Flager Beach, Florida

Flagler Beach is a super-cute stretch of 100-year old Florida coastal tourist town in central Florida. Located about 40 minutes north of Daytona Beach and 45 minutes south of St. Augustine, it’s well-located for visiting a range of what’s available on the central Atlantic coast.

The City of Flagler Beach has a photogenic pier, Florida’s oldest live oak, several great restaurants and shops, a fantastic winery, and a very manageable footprint. It’s an easy place to see fully in just a few days. And if you come offseason, you’ll share your restaurants and shops with plenty of elderly snowbirds and retirees.

The Beach

The thing about the beach in Flagler is that it is located on the opposite side of A1A (the local coastal road) from where you are. There’s the beach, the A1A, then everything else. They’re desperately trying to keep the beach from taking over the road (or escaping out from under it) and you’ll often find construction. But it’s a beautiful drive from which you can almost always see the ocean from your open window.

When I was there in March, the ocean was too angry to swim in. Red hazard flags were out, plus one indicating dangerous marine life. When the water is calmer, it’s great for swimming, relaxing, and has the third-best surfing in Florida. You can also build bonfires (with a permit), camp, and take your pets on the naturally-preserved cinnamon sands of Flagler Beach.

Flagler Beach Pier

The Flagler Beach Pier looks like something from a 50’s postcard! This charming fishing pier anchors central Flagler, jutting out from the main concentration of shops and restaurants.

At the beach-end of the pier, you’ll find the only restaurant on the beach-side of the A1A, the Funky Pelican, plus a beach shop with supplies and souvenirs. To walk out on the pier costs $1.50. To fish, $6.

The Loop

For those who love to drive, make sure to check out The Loop just a hair south in Ormond. This double loop of old-growth Florida forest looks almost primeval! You’ll pass through tunnels of live oak trees, past canals, over drawbridges, and the next to the Intracoastal Waterway.

The surrounding cities have fought hard to keep this area from development, so make sure to visit and donate to keep this part of old Florida intact!

Bulow State Park & the Fairchild Oak

Back in the jungle of The Loop is Bulow (BOO-low) Creek State Park. At the more southern end is a small parking lot, picnic area, and the majestic Fairchild Oak, one of the largest and oldest live oaks in Florida. A plaque in a rock at the base of the tree indicates it’s 2000 years old, though that seems to be unconfirmed.

There is a short Wahlin Nature Trail loop in this area and from here you can hike 6.8 miles to the north end of the park at Bulow Plantation Ruins. The trail travels along Bulow Creek, through live oak forests, old plantations, and several varying Florida habitats. There is no fee for parking at Bulow. (Though if it were me, I might want to pay for an Uber to get back to my car.)

Flagler Beach Historical Museum

If you want to learn more about Flagler and it’s 100-year history, check out the Flagler Beach Historical Museum a couple of blocks back from the pier. Best of all, it’s open 7 days a week. It’s not much, mainly one room full of pictures and artifacts, but you can pretty quickly get a good picture of how Flagler went “from the stone age to the space age” as their slogan goes. During open hours (10-4) there’s always someone there to answer any questions you may have about the town.

Restaurants in Flager

See my next post for the best restaurants in Flager Beach!