traced matrilineally through mothers rather than fathers.
We’re approaching the city of St. Augustine. Founded in 1565 by Spanish admiral Pedro Menendez de Aviles, St. Augustine is the oldest city in the United States. Yes, even older than Jamestown! But, arr me mateys, did ya know that St. Augustine was once where pirates hunted for gold?
When you see the big stone house on the right, look for the parking lot just beyond and turn in if you’d like to visit.
We’re cruising through the community of Vilano Beach, home to a very peculiar landmark. Here, we’ll find the Bluebird of Happiness!
Unsurprisingly, locals say the Old Jail is haunted. Guests often feel a cold, clammy hand rest on their shoulders. Some have smelled the foul stench of sewage even though none was found on site. Creepy!
When engineers and stone masons arrived from Spain, they didn’t know how to build a fort out of the rocks found on this coast. The coquina stones were porous and the Spanish didn’t know how well they’d hold up against a cannonball. So just to be safe, they built the walls almost 20 feet thick!
Former St. Augustine mayor Andrew Anderson donated the lions, who are named Fiel and Firme, or Faithful and Firm. They’re an homage to the city’s founder, Pedro Menendez de Aviles. His coat of arms bore two lions!
The current one dates back to 1871, but earlier iterations have stood on this spot since 1589! Lighthouse keepers have kept watch here for hundreds of years… and in some cases, they never left.
Besides offering some splendid scenery, this park is also a positively fabulous place for birdwatching. It’s home to 195 different species of birds! For context, that’s almost a quarter of all bird species in the United States! While the park is home to some common bird species like robins and herons, it also sees a few found nowhere else in the country.
Named for its sweeping coastline that forms the shape of a crescent moon, this beach is known for its “old Florida vibe.” And if you visit between May and October, you might see a few nesting sea turtles!
In 1740, the Governor of Georgia, a British colony, decided to make a play for St. Augustine, a Spanish one. Luckily, the St. Augustine mayor had a feeling that the Brits were up to no good. So he sent a courier to Havana to get some supplies.
Now, Matanzas is a Spanish word that translates to “killings” or “slaughter.” So why does such a beautiful river have such a violent name? It dates back to 1565, when this river ran red with blood. Here’s what happened:
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
- Private tour: Explore in your own vehicle without crowded buses or large tour groups.
- At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.
- Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.
- Good value: One purchase covers everyone in your vehicle, not each person separately.
- More ways to save: Choose a single tour, a nearby bundle, or access to 200+ tours.
- Download in advance: Download the Tour Guide app by Action and tour while connected to Wi-Fi or a strong cellular signal.
- Follow the route: Begin at the suggested starting point or join anywhere along the route shown in the app.
- Lifetime access: Preview the tour before your trip and revisit the stories, photos, and details afterward.
- Supported devices: iPhone with iOS 15+, Android with version 9+, or a GPS-enabled iPad/tablet with cellular capability.
Reviews(13)
I really enjoyed the information shared, but picking up where we were when we stopped to look at places got a little confusing and chaotic.
Nancy, I’m so glad you enjoyed my Scenic A1A Byway GPS Driving Audio Tour and found the information valuable. I’m sorry to hear that resuming the tour after stopping to explore was confusing. Could you let me know where this happened and what felt chaotic about rejoining the tour? Please feel free to reach out to me directly — I’m available daily from 9 AM–6 PM EST.
Many interesting stories were told while using this app. The directions were very good unless you left the tour & then tried to find the point where you left it. This, however was probably user error. We did enjoy it.
Jane, I’m glad to hear that my Scenic A1A Byway GPS Driving Audio Tour kept you engaged with interesting stories and clear directions. I appreciate you mentioning the navigation after leaving the route. That can sometimes be tricky, but following the suggested route helps keep everything in sync. I’m glad you were still able to enjoy the experience overall. If you’re planning more self-guided Florida adventures, my Florida Bundle includes Key West, Miami, and the Everglades. Happy exploring!
We love these self driving tours they are so knowledgeable and fun. We discover so many things we would have missed without these tours
Roger, I am thrilled you enjoyed my Scenic A1A Byway driving audio tour. Love hearing that it was fun, packed with good info, and helped you spot places you might’ve driven right past, that’s precisely the experience I want for this route. Thanks for sharing. If you’re planning more self-guided Florida adventures, my Florida Bundle includes Key West, Miami, and the Everglades. Happy exploring!
Easy to understand directions. I loved the self-paced aspect! We stopped and had lunch in the middle
Lauri, I’m so glad to hear that you loved my Scenic A1A Byway Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour. It’s great that you found the directions easy to follow and enjoyed the freedom to explore at your own pace. If you're up for more self-guided adventures, check out my Florida Bundle, featuring Key West, Miami, and the Everglades. Happy exploring!
It was very enjoyable for us. My husband has mobility issues and unable to go to beach. We enjoyed riding and looking at sites along the way.
Cathy, I’m so glad to hear that you and your husband enjoyed my Scenic A1A Byway tour. It’s terrific that the tour allowed you to explore and enjoy the sights at your own pace. If you want more adventures, consider my Ultimate Florida Audio Tour Bundle, which features tours of the Florida Keys, Everglades National Park, Big Cypress, Miami City, and St. Augustine. It's perfect for exploring Florida at your own pace!
This self-guided tour took a couple of minutes for me to get oriented on the beginning, but once I figured it out, it was a really cool experience.
Shannon, I’m so glad you enjoyed your Saturday drive with my Scenic A1A Byway Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour. Once you got oriented, I’m happy to hear it became a truly cool experience. If you want more adventures, consider my Ultimate Florida Audio Tour Bundle, which features tours of the Florida Keys, Everglades National Park, Big Cypress, Miami City, and St. Augustine. It's perfect for exploring Florida at your own pace!
I thought we had to back track from our North Beach campground to start the tour, but upon hitting the closest marker, we learned that you can start anywhere 🙄 Once we got the hang of it, we really enjoyed the journey! Lots of great info, although I would have appreciated an earlier intro to the location, so that by the time we got there, we had a good understanding and could decide whether to turn off or keep going! Altogether, I would purchase this app again 🥳
Heather, I’m so glad you enjoyed my Scenic A1A Byway Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour. It’s great that the journey became smooth and informative once you got the hang of it. Following the speed limit ensures that directions and stories trigger at the right time, and starting from the designated starting point is essential. If you're up for more self-guided adventures, check out my Florida Bundle, featuring Key West, Miami, and the Everglades. Happy exploring!
It was wonderful!! I absolutely loved it!!! First time doing this and I will certainly do it again!!
Ashley, I’m thrilled to hear that you enjoyed my Scenic A1A Byway Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour. It’s wonderful that your first experience turned out so well. If you want more adventures, consider my Ultimate Florida Audio Tour Bundle, which features tours of the Florida Keys, Everglades National Park, Big Cypress, Miami City, and St. Augustine. It's ideal for exploring Florida at your leisure!
Easy to follow tour. Interesting stories. Fun way to spend a cloudy day. I liked that you could stop and start at your leisure and the tour would just resume again where you left off.
Maureen, I’m so glad my Scenic A1A Byway Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour made your day enjoyable. I love the flexibility to stop and pick up where you left off, which added to your experience. If you're up for more adventures, my Ultimate Florida Bundle has toured from the Florida Keys to the Everglades, all crafted for the same convenience and fun!
Overall it was a very good. A lot of interesting facts we did not know. To make it even better there could be more East Coast history during the current silent times. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for something to do for a few hours.
Jeff, I'm glad you enjoyed my Scenic A1A Byway Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour. I’m happy to hear you found the facts interesting, and I will consider your suggestion for more East Coast history in future updates. If you want more, check out my Ultimate Florida Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour Bundle, featuring the Florida Keys, Everglades, Miami, and more!
