Fort Matanzas National Monument

This a a beautiful park loaded with history. It is a great adventure for the family and it includes a short boat ride to the actual monument. There is no charge to take the boat ride and parking is free. You may need to wait for your boat ride, but there are great trials to walk through to kill some time.
The trails are in a dense forest with boardwalk and seating every several feet. We went early in the morning before the park opened and noticed a groundsman with a leaf blower. He was apparently cleaning up the park, but ALSO making sure he blew away spiderwebs on the trails. I happened to walk into one and had a beautiful, possible poisonous, spider on my back. I was able to get him off before being bitten and turning into spider man for vacation which was good.
Finally, we made our way to the boat ride, which is a quick ride over to the monument. You have a quick guide provided, but after that you are free to tour the monument on your own and take pictures.
You could probably spend a good 2 hours on your day here.

This was an out of the way trip, but so worth it! Could not believe the tour and ferry to the Fort are FREE. It’s much smaller than the Castillo in Saint Augustine, but having a personal tour guide made this a more educational experience (and it was less crowded). The Nature Trail was not incredibly thrilling but it did help to pass time until the next ferry to the Fort. The short movie was a good introduction.

An amazing trip we took. All the better that it was free. I loved the boat ride and the volunteer tour guides. It was a small but interesting fort. It is totally worth a stop. There’s a trail and a visiting center to explore if you make it make it with too much time to spare before the boat (leaves every hour, half past the hour. The tour takes about 45 minutes and costs nothing including boat ride. Make sure to stop here!

Cool piece of history…
Interesting how this fort was built from coral cut from the sea hundreds of years ago.
Nice spot to step back in time a moment…

This place is perfect to stop by on the way to St. Augustine from Orlando. They do open at 9AM and we got there a bit early and saw the beach across the street — I am hesitant to write about that beach because I want it to stay exactly as it is — not many people and absolutely gorgeous. They also technically opened at 9 so no one was in the little hut.
They are leash dog friendly (yessss!!!) and the sand is perfect. I’m not much of a beach person and the sand was compact enough that you didn’t sink every step. That means that you can keep your sneakers on without getting sand on them. Seriously the least sandy beach trip ever. There was ample parking (we were there early around 8AM).
At promptly 9, the gates across the street opened. The ferry is free to the fort, but you MUST get a ticket from the visitors center on the way to the dock. They leave every hour on the half (9:30 being the first one). The boat ride is super short and they stress staying seated a lot m, but it was super smooth that day (it is an inlet after all so I doubt it would get any worse).
The fort was also pretty awesome and they really let you explore. 25 minutes was the perfect amount of time to take it all in. You can climb to the top, but as you can see by my mother’s hat, that opening is quite narrow and it is a physical challenge.
When we returned, there were reenactors (is that a word?) on site that knew everything about the site, answered our questions, and fired muskets.
There is a 0.5 mile walking trail that is perfect on hotter days because it is shaded almost all of the way on a nice Boardwalk (it starts to the right of the bathrooms).
Honestly, I am incredibly grateful for the National Park System that provides and restores this site for free for us to enjoy :).
There were also people parked there to fish and they seemed cool with that too :).

I’ve been here about half a dozen times and have always tried to get to the fort. I remember the first few times lightning was so bad, they stopped the ferry. The other times we were too late to take it, but if you plan correctly the tour is so worth the trip. The tour guides are pretty funny and welcoming. And riding the ferry is pretty cool, too. The views of the intercoastal are absolutely gorgeous.
When you land, they give you a brief history of the area and you have the option to go all the way up to the top and see the entire lay of the land against the beautiful backdrop of blue water. Make sure you wear proper shoes and definitely use the bathroom prior to the sojourn as there are no restrooms once you hit the island. It’s about a half hour to 45 minute tour.
It’s a free trip, but they do take donations if you are so inclined. It is a National Park run by the Federal government so you’ll get to see some real-​life park rangers in uniform protecting the property and natural resources. Very cool.

Beautiful and well restored Historical Monument. Kept very clean and as original as possible. Great piece of history with stories of the usage and lineage of the fort throughout its 400 year existence.

Very interesting fort! Our guide was excellent I think his name was Mike. Tours leave every hour from 9:30 — 4:30. If you are in the area put it on the to do list!

Stopped here on a quick lunch as part of a tour and while the weather is not in our favor this place definitely has charm and beauty worthy of a visit and exploration would love to come back with more time and check it out.

My 13 year old son & I had a great morning here. Even the shirt ferry ride to the fort was fun. The fort is well preserved, the staff were nice & informative, very educational. It was convenient for us because we stayed in Crescent Beach so it was close to our hotel.

My husband called the fort visitors’ center three days in a row to see if they were open. The first day he called the ferry service couldn’t run because of rain, which meant the fort was closed since the only way to access the fort is by ferry. The second day we were told the ferry was damaged in last night’s storm and they will have a new one by tomorrow. Hubby called on day three and was told they got the new ferry but they’re not open because of rain. This man was rude, while the others on the previous days were nice.
It wasn’t raining. Not at all. We decided to drive down to Washington Oaks Garden State Park, instead, but decided to pull into the visitors center since it was on the way to the park. Guess what, they were open. The ferry was on time, we got free passes and visited the fort for about 40 minutes. The guides didn’t allow more time that but more time wasn’t needed.
The fort is small but very majestic. You feel drenched in history while there. Hubby and I climbed to the top deck and it was a little nerve-​racking to climb back down. Definitely feel bad for all the soldiers who had to climb up and down through a narrow hatch in all sorts of weather in the old days.
We saw a sea turtle in the water and little bitty crabs on land and climbing up the fort walls. Very cool.
I recommend this place, but don’t trust anyone you talk to on the phone. I’m not sure why we were lied to but I’m very happy we stopped by to find out for ourselves, in person.

Cool place to spend a couple hours. It was neat to tour this fort. We had been on a weekday before, but it was better on the weekend. They had tables set up with various things from weapons to medical supplies. Most of the people who work there are volunteers and seemed to love what they did. The cannon demonstration was neat. Not much shade and pretty hot in the summer, but worth a visit.

A great «FREE» ferry ride across the river and informative education on the Spanish settlers and warriors! Great History in Saint Augustine!

I love hitting our National Parks. That being said, this is probably the smallest National Park I know of but don’t let that stop you.
There is a free ferry (large pontoon boat that holds 35 people) that leaves every hour on the half hour. The boat will take you across to Rattlesnake Island where you can climb to the top of the fort. Don’t be too scared to go up the ladder to the top. The view is quite beautiful.
On the mainland be sure to check out the beach area to spot some wildlife. We did see wild oysters, a conch and sea turtles. No luck on seeing manatees or dolphins though. There is also a shirt nature trail that is pretty much a boardwalk the whole way but very beautiful.
Check it out for yourselves and give yourself a few hours to explore.

This was a really enjoyable and educational (& FREE!) attraction. First come, first serve tickets are handed out. You board a ferry and take a short trip to the fort while the guide gives a brief history. A little out of the way from the normal tourist area but worth it!

Always worth the visit for the history. A good value also. Younger kids may get a little antsy as the focus is on the historical facts.
They should make it more clear about the not touching or sitting on the walls. A lot of people being verbally warned is the clue that people just do not know… maybe more signs would help. The staff seemed tired of reminding people.

Great place, and it’s all free. Yay! Nature walk, video of the history, a ferry (for people not cars, and it leaves one time an hour on the :30s) and exploring the fort. Very cool!
Do NOT wear a skirt or dress if you want to climb up the ladder to the top. Trust me. :)
It’s also a small monument so go prepared in knowing that.

A free attraction, you say? And it includes a ferry ride? AND the ferry ride is ALSO free? Sign me up! How can you possibly NOT enjoy visiting a piece of history… for free, and without having to sit around waiting for over an hour, to then be jam-​packed with other strangers?
Fort Matanzas was built in 1742 by the Spanish who at the time inhabited Saint Augustine. It was meant to guard the southern Matanzas river approach and Matanzas Inlet. This would be the first point of contact, and if the attackers got through, they still had another defense system to contend with before entering the city: the Castillo de San Marcos. Engineer Pedro Ruiz de Olano, who had worked on additions to the Castillo de San Marcos, designed the fortified observation tower. Built out of coquina, as most structures in Saint Augustine, the marshy terrain was stabilized by pine pilings put as a foundation.
The standard garrison of the fort was one officer in charge, four infantrymen, and two gunners, with the soldiers serving on rotation from their duty at Castillo de San Marcos in Saint Augustine. The fort was no longer used toward the end of the 1700s, and eventually, it was deteriorated beyond use, until 1916 when repairs and upkeep were taken over by the U.S. Department of War, and then the fort was handed over to the National Park Service.
It is named Matanzas after the Spanish word, which means slaughters, because of the slaughters of of Jean Ribault and his band of Huguenot Frenchmen, by the Spanish. There are a couple of observation towers, through which you can see enemies entering by water, or by land. You will have access to the barracks, where the soldiers slept, and the provisions room, and you’re free to ask any questions to the reenactment actors on site, who are very friendly and knowledgeable about the history of the place. Climb the narrow hole to the top, via the ladder, and although it might seem scary to go through such a small opening while wondering if you’ll fit through without getting stuck, you’ll be rewarded to some views and a nice breeze.
There are plenty of cannons to see, as you try to envision how life would have been here, factoring in the heat, humidity, and mosquitoes, of course. Pretty views, but it must not have been a walk in the park for those poor soldiers! At the end, as you wait for the ferry to arrive to take you back, take a minute to walk on the rocks, take a seat, and dip your feet in the water to cool down. Of course, you’re free to wait for another ferry, there is no rush to leave on the first ferry that comes, if you’re enjoying that refreshing foot soak a bit much!
PS: Rich W.‘s photos are NOT of Fort Matanzas, please disregard those as they are misleading and should have been posted in the Castillo de San Marcos Unilocal listing.

Another great historic attraction preserved for the ages. This is a small fort constructed to protect St. Augustine from being invaded from the rear there is a lot of history here and it must have been a horrible place to be stationed. I am sure it was a very hard life with all the perils Mosquitos, alligators, snakes, hurricanes, not to mention all the threats by invading forces. It’s a beautiful setting the Matanza Inlet is one of my favorite inlets anywhere the sand dunes, sand bars, sweeping tides it’s just a cool stop along A1A.

Fort Matanzas was built by the Spanish in 1742 to guard Matanzas Inlet, the southern mouth of the Matanzas River, which could be used as a rear entrance to the city of St. Augustine.
Ideally this fort was to be used as an early warning mechanism in case the French or British attempted to sneak up towards St. Augustine and the Spanish’s much larger fort of Castillo de San Marcos.
Shots were only fired one time in a very short exchange that scared away some French scout boats in 1742 as the fort was being completed.
What you have here is essentially a three pronged experience:
1. The eight minute video which is run based on demand. If you want to see it, simply ask the ranger/​volunteer on duty in the gift shop and they will start it for you.
2. A ½ mile walking trail where you get to see some interesting native flowers, plants, trees and the stone marker noting around where Spanish forces in 1565 had two good hoedowns on around 250 French troops who refused to renounced their Protestant faith.
(Hence the fort’s name. Matanzas means slaughter in Spanish.)
3. The fort itself which requires a short pontoon boat ride across the Matanzas River.
We were lucky enough to visit on the first Saturday of February which is Cannon Day at Fort Matanzas. Re-​enactors present cannon firings for all tours except for the 9:30 and 4:30 tours. While there are still two original Spanish cannons present that you can see and touch the fired ones are naturally reproductions.
For people who have never done visited an NPS site before Fort Matanzas would make an excellent first choice as there is enough stuff here to be informative and interesting but not too much so that you are going to be immersed all day.
River walks, bird walks and torchlight tours make up some of the other excellent offerings which are come with the great NPS price tag of FREE. That’s right, FREE so you might as well put the damn iGadget down and pay this place a visit for two hours or so (It’s all you’ll need) to see what your tax dollars are helping to maintain.
(Kudos to Rich W. who posted a lot of nice photos which are not of Fort Matanzas. His photos would be of Castillo de San Marcos which is an entirely different NPS site twelve miles away.)