Anastasia Island
The full barrier island — three beach communities, one geography · Spans 10 to 25 minutes from downtown St. Augustine
About the Neighborhood
Anastasia Island is the barrier island that forms the entire beach side of greater St. Augustine. It runs eighteen miles north to south, from the St. Augustine Inlet down to the Matanzas Inlet, with A1A as its spine. Three distinct beach communities sit along it — St. Augustine Beach at the center, Butler Beach below, and Crescent Beach toward the south — plus the Lighthouse / State Park preserve at the north end.
How the island is organized
Most guests come for a specific neighborhood (often St. Augustine Beach for the amenity density, or Crescent Beach for the quiet), but the island as a whole is small enough to use as a single base — twenty minutes by car gets you from the Lighthouse at the north end to Matanzas Inlet at the south.
Anchors and attractions
Anastasia State Park covers more than 1,600 acres on the northern end, with four miles of beach, a tidal marsh, and a campground. The St. Augustine Lighthouse, climbable, sits at the north end immediately south of the inlet. The St. Augustine Beach Pier anchors the central commercial cluster. At the southern end, Matanzas Inlet and the historic Fort Matanzas National Monument (across the water on Rattlesnake Island) are popular for fishing and beach walking.
Why guests choose Anastasia Island generally
Density of options without leaving the geography. From an Anastasia Island base, downtown St. Augustine is ten to twenty minutes by car (across the Bridge of Lions); the Lighthouse is on the island itself; State Park beaches are walkable from much of St. Augustine Beach; and Crescent Beach offers a quieter southern alternative when the central beach feels too busy. The island has more rentable options than any other coastal segment in St. Johns County.
The sub-neighborhoods
See St. Augustine Beach for the central commercial and family hub, Butler Beach for a quiet residential alternative immediately south, and Crescent Beach for the wider-sand south end. North across the inlet sits Vilano Beach on a separate barrier island.
Buildings in This Neighborhood
Nearby Amenities
- Anastasia State Park
- St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum
- St. Augustine Beach Pier
- Matanzas Inlet
- Bridge of Lions to historic downtown
- Salt Run and Conch Island paddleboarding
- 10 to 25 minutes to downtown attractions, depending on which end
Location
Things to Do Nearby
From the St. Augustine Tourism Guide:
Nearby Neighborhoods
For Property Owners
Anastasia Island is the umbrella geography for the majority of
First Choice Florida's inventory. Guests who book here aren't always
shopping for a specific neighborhood — many search "Anastasia
Island" or "St. Augustine area" and decide between buildings on
amenities, photos, and price rather than micro-location. Owners on
any of the island's beaches benefit from the broader island brand
while differentiating on neighborhood character. For two
oceanfront-mid-island buildings (The Preserve, Anastasia Oaks) the
area term sits at this level rather than at any of the
sub-neighborhoods.
Anastasia Island is the geographic core of First Choice Florida's
inventory. Whether you own at the Lighthouse end, on St. Augustine
Beach proper, or anywhere south along the island, we'd be glad to
walk through the management conversation honestly.