East Palatka

East Palatka sits on the east bank of the St. Johns River, across the Memorial Bridge from downtown Palatka. It's the agricultural side of the river — this is the Hastings-East Palatka growing region, one of Florida's oldest potato-farming areas, where rows of cabbage, potatoes, and citrus stretch out behind the river road.

Most visitors pass through East Palatka on their way somewhere else, but there's a quiet small-town pace here worth slowing down for. The St. Johns River is wide and slow at this point, with public ramps and fishing access. You're 20 minutes from St. Augustine to the east, 10 minutes from downtown Palatka to the west, and a half-hour from Welaka to the south. If you're driving the river loop, East Palatka is the connector that makes the whole route work.