St. Augustine looks completely different from the water. The Castillo, the lighthouse, the Bridge of Lions - you have seen them from the street. Put yourself in a kayak and paddle past them at water level, with dolphins surfacing alongside you and ospreys watching from the marsh grass, and you are experiencing the same waterways the Spanish colonists navigated 460 years ago. This is one of the most kayak-friendly cities in Florida, and the variety of paddle experiences within an easy drive is remarkable. THE SALT RUN - BEST FIRST PADDLE The Salt Run is a roughly 4-mile-long lagoon connecting to the St. Augustine Inlet in the north and closing off in Anastasia State Park in the south. Surrounded by breathtaking scenic views and the lighthouse, it is an excellent spot to find wildlife. Dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, and a long list of shorebirds make the Salt Run one of the most rewarding paddles in Northeast Florida. Kayaking St. Augustine operates from the Lighthouse Boat Ramp at 442 Ocean Vista Avenue and offers guided tours, lessons, and rentals. All guides are CPR certified and all equipment is Coast Guard certified. They also deliver kayaks to boat ramps throughout the city. Get Up and Go Kayaking offers a sunset and glow tour on the Salt Run estuary near Anastasia State Park, using clear kayaks with LED lights as darkness falls - a genuinely magical experience for date nights, family outings, and group events. DEEP CREEK CONSERVATION AREA - OLD FLORIDA AT ITS BEST If the Salt Run is the city paddle, Deep Creek is the wilderness experience. The Deep Creek Conservation Area spans 5,374 acres on both sides of State Road 207 near Hastings, providing an ideal habitat for a variety of wildlife including deer, turkey, and numerous waterfowl, wading, and marsh birds. The Deep Creek bridge on State Road 207, just west of State Road 206, serves as the launch facility. Keep an eye out for alligators, manatees, and otters, which can often be spotted in the area. Most of the tour is canopied and shaded, making it a perfect escape from the Florida sun. This is one of St. Augustine's closest real freshwater kayak tours, just a 20-minute drive from downtown. There are no facilities at the launch and no place to get out of your kayak once you are on the creek. It is rated easy and welcomes all skill levels, but come prepared. The dominant trees are ash, tupelo, gums, and bald cypress. Small shrubs include wax myrtle, willow, swamp dogwood, and saw palmetto. If you are lucky enough to paddle in June and July, you will be treated to hundreds of scarlet rose mallows in full bloom on the north side of the bridge at the launch. Deep Creek Paddles offers guided tours with naturalist instructors. Contact them directly for booking. SIXMILE CREEK - ST. JOHNS RIVER COUNTRY Sixmile Creek flows into the St. Johns River in the western reaches of St. Johns County - a different landscape entirely from the coastal waterways closer to do