Jacksonville, Florida is a wonderful destination that has the countless restaurants and activities that a big city has to offer while also providing you with the beach vacation vibes closer to the ocean. I currently live in Jacksonville, Florida and have had fun exploring the city. Keep reading for a little guide with information on what to do on your trip to Jacksonville.
Sun bathe at the beach
What is a trip to Florida without some time in the sand and sun? Jacksonville is a popular public beach with a big public parking lot. Further down the coastline is Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach. Neptune Beach is my favorite and has a cute district with shops and restaurants to enjoy. For Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach, you can find free parking on the side roads leading to the beach.
Try a new cafe or restaurant
This big city has countless amazing coffee shops and restaurants. Some popular coffee shops include BREW, Foxtail Coffee Co., Twisted Compass, Southern Grounds & Co., and Vagabond Coffee. If you are specifically looking for fruit bowls or smoothies, check out Juicebox, The Jungle Bowl, Juice Tap, or Nekter Juice Bar.
Now, to the restaurants… I know everybody can point out which chain restaurants interest them, so I will just mention some local favorites. Dockside Seafood and Salt Life Food Shack are two American restaurants that will make you feel like you are on vacation in Florida. Hoptinger is a popular place if you are looking for burgers or bar food. Cantina Louie is a delicious Mexican restaurant with amazing Taco Tuesday and Happy Hour deals. Lastly, Hawkers is an electric restaurant that serves Asian street food. Of course, these are just a couple recommendations to get you started!
Go to a sports game
Jacksonville is a great destination for sports lovers! If you are ready to attend an NFL football game, head to The EverBank Stadium to see the Jacksonville Jaguars play. Want someone to take you out to a ball game? The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp is the baseball team located in Jacksonville. If you want to watch a hockey game, the Jacksonville Icemen are stationed here as well. These are the three popular sports teams, but of course, there are still other smaller teams as well!
Go shopping at St. Johns Town Center
If you are looking for a fun day of shopping, St. Johns Town Center is a giant outlet mall. Check out their website to see what stores they have to offer.
Take a day trip to St. Augustine
St. Augustine is about a 45-minute drive from Jacksonville and is a beautiful town to explore. It is the oldest city in the U.S. and offers history, beaches, spectacular restaurants, and memorable activities and tours. Keep an eye out for my upcoming blog post on St. Augustine!
Hike some trails
If you are looking to get active while in Jacksonville, there are plenty of spots to go on long walks. Of course, the beach is always a wonderful place to go for a long walk. If you are looking for hiking trails, there is a beautiful place called Spanish Pond Trails. The picture above was taken at Spanish Pond Trails. This trail is about 2 miles and takes you to a marshy outlook with plenty of wildlife. Also, if you want to walk through botanical gardens, you can enter Jacksonville Arboretum & Botanical Gardens for $3.
Enjoy the night life in Jax Beach
Although there are bars scattered around Jacksonville, I would like to highlight the bars in Jacksonville Beach. Some of my favorite places to bar hop in Jax Beach are Tavern on 1st Street, Lynch’s Irish Pub, Surfer [The Bar], The Ritz, and Mango’s Beach Bar. If you are wanting a drink while by the beach, I suggest going to Lemon Bar. They have great happy hour deals. Trust me, Jax Beach is the place to be!
Find the art market
There is a large farmers market under the bridge on Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. It is called the Riverside Arts Market. Come here to browse the food vendors, products, and entertainment.
Go golfing
Jacksonville is a great destination for golfers as well. If you are interested in Topgolf, there is a location here. If you have never been to Topgolf, you should seriously consider it! There are fancy Topgolf venues scattered around the United States. Topgolf is special, because there are two levels of fancy bays where you can hit golf balls with micro-chips to targets out in the field. There are fun games you can play to earn points and get competitive as well with your friends or family members.
If you prefer to get out on traditional golf courses, there are plenty to choose from in the Jacksonville area. TPC Sawgrass is an extremely elite and famous course you could play. Otherwise, there are many smaller local golf courses such as Blue Sky, Hidden Hills, Brentwood, and Jacksonville Beach Golf Club to name a few.
Go axe throwing
Of course Jacksonville offers traditional entertainment such as bowling and movie theatres, but if you are looking for some entertainment that is more unique, try your hand at axe throwing! Two popular companies are Stumpy’s Hatchet House and Class Axe Throwing.
Try an escape room
If you think your group can solve puzzles under the stress of a time limit, you could try an escape room challenge. Regardless of whether you complete the challenge or not, an escape room experience is something fun to do with friends or family members. The Escape Game, Breakout Games, and Prototype Escape Games are some of the places to test your abilities.
Conclusion
I have loved living in Jacksonville and think the city has a lot to offer. I hope you enjoy your trip! Cheers to visiting new cities and making connections around the world. Check out my destinations tab on my website to find the rest of my blog posts. Thanks for stopping by!