Matanzas Fort National Park

Fort Matanzas was built in 1740-42, fourteen miles south of St. Augustine by Spain as protection against British encroachments on St. Augustine. 

We had an enjoyable afternoon visiting here. We visited the small museum and watched a film, then took a ferry over to the small fort. A storm was approaching and there were cold 30mph winds on the ferry ride, but I was glad we could squeeze this adventure into our Florida trip. 

The park ranger was quite the talker—he loved his history and went on and on and on! He taught us a lot about the everyday life of the Spanish settlers in the St. Augustine are and it was quite interesting! Did you know that many of the businesses were owned by women? Or that a young man had to have at least 4 teeth to be eligible to marry?

If you’re in the area, I recommend visiting this (free) attraction.