Other sites along Florida's Spanish Heritage Trail
During Spanish colonial times, Florida’s El Camino Real, or royal road, wound its way from the Atlantic coast, through what is now Tallahassee, to Pensacola. Today, the state promotes this as the Spanish Heritage Trail, featuring many historically significant Spanish sites that date as far back as the 1500s.
Historic Pensacola Village
In 1559, Pensacola was the site of the first Spanish colonial settlement in Florida. Settlers abandoned the site after a couple of years, but the city has a long and varied Spanish history. Guided tours of the historic district are offered daily, and the T.T. Wentworth Jr. Florida State Museum contains exhibits detailing centuries of life in the area. Tickets are good for seven days from time of purchase, allowing you more than enough time to see all the district has to offer, including the Discovery Gallery children's exhibit and 1832 Old Christ Church, one of the oldest churches in Florida. Hours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Adults $6, children $3. Tickets and info available at Tivoli High House Gift Shop, 205 E. Zaragoza St., Pensacola. 850-595-5993, www.historicpensacola.org
Mission San Luis
A living history museum that is also a working archaeological excavation in Tallahassee, this hillside site was once home to a 17th century Spanish mission as well as an Apalachee Native American village. The settlement was abandoned in 1704. Tours offer a re-creation of the community and tell the story of how these disparate cultures came together at this place and time. Hours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Adults $5, children $2. 2100 W. Tennessee St. Tallahassee. 850-245-6406, www.missionsanluis.org
Kingsley Plantation
In 1791, the Spanish government granted Fort George Island east of Jacksonville to John McQueen, who built what would come to be known as Kingsley Plantation. One of Florida's oldest plantations, it is now managed by the National Park Service and open for tours. The eccentric Zephaniah Kingsley was one of the plantation’s owners in the early 19th century. Kingsley was also a slave trader who purchased and then married Anna Madgigine Jai. After Kingsley freed her in 1811, Anna owned slaves as well as land and faced many challenges. The grounds contain the ruins of many tabby slave houses and the still-intact late-18th century plantation home (currently closed on weekdays for repairs and structural work). Hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is free. 11676 Palmetto Ave., Jacksonville. 904-251-3537, www.nps.gov/timu/
Old Town Fernandina
Still containing the original street grid platted by the Spanish in 1811, Old Town Fernandina on Amelia Island is a National Historic District that was the location of the last colonial Spanish settlement in the Western Hemisphere. Today, it is a sleepy neighborhood filled with old houses and billowing shade trees, located north of the more bustling downtown area of Fernandina Beach, which itself is a historic district dating from the Victorian era. The town was named after Spanish King Ferdinand VII. Old Town contains a nice bluff view of the Amelia River at the site of the former Spanish Fort San Carlos. To reach the Old Town district from downtown Fernandina Beach, head north on North 14th Street. The district will be on your left, just past the large, woodsy Bosque Bello ("beautiful woods") cemetery, established by the Spanish in 1798. www.oldtownfernandina.org
Columbia Restaurant
Founded in 1905, this is believed to be Florida's oldest Spanish restaurant. Now a statewide chain, the original Columbia is located in the historic cigar making neighborhood of Ybor City (pronounced ee-bore) in Tampa. Still owned and operated by descendants of founder Casimiro Hernandez, a Cuban immigrant, the Columbia is enormous, with multiple dining rooms offering award-winning Spanish/Cuban cuisine such as paella, and featuring Flamenco dance performances nightly. Entrees $18.95-$28.95. 2117 E. 7th Ave., Tampa. 813-248-4961, www.columbiarestaurant.com
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