A Timeless Vigil
Coastal Florida was a major field of conflict as European nations fought for control in the New World. As part of this struggle, Fort Matanzas guarded St. Augustine’s southern river approach. The colonial wars are over, but the monument is still protecting—not just the historic fort, but also the wild barrier island and the plants and animals who survive there amidst a sea of modern development.
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Ft Matanzas in 3D!
View a 3D rendering of the laser scan performed by the University of South Florida.
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A Bit of Old Florida
With spreading live oaks, an estuary teeming with wildlife, and an old Spanish fort, Fort Matanzas preserves a slice of Florida from centuries past.
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Conflict of Nations
Centuries ago, France and Britain battled the Spanish for control of Spain’s holdings in La Florida, the key to the wealth of the Spanish Caribbean.
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An Ecological Haven
Today, the story of conflict and survival continues as human pressures encroach upon the peacefulness of the woodlands, beach, and salt marsh.
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St. Augustine Connections
History comes alive at our sister park, the Castillo de San Marcos, in historic city of St. Augustine, fourteen miles north of Fort Matanzas.
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Did You Know?
Did you know that Fort Matanzas National Monument is the home of the diminutive Anastasia Island beach mouse, a mouse species found nowhere else except on Anastasia Island. Ft Matanzas National Monument, Florida