Located within the historic district of St. Augustine is the oldest and largest masonry fort in the continental US. The Castillo de San Marcos is a US National Monument managed by the National Park Service.
This National Park site charges an entrance fee, unless you have an annual park pass. The parking lot is metered and very busy. Prepare for a possible wait for an open parking spot. The meters do take credit cards making it easier to purchase more time (also means no need to carry around heavy change). The fort is located in the middle of the town, so if you are staying at a hotel nearby you can easily park your car at your hotel and walk over…something we wish we had realized beforehand.
Across the street from the fort is a small cafe with handwritten signs that caught our attention. It was hard to imagine the water level getting up to the street level, much less crossing the street and rising to the levels shown here.
We took about an hour to explore the Pirate and Treasure Museum. A fun little museum that reminded us of Disneyland. They provided “treasure maps” for kids (and adults) to use while exploring their exhibits. The maps helped with finding hidden exhibits along the way.
While walking around we discovered the City Gate at the edge of the historic district. Just outside of the gate was the public burying ground, used in the 1800s.
About 1.5 miles outside of the City Gate is another famous site to see. This is a privately owned park so there is an entrance fee.
The park is home to about 40 peacocks, most just walking around near the designated walking trails. They were impressive to see (and really noisy!)
Of course, we had to take a sip of the water. Don’t we look younger already?
A short 20-minute drive south of St. Augustine is another National Monument, Fort Matanzas.
There were some beautiful live oaks in the parking lot. The branches lean west, away from the salty air blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean.
Fort Matanzas is located on a small island a very short boat ride from the visitor center. A visit to the park and the boat ride to the fort are free. However, the water was too choppy on the day we went so we were only able to see it from the visitor center.
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