Two Lighthouses, One Epic Day
Wowsa. What a day!
Not one lighthouse. Two.
We visited the St. Augustine Lighthouse in the early afternoon and then the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse in late afternoon. Both on Florida’s east coast. Both stunning. Both worth every step — and there were a lot of steps.
St. Augustine Lighthouse
St. Augustine Lighthouse
The St. Augustine Lighthouse is hard to miss. Black and white spiral stripes, red top. Beautiful against a blue Florida sky.
And we got to go to the top.
We made it!
219 steps. We counted. Well — we didn’t count, but someone did.
Looking down the spiral staircase from near the top. Stunning ironwork.
The staircase alone is worth the climb. Ornate black ironwork spiraling down and down.
The views from the top were great. Matanzas Bay on one side, the Atlantic on the other.
View from the top of St. Augustine Lighthouse.
Looking out from the top — St. Augustine and the waterway.
More Than Just the Tower
The grounds had plenty to explore. The lightkeeper’s house and assistant keeper’s house were both open — beautifully restored and decorated for Christmas.
The lightkeeper's house, dressed up for the holidays.
A Christmas tree made entirely of lighthouse figurines. Loved this!
And the maritime history throughout the complex was surprising. Shipwrecks. Rescue equipment. The stories of what happened off the US east coast in 1941–42 during WWII — the number of ships lost was staggering.
There was also a boat being built right on the property.
A wooden boat in progress on the lighthouse grounds. Beautiful craftsmanship.
A wooden boat, mid-build, under a tent. It’s part of the educational system to show young adults how to build wooden boats. It was wonderful.
Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse
After a quick break, we made our way south to Ponce Inlet — about an hour from St. Augustine — for the Ponce de Leon Lighthouse.
Ponce Inlet Lighthouse Museum — the tallest lighthouse in Florida.
Different lighthouse. Completely different feel.
Where St. Augustine is bold black-and-white graphic, Ponce de Leon is a deep, warm brick red. Tall. Elegant. Surrounded by palm trees and green lawn.
Ponce de Leon Lighthouse peeking through the palms.
And yes — we climbed this one too. 203 steps.
Looking up the spiral staircase inside Ponce de Leon Lighthouse.
The staircase here is all steel — grey and geometric, very different from St. Augustine’s ornate ironwork. Both are beautiful. Both make you grip the railing.
At the top — the Fresnel lens.
The Fresnel lens up close. Still in use today.
The views at the top were hazy — a soft fog had rolled in off the ocean. Made it feel almost dreamlike.
Misty views from the top of Ponce de Leon Lighthouse.
422 steps between the two of us. Worth every one.
Like St. Augustine, the grounds had history in every building — keeper’s quarters, oil storage houses, exhibits on lighthouse life. We could have spent twice as long. But were exhausted!
Two Lighthouses, One Day
We didn’t plan to do both in one day. It just worked out that way.
Glad it did.
Different colors. Different staircases. Different vibes. But the same feeling at the top — a little breathless, a lot grateful, and completely glad we made the climb.
If you’re ever on Florida’s east coast, don’t just drive past. Go up.
More stops on our US adventure to come!