Jacksonville in 3 days

Florida's sprawling river city: 22 miles of uncrowded Atlantic beach and no theme-park queues. Best time to visit: March-May, October-November. Average daily budget: $130 to $250 USD.

Day 1, Get oriented

Base: Riverside / Avondale, Historic district of 1920s homes, independent shops, the Cummer Museum and the best dining.

Morning: Spend a day at the beaches. Twenty-two miles of wide Atlantic sand, from Jacksonville Beach pier north to Mayport.

Afternoon: Explore Riverside / Avondale, Historic district of 1920s homes, independent shops, the Cummer Museum and the best dining.

Evening: Walk the Riverwalk. Miles of boardwalk on both banks of the St. Johns, best at sunset from the Southbank.

Eat: Mayport shrimp, straight off the boats

Day 2, Go deeper

Base: Jacksonville Beach, The main beach town: pier, surf breaks, casual seafood and a walkable bar strip.

Morning: Visit the Cummer Museum and gardens. A strong art collection with riverfront formal gardens and 200-year-old oaks.

Afternoon: Explore Jacksonville Beach, The main beach town: pier, surf breaks, casual seafood and a walkable bar strip.

Evening: Kayak the Timucuan Preserve. 46,000 acres of salt marsh, oyster beds and dolphins on the city's northeast edge.

Eat: Southern brunch and biscuits in Avondale

Day 3, Hidden side

Base: Neptune & Atlantic Beach, Quieter, more residential beaches just north, popular with families and surfers.

Morning: Eat and shop in Avondale. Shoppes of Avondale for boutiques, patios and Sunday brunch under the oaks.

Afternoon: Explore Neptune & Atlantic Beach, Quieter, more residential beaches just north, popular with families and surfers.

Evening: Kingsley Plantation, the oldest surviving plantation house in Florida, on Fort George Island.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Craft beer along the Jax Ale Trail

Hidden gems

Kingsley Plantation, the oldest surviving plantation house in Florida, on Fort George Island.
Little Talbot Island State Park's undeveloped dunes and driftwood beach.
The Mayport ferry, a five-minute crossing to a working shrimp village.
Big Talbot's Boneyard Beach at low tide, littered with salt-bleached oak skeletons.

Getting around

You need a car. Jacksonville covers 875 square miles and public transport is limited outside downtown, where a free Skyway monorail and Riverwalk cover short hops. Beach to downtown is about 25 minutes; rideshares run $30 to $40 each way. Jacksonville International Airport is 20 minutes north of downtown, roughly $35 by rideshare, and rental cars are cheap by Florida standards.

Safety

Riverside, Avondale, San Marco and the beach towns are comfortable day and night. Parts of downtown empty out after office hours and the northwest side has higher crime, so plan evenings around the beaches or Riverside. In the water, watch for rip currents and swim near lifeguards; summer brings afternoon lightning storms that clear quickly.

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