Fort Matanzas National Monument

Fort Matanzas National Monument preserves the compact coquina watchtower built by Spain from 1740 to 1742 after a British siege exposed the vulnerability of Matanzas Inlet, the southern water approach to St. Augustine. Positioned on Rattlesnake Island, the fort allowed a small garrison and its cannon to control the inlet and protect the supply route to the larger Castillo de San Marcos. The monument's name also recalls the 1565 killings of French Huguenots near the inlet, a violent episode in the struggle among European powers for Florida.

A free passenger ferry carries visitors from the park's visitor center to the fort when weather and staffing permit. At the island, visitors can examine the original watchtower, gun deck, rooms, and surrounding estuary while learning about Spanish colonial defense and the soldiers stationed at this remote outpost. The mainland visitor center, nature trail, boardwalk, beach, and protected dunes and marshes add a strong natural-history dimension to the visit.