If there is one destination in Florida that encompasses the rich tapestry of the Sunshine State’s 503 years, the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument — the iconic fortress in St. Augustine — is it. The massive coquina-and-tabby structure located on Matanzas Bay has been a sentinel standing guard at the city’s gates since it’s construction began in 1672, making it the oldest masonry fort — and the only 17th century fort in existence — in the United States.
The fort’s past is a tale of international intrigue that is illustrated each day through a walking tour, re-enactments, ranger talks and the adjacent St. Augustine Visitor Information Center. With a history replete with warring European nations, peaceful occupations, imprisoned natives, and even a few pirate ships along the way, the garrison has been occupied by the Spanish, the British, the Confederacy and the U.S. at various times over the centuries.
Today, operated by the U.S. National Park Service, the fort hosts 1.5 million visitors annually. Although guests can get a glimpse of the harsh conditions that soldiers and St. Augustine residents faced at the fort, the 21st century version of the Castillo includes — of course — restrooms, water fountains, lighted historical displays and an air-conditioned gift shop.
Among the highlights of a visit to the Castillo is the daily cannon firings. Using authentic era replicas of the gunpowder cannons that defended the fort, costumed actors re-enact the lighting of an actual cannon — sans the cannonball — as if in battle. The thundering booms from the re-enactments can be heard regularly in St. Augustine, blasting across the bay toward nearby Anastasia Island and Vilano Beach.
The Castillo is a rock star, literally. That is, it is a remarkably preserved example of star-shaped architecture known as “bastion” fortification. Engineered from 15th century European designs, the fort is unique for being constructed out of porous coquina rock, quarried locally from what is now Anastasia State Park, several miles to the east.
Whether for its amazing architecture or remarkable past, few structures in North America can boast such a glorious tale of survival, war, engineering, colonialism, high-stakes diplomacy and exploration of the New World.
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