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Castillo de San Marcos National MonumentPanoramic view of the Castillo circa 1880
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Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
Nearby Attractions
 
Spanish carpenters thatch a roof on an authentic Spanish Chosa
Thatchers at work on a Spanish house

Colonial Spanish Quarter Museum

The Spanish Quarter is a living history museum recreating the life of Spanish soldiers and their families in 1740 St. Augustine. Costumed interpreters relive a time when St. Augustine was a remote outpost of the Spanish Empire. Tradesmen go about their occupations in blacksmithing, carpentry, leatherworking, candle making and other trades. Houses and gardens reveal the experiences of how families lived, how they grew and cooked their food, and how they tended their livestock in 18th century St. Augustine.

The Colonial Spanish Quarter Museum is only a short five minute walk from the entrance of the Castillo.

 
Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, the first free black settlement in North America
Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose

Fort Mose Historic State Park

Ft.Mose was founded in 1738 by Florida’s Spanish governor as the first free African American settlement in what is now the United States, FortMose represents a story of courage, determination, and perseverance. The stories of Africans fleeing to freedom, of the Native American Indians who aided them, as well as the Spanish and others touched by FortMose will inspire those who visit.

Fort Mose State Park is three miles north of the Castillo just off US-1.

 
St. Augustine Lighthouse built in 1876
St. Augustine Light built in 1876

St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum

 

One of the city's most familiar landmarks, the St. Augustine Lighthouse was one of a series of lighthouses constructed along the Atlantic coastline during the mid-nineteenth century. Completed in 1874 the light boasts a first order Fresnel lens and a spectacular view of the area. At 165 feet it is the second highest lighthouse in Florida.

 

The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum is located 1.5 miles south of the Castillo just off route A1A.

 
White sands and warm winds cover Anastasia State Park beach
Anastasia Islands white sand dunes

Anastasia State Park

Anastasia State Recreation Area was first opened to the public in 1949 and since that time has become one of Florida's busiest state parks. Anastasia has everything for the active park visitor. Coastal camping, fishing, sun bathing, surfing, sail boarding, swimming, nature trails and picnicking provide endless hours of enjoyment.

Anastasia State Park is located off A1A, just 1.6 miles South of the Castillo

Fort Matanzas
Fort Matanzas National Monument
A Spanish colonial outpost and modern nature preserve just 14 miles south of St. Augustine
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Sunset at Canaveral National Seashore
Canaveral National Seashore
History, wildlife and diverse habitat along the longest stetch of undeveloped beach in Florida
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Jean Ribault sets up a pillar to France in North Florida
Fort Caroline National Memorial
Visit the site of the first French settlement in Florida
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Space Shuttle Atlantis rolls out of assembly
John F. Kennedy Space Center
From suborbital flight to sending spacecraft to the far reaches of deep space it all starts here
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The City of St. Augustine was surrounded by a ditched Palm Log wall topped with redoubts every 200 yards.  

Did You Know?
Spanish St. Augustine was the first of only three walled cities ever constructed in North America; the other two are (English) Charleston, South Carolina and (French) Quebec City, Canada. Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, Florida

Last Updated: January 26, 2007 at 15:14 EST