JUST a short drive toward the coast from Jacksonville and though it offers many other allures, Ponte Vedra Beach is synonymous with golf. The PGA Tour and The Players Championship are played at TPC Sawgrass, home of the famous 17th-Hole Island Green are all found in Ponte Vedra but don’t forget that the word “beach” is part of this its name too.
Ponte Vedra’s 40-foot sand dunes are among the highest in Florida and from their peaks, they race down to white sand beaches made from Appalachian quartz and ancient coquina. In the twisted oaks and wild palmettos, seaside resorts and private escapes can be found luxuriously tucked away. Miles of fresh-water streams, creeks and lagoons course through the natural area. Of course, elegant shopping and fine dining also are widely available.
Make sure you visit the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve. The Reserve is over 73,352 acres of salt marsh and mangrove tidal wetlands. It includes oyster beds, tidal lagoons, critical habitat, and offshore seas. The upland areas include pine flatwoods, maritime hammock, coastal strands, and dunes.
Bird Island Park is located behind the Ponte Vedra Library. Bird Island Park is designed to represent our north Florida ecosystem. The 4.2 acre park includes a 2 acre pond with a board walk and viewing pavilion. Eco-interpretive walkways offer learning and exploration opportunities amidst vegetation and animal habitats native to the area.
When a luxurious community with incredible golf courses, spectacular habitat reserves, pristine beaches, elegant shopping, and fine dining gets your heart racing faster, come and explore Ponte Vedra Beach. If you’re interested in reading more about the recent happenings, here’s a link to our Ponte Vedra Beach Journal (blog) page.
Don’t Miss These…
JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY: At a position of 30 degrees 8 minutes north latitude (between St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra Beach) you’ll find a historical marker recognizing the only navigational reading recorded of Ponce de Leon’s “Journey of Discovery” taken the day before his April 3, 1513 landing when he claimed La Florida for Spain. If you want to want to check it out and don’t have a quadrant or mariner’s astrolabe handy, make your way to the North Beach Access Parking Lot, Ponte Vedra Beach, 32082.
A TALE OF ESPIONAGE: On Jacksonville.com we found a fascinating article about one of the most famous espionage incidents of World War II. According to the article, on June 16, 1942, a German submarine surfaced about 50 yards from shore near Ponte Vedra Beach. It let off four trained Nazi agents dressed as American civilians, who made their way to the sand. Operation Pastorius was authorized by Adolf Hitler shortly after the Nazi dictator’s declaration of war on the United States. The aim was to show that Americans were not safe within their homeland. The four agents came ashore in a raft about four miles south of the Ponte Vedra Inn and buried four waterproof boxes of explosives and money in the sand. Their mission was to conduct a reign of terror in the U.S. blowing up defense plants, railroad lines and terminals, hydroelectric plants and water supplies for cities. They were supposed to return to the beach to claim their buried explosives and money, but they never did. One of the conspirators betrayed the Nazis and went to the FBI, hoping for leniency and although at first they thought he was a crackpot, all of the plotters were taken into custody within the next two weeks. We shot this pic on spectacular Ponte Vedra Beach and if you decide to come here and explore, head toward 1109 1/2 Ponte Vedra Blvd., 32082.
JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY: At a position of 30 degrees 8 minutes north latitude (between St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra Beach) you’ll find a historical marker recognizing the only navigational reading recorded of Ponce de Leon’s “Journey of Discovery” taken the day before his April 3, 1513 landing when he claimed La Florida for Spain. If you want to want to check it out and don’t have a quadrant or mariner’s astrolabe handy, make your way to the North Beach Access Parking Lot, Ponte Vedra Beach, 32082.
