Fort Matanzas National Monument

This location is beautiful! A must stop to visit and explore if you are in the area. The staff great and very knowledgeable. Nice free little boat ride to the fort across the river. The fort is small but it's still impressive to see and learn about the history of it. You can walk around and inside. They even let you climb to the roof top where you get to see some amazing views! I highly recommend! No charge for parking or the fort visit.

October 2024. Went on a walking (running) tour of the Fort area. Very short loop but I appreciated the boardwalk over the swampy area. Enjoyed catching site of a tortoise and osprey. Check out the huge black SUV I got as a rental for this year’s trip.

Pleasant morning at Fort Mantanzas. Pro Tip - Get there early to reserve your Ferry ticket. They are free but run out quickly. I got there are the park opened and got the first ticket. 20 minutes in and the tickets for the first three ferry’s were gone. There is no restroom on the ferry or once you get for the island, go before you leave VC. Since there are plenty of photos of the site I wanted to include signage and info. A must see sight for all.

Be sure to call ahead so you know if the ferry is going. Kayaking is iffy if your going to Snake Island, the wind will keep you in the bay area, lots of oyster beds,which is good - kinda. You will run into them frequently. The map will show a bait shop- there is none. We had great luck with the cast net getting our bait, but be aware there are other people in it there doing the same thing. The views were gorgeous, the National Park lady knowledgable , no ferry bc of the hurricanes though. No fish caught this trip, but it’s something I’ve been wanting to do , and it didn’t disappoint.

Truly a marvel of St Augustine history. Once in ruins became a national monument and was monument to is former glory. This small fort was created to defend the back door waterway to St. Augustine during Spanish occupation. It is free to take the ranger guided ferry across the Matanzas River, but you should get there early or tickets will run out fast. There is a small gift shop, an educational movie, hiking trails and water access to fish or launch kayaks. Are you looking for a guided tour into the inlet or marsh? Research local tours run by a local ecotourism company like earthkinship.us . Make sure you find a local guide if you want to learn more about the history, habitat, flora and fauna of St Augustine.