Visiting St. Augustine

St. Augustine is one of Florida’s lesser-known cities, but historically it’s one of the most important places in the United States. Founded by the Spanish in 1565, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement in the contiguous United States, predating Jamestown by more than 40 years. During its long history, St. Augustine passed between Spanish and British control before Florida eventually became part of the United States. Today the city is known for its history, architecture, small-town atmosphere, and remarkable concentration of historic sites. The courtyard of Flagler College above was built centuries after the city’s founding, but for me it’s still a great example of the architecture that makes St. Augustine so distinctive.

The Founding of St. Augustine

When Spain established St. Augustine in 1565, the settlement became a strategic outpost protecting Spanish interests and shipping routes along the Florida coast. The Great Cross at Mission Nombre de Dios commemorates the landing and founding period of St. Augustine. It’s difficult to appreciate just how old the city is by American standards: the Spanish established St. Augustine decades before Jamestown and more than half a century before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth.

The settlement spent much of its early history on a contested frontier between European empires. St. Augustine was attacked repeatedly, including Sir Francis Drake’s raid in 1586 and another devastating raid in 1668. For roughly its first century, the Spanish relied on a succession of wooden forts, but the vulnerability of those defenses eventually made it clear that St. Augustine needed something much stronger.

Castillo de San Marcos

Spain’s answer was Castillo de San Marcos, the massive stone fortress that still dominates the waterfront. Construction began in 1672 and continued until 1695. The walls were built from coquina, a local limestone composed largely of shell fragments. The relatively soft and porous stone proved remarkably effective as a defensive material because it could absorb the impact of cannon fire rather than simply shattering. Castillo de San Marcos eventually became the oldest surviving masonry fortification in the continental United States.

Today the Castillo is probably the most impressive historic attraction in St. Augustine. I walked across the entrance and explored the rooms inside before climbing onto the upper level of the fort. Considering that construction began more than three centuries ago, I was surprised by how substantial the surviving fortress still is.

Historical demonstrations help bring the fortress to life, with reenactors portraying soldiers from different periods of its history. Seeing the uniforms, weapons, and flags made the Castillo feel much more alive than simply walking through an empty historic building.

From the upper walls there are also great views across Matanzas Bay and back toward the historic city. The Castillo occupied a commanding position overlooking the approaches to St. Augustine, allowing its guns to defend both the harbor and the settlement.

Of course, humans weren’t the only ones occupying Castillo de San Marcos. I found these wasps that had colonized their own section of the fort. I wasn’t about to challenge them for it, so as far as I’m concerned they successfully defended their territory.

Historic St. Augustine

Outside the fort, one of my favorite things about St. Augustine was simply walking around the historic district. The center is compact enough that I didn’t really need a car once I was there. Narrow streets are lined with old buildings, restaurants, bars, museums, and small shops, giving parts of the city an atmosphere that feels very different from a typical Florida city.

St. Augustine’s Spanish colonial heritage remains a major part of the city’s identity. Balconies, courtyards, stone walls, narrow streets, and later buildings inspired by Spanish architecture all contribute to a character that isn’t common in American cities.

There are plenty of places to stop while exploring the old city. St. Augustine has everything from small cafes and restaurants to local shops and places selling wine. You could easily spend an entire day here without much of a plan, stopping whenever you come across something interesting.

St. Augustine also seems to have a museum for just about everything. Some focus on the city’s history, while others are considerably more unusual. That’s part of what made the city fun to explore. Even after visiting the major historic sites, there are all sorts of smaller attractions scattered around town.

There are also countless small details that are easy to miss if you’re rushing from one attraction to another. Decorative glass, old signs, courtyards, and unusual architecture appear throughout the historic district. St. Augustine is definitely one of those places where walking around without a specific destination is part of the experience.

Government House sits beside the central plaza and reflects St. Augustine’s long importance as the political center of colonial Florida. The city changed hands between governments over the centuries, leaving layers of Spanish, British, and American history concentrated into a relatively small area.

Even the city’s public buildings fit naturally into the historic atmosphere. That’s probably what impressed me most about St. Augustine. It isn’t simply one old fort or a handful of preserved buildings surrounded by a modern city. Large portions of the center genuinely feel historic.

Some of the old houses and inns are attractions in their own right. That’s another reason I’d recommend spending at least a full day in St. Augustine rather than treating it as a quick stop. There is a lot packed into a relatively small area, and much of the fun is simply seeing what you come across.

There always seemed to be something happening in the streets. Restaurants and shops bring plenty of visitors into the center, while musicians and street performers give the district a lively atmosphere. Despite all the tourism, St. Augustine never felt like a huge city to me.

Another quirky historic attraction is the Oldest Wooden School House. St. Augustine seems to attach the word “oldest” to just about everything, but considering the city dates back to 1565, at least it has a pretty good excuse. The tiny wooden building is another interesting stop while walking through the old city.

Churches and Cemeteries

With such a long Spanish history, it’s not surprising that St. Augustine has numerous historic churches and cemeteries. Christianity was central to the original Spanish settlement, and the city’s religious history reaches all the way back to its earliest years.

I always enjoy visiting old churches when I travel because their interiors can sometimes be even more impressive than their exteriors. In a city as old as St. Augustine, they also provide another glimpse into how many different periods of history have left their mark here.

St. Augustine Alligator Farm

One of the more unusual attractions I visited was the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. Florida certainly isn’t lacking alligators, but the park has crocodilians from around the world. One of the strangest animals I saw was the albino alligator above. I’ve seen plenty of wild alligators elsewhere in Florida, but I’d never seen one that looked anything like this.

The Alligator Farm isn’t limited to American alligators. Seeing caimans and crocodiles from different parts of the world in the same place makes the differences between the various crocodilians much easier to appreciate. Some of the crocodiles here were enormous.

There were plenty of birds around the park as well. Florida has incredible birdlife to begin with, and the trees and wetlands around the Alligator Farm attract wild birds in addition to the animals kept there.

Wildlife wasn’t limited to the attraction either. Large wading birds are common around the waterways of northeastern Florida. St. Augustine feels completely different from southern Florida, but the wildlife and subtropical vegetation are constant reminders that you’re still in the same state.

St. Augustine Lighthouse

Away from the historic center is another of St. Augustine’s famous landmarks, the St. Augustine Lighthouse on Anastasia Island. The distinctive black-and-white tower rises more than 160 feet above the island and can be seen from far away. Of course, I wasn’t going to visit without climbing to the top.

Reaching the top requires climbing more than 200 stairs spiraling around the inside of the tower. It isn’t a difficult climb, but looking straight down through the middle gives you a much better appreciation for how tall the lighthouse really is.

From the top I had a great view across Anastasia Island, St. Augustine, and the surrounding waterways toward the Atlantic. I could also watch boats and ships moving below. For me, the view alone made climbing all those stairs worthwhile.

St. Augustine Waterfront

St. Augustine’s location on the water has shaped nearly its entire history. Spain established the settlement partly to defend its interests and shipping routes along the Florida coast, while today the same waterfront is filled with recreational boats. It’s strange to think that a coastline now enjoyed by visitors was once part of a contested frontier between competing empires.

St. Augustine ended up being one of my favorite places I’ve visited in Florida. The state is usually associated with beaches, amusement parks, and tropical wildlife, so it’s easy to forget just how much history exists here. Between Castillo de San Marcos, the historic streets, churches, lighthouse, waterfront, and all the smaller attractions scattered around town, St. Augustine feels completely different from the rest of Florida. If you’re interested in American history at all, I’d consider it one of the most worthwhile cities in the state to visit.