Where to stay

About a 30-minute drive from Downtown, Jacksonville's beaches stretch for miles along the Atlantic Ocean. Stay in Ponte Vedra Beach for a resort experience, with high-end hotels and numerous nearby golf courses. Moving north, the Jacksonville Beach neighborhood is the liveliest along the shore, with lots of amenities and restaurants and a busy nightlife. Surf, fish on the pier - no license required - and look for dolphins. A few miles away, Neptune Beach has oceanfront accommodations and is not as crowded. One of the northernmost spots is Atlantic Beach, where families can have a laid-back vacation with great golf, learning to surf and hunting for seashells. For a change of beach scene on any day, explore the area using the free Beach Buggy service that runs every day from south of Jacksonville Beach to north of Neptune Beach. If days on the sand are just part of the itinerary, consider a hotel in Baymeadows, which is about halfway between the beaches and Downtown.

Jacksonville's food scene has transitioned to all things fresh, emphasizing local produce and seafood. Stay in Downtown Jacksonville, where more than 50 restaurants, from food trucks to elegant international bistros, offer delectable cuisine. Hotels across the river in San Marco are very convenient for enjoying the al fresco dining around San Marco Square. Pick a spot to stay in Downtown, Riverside or Jacksonville Beach to hop on the Jax Ale Trail. Get a passport and win prizes for tasting the flavors at participating breweries. Be sure to eat at a fish camp during your visit. Ponte Vedra Beach accommodations are close to two of these restaurants that feature casual dining and very fresh seafood. Another one of the best fish camps is in Baymeadows, with hotels conveniently located midway between Downtown Jacksonville and the ocean.

Jacksonville has a rich arts and culture scene, especially evident in Downtown neighborhoods. From a hotel in Downtown Jacksonville, visit a different cultural spot every day, from the symphony to the Museum of Contemporary Art to a Jacksonville Jaguars NFL football game to the Jacksonville Jazz Festival on Memorial Day. Stay in San Marco just across the river to attend a production at its acclaimed community theater. In San Marco Square, look for the lion fountain, somewhat inspired by a winged lion statue in Venice's Piazza San Marco. While much of Riverside is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the neighborhood has plenty of hotels for travelers interested in viewing preserved architecture or visiting the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens or Saturday Riverside Arts Market.

Jacksonville, with a great location not far from Florida's white sand beaches and surrounded by access to other great outdoor activities, claims 400 city parks and seven state parks. Stay in Downtown Jacksonville and head north to see jaguars among thousands of other animals as well as plants at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. On the west side of the city, Orange Park's hotels are close to hiking, boating, fishing and wakeboarding on waterways including Doctor's Lake and Black Creek. From a hotel in Baldwin, bike along the flat and pleasant Jacksonville-Baldwin Rail Trail to the city. Southwest of Downtown, Riverside, as the name suggests, is close to a river: the St. Johns River. Book accommodations here to relax in several parks along the water or find out when the Blue Angels might be practicing at their home base in the Jacksonville Naval Air Station and drive a bit south to see jets in formation.