Attractions

Flagler Beach Pier

Ever since it was built in 1928, The Flagler Beach Pier has been a popular spot for sightseeing and fishing. The pier stretches 806 feet into the Atlantic Ocean, and it is open to visitors from 6 AM to midnight. Fishers can stock up on all the necessary supplies at the pier's bait and tackle shop. The pier is also home to a popular Flagler Beach restaurant called the Funky Pelican. Because of the pier's popularity among locals and tourists, there is a small fee for admission, and the rates vary depending on whether you are there for a walk or for fishing.

Hit the Farmer’s Market & Flagler Surf Art & Stuff

The Flagler Beach Farmer’s Market is open Fridays and Saturdays from 7 am to 4 pm, however, since this has such a laid-back beach vibe, know that various vendors setting up at different times and closing when they sell out. If you go on a Friday, walk over to 211 S. Third St. and stop by Flagler Surf Art & Stuff. They open from 11 am to 5 pm on Thursdays and Fridays (and by appointment on the weekend). The fun store features over 15 local artists and crafters and is home to the famous “Please don’t make me cross the bridge!” T-shirt.

Smell the Roses & Hike the Coquina

Keep cruising north to Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, once a plantation dating to the early 1800s named by a former owner who was a distant relative of George Washington. The park offers formal gardens with azaleas, camellias, and roses situated amongst acres of sprawling, shady oak trees with a view of the Matanzas River. The ocean side gives visitors the opportunity to hike extensive coquina rock formations stretching along the Atlantic shoreline. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy either the quiet gardens or the rocky shore.

Swim with a Dolphin

Along the Atlantic at Flagler County’s northern tip is Marineland Dolphin Adventure, the world’s first oceanarium dating to 1938 and to this day, still one of Florida’s original roadside attractions. Movies and television shows from The Creature of the Black Lagoon to Seahunt were filmed here while spectacular dolphin shows thrilled visitors. Today, Marineland Dolphin Adventure is focused on marine animal conservation and research, but dolphins are still the stars. Marineland’s Dolphin Encounter programs range from observing bottlenose dolphins, a Dolphin Touch and Feed experience, or the popular Swim with the Dolphins experience. Across the street consider a tour of the Whitney Lab Sea Turtle Hospital, a rehabilitation center for sick and injured sea turtles.

Visit an Old Sugar Mill Plantation

Savor a stunning scenic drive through a 150-acre Florida hammock to the Palm Coast Bulow Plantation Ruins State Park for a historical glimpse of a Florida sugar plantation. During the 1830s, the Bulow family grew sugar cane, cotton, rice, and indigo using slave labor. Ruins of the antebellum plantation, a sugar mill, a springhouse, and the home’s foundation and slave cabins remain after the family abandoned the homestead during Florida’s Second Seminole War.

Paddle your Heart to Serenity