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Historic fort · St. Augustine, Florida
Fort Matanzas National Monument
Small 18th-century Spanish coquina fort on an island in the Matanzas River, south of Saint Augustine, reached by a National Park Service boat, with a boardwalk trail and a beach on the opposite shore.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Fort Matanzas National Monument
Fort Matanzas was built by the Spanish between 1740 and 1742 to guard the southern entrance to the Matanzas River, where enemy ships could approach Saint Augustine’s rear. It is a small coquina tower, the same shellstone as the Castillo de San Marcos, with cannons on the terrace and quarters for a few soldiers.
The name comes from matanzas, the Spanish word for massacres: in 1565, nearby, Spanish troops killed hundreds of French soldiers who had been shipwrecked on the coast, an episode that marked the struggle over Florida.
The fort sits on Rattlesnake Island and is reached by a small National Park Service boat in a short crossing, for which there is no fare and no admission charge. On the opposite shore, the visitor center has a boardwalk trail through the coastal scrub, and the monument’s beach is on the other side of state road A1A.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
One to two hours, including the boat and the trail.
Best time
In the morning, to catch the first boat departures, which have limited space. The boat does not run in bad weather or very low tide; confirm before you go.
How to get there
It’s on A1A, about 23 km south of Saint Augustine’s downtown. There is parking at the visitor center, where the boat departs.
Tip
Take a ticket for the boat as soon as you arrive and walk the boardwalk trail while you wait your turn.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Fort Matanzas National Monument
How do you get to Fort Matanzas?
By a National Park Service boat that departs from the visitor center on A1A, about 23 km south of Saint Augustine.
Is there a fee to visit Fort Matanzas?
No admission is charged and the boat is free; it has limited space and depends on the weather.
Why is the fort called Matanzas?
Because of the massacre of French soldiers by the Spanish in 1565 nearby; matanzas means massacres in Spanish.