Born and raised in Miami, Florida, I hate to admit that I had never been to St. Augustine. Just a 5 hour drive from home, one of the oldest cities in the United States, is such a great place to visit. During our new years trip to the mountain, we decided to stop in St. Augustine for a night and I was pleasantly surprised. I booked a beach cottage in Vilano, which is right over the bridge from St. Augustine. The Beachcomber Cottages on Vilano (link to the hotel’s website) are a hidden gem. A beautiful private beach, a charming little cottage, impeccable service and attention to detail, all just a 10 minute drive from historic downtown St. Augustine. It’s really the best of both worlds!
We stayed in the Sandpiper Suite, a beautiful room with every amenity you could ever need…. king size bed, dining table, fireplace, little kitchenette, coffee maker and an amazing bathroom. What I loved most about this place was the incredible attention to detail… our bathroom was stocked with plush bath towels (they might be even better than what I have at home), makeup wipes and even a black makeup towel.
Right outside our door was a little sitting area to enjoy your morning coffee while listening to the waves crash. Just a 2 minute walk down a private pathway from the back of the home led directly to the beach. Since we were only staying for 1 night, we decided to wake up extra early and enjoy the sunrise on the beach. Well instead of a beautiful sunrise, we had an extra thick layer of fog. Although it wasn’t the morning I was hoping for, there was something extra calming about the quiet, grey, foggy morning. There was not a single person in sight, just my family and the foggy beach.
After enjoying the beach for an hour or so, we were ready for breakfast. Beachcomber Cottages on Vilano offers 2 options, a breakfast basket delivered to your cottage at the time of your selection or breakfast at their other property, Bayfront Marin House in the heart of St. Augustine. We chose to head to Bayfront Marin House since we wanted to see a bit of the city anyway.
Before checking out we got to enjoy the rooftop deck for a little while. I was so sad that I didn’t have more time at our cottage. I’m still daydreaming about enjoying a breakfast basket on that rooftop deck overlooking the ocean. I think it’s the perfect excuse to return soon.
All in all, I highly recommend the Beachcomber Cottages on Vilano. You can visit St. Augustine, a beautiful city, all while enjoying a quite private beach. It really is the best of both worlds. I can’t wait to return, maybe on our school bus conversion, 2 Cool 4 Skool if they have parking for us.
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