There are some international cities I can’t get enough of. Rome is at the top of the list. And then there’s Paris, Barcelona, Mumbai, and Madrid. In the US, New York and Chicago used to be my favorites. But recently, they’ve fallen off the list. Three of my current favorites are in Florida: Miami, Key West, and St. Augustine.

St. Augustine is America’s oldest city. It was established by the Spanish in 1565. The city offers most of what you’d want from an old Florida city: a well-preserved “old town” featuring colonial architecture, galleries, gardens, gift shops, and plenty of good restaurants. It also has something you wouldn’t expect: 43 miles of beautiful white-sand beaches.

My favorite place to stay in St. Augustine is the Casa Monica Resort and Spa (pictured above).