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Fort Matanzas National Monument, Florida

NPCA REGION: Sun Coast Regional Office

Acreage: 300.11

Category: National Monument

Date Established: 10/15/1924

More Info: http://www.nps.gov/foma/

Fort Matanzas was built to protect St. Augustine from British attack via the Matanzas River, which was considered a strategic "backdoor" to the city. Twelve British ships were forced to retreat in a brief skirmish in 1742 as the fort was nearing completion. Today, a Park Service ferry takes visitors to the watchtower fort. During the boat trip, dolphins can be glimpsed surfacing the water. The park is on the only "natural" inlet remaining on Florida's east coast and includes a barrier island refuge.

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Comments

This is a nice park to do in an afternoon if you want to see nature and learn about the overlooked history of the Spanish occupation of Florida. The ferry ride is gorgeous. The interpreter Kevin was dressed in period costume and was really engaging. They did a good job of showing the day to day reality of what it was like to be a soldier there. Sadly the view is marred by condos but at least the island managed to stay out of the clutches of developers.

Submitted by msarthur at: June 12, 2008