Castillo de San Marcos
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The Famous Fort of St. Augustine, Florida
In 1672 the Spanish settlement in St. Augustine, on the northeastern coast of Florida began building a fort of coquina rock. This special "rock" is made from tiny coquina seashells, and at the time they had no idea if it would end up being a sturdy enough building material to keep them safe from enemy invasions from the sea.
Although I have visited the fort many times, I don't have my pictures handy to use so my son sent me a bunch of photos from his recent visit that reminded me of this beautiful and historic place.
The stories of that time period are incredible and interesting as is the structure of the fort itself. It still stands today, battle scars and all, for us to tour and view as a reminder of what must have been a frightening time in history.
Although I have visited the fort many times, I don't have my pictures handy to use so my son sent me a bunch of photos from his recent visit that reminded me of this beautiful and historic place.
The stories of that time period are incredible and interesting as is the structure of the fort itself. It still stands today, battle scars and all, for us to tour and view as a reminder of what must have been a frightening time in history.
Contents at a Glance
Have You Ever Been There?
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It's A Fun and Educational Florida Tourist Attraction
Located on the northeastern coast of Florida
The fort is now a tourist attraction and thousands of visitors to Florida head to St. Augustine to walk through this historic structure. Located on the east coast of Florida, the Castillo de San Marcos (which means St. Mark's Castle) is right on the Intracoastal Waterway in the heart of the city. The admittance fee is small ($6 for age 16 and over, according to the official site).St. Augustine has much more to see than just the famous fort and you can easily spend the entire day traveling through the city on trolley tours and walking the streets to view the "oldest schoolhouse", the Lightner Museum and the "Ripley's Believe it of Not" museum. (My kids always loved that one).
Outside the fort the horse drawn buggies are lined up waiting to be rented for a unique way to view the city which contains Flagler College and many shops and restaurants are nearby so if the weather is nice, plan on walking to many of the attractions.
Florida summers
are extremely hot and you'll enjoy this walking tour much more if you go at a cooler time of year.
The Fort Was Built With Coquina Rock
The state of Florida doesn't have much in the way of rocks, mainly just sand, so the Spanish used hardened masses of little coquina shells taken from nearby Anastasia Island to build the fort. Because they used this material, the fort is still standing today, over 300 years later!Construction on the fort began in 1672. As the "rocks" were cut into sections by some of the workers, others were collecting oyster shells which were burned into lime and mixed with sand and water to make a type of cement to hold the coquina rock in place. At the time no one had used this material for building and the Spanish were unsure of how well it would hold up to attacks. It turned out to be an excellent material because of it's soft nature and the cannon balls would either bounce off or become embedded in the walls instead of cracking and breaking them.
Twenty three years later, in 1695, the fort was completed and in 1924 it was declared to be a national monument.
The Moat and Construction of The Fort
The Spanish settled in the St. Augustine in 1565 and built forts of wood which were either burned by attackers or were destroyed by the elements. They realized that they needed a sturdier way to defend themselves.This is the moat and the entry way to the interior of the coquina stone fort. When the walls were being constructed, no one knew for sure how well the coquina rock would hold up against cannon fire, so the interior walls were made 12 feet thick and the walls facing the waterway, where the attacking ships would be, were 19 feet thick!
Only 7 years after the completion of the fort, it was attacked by the British from Charlestown and because of the strength of the walls, the attack failed!
Tour The Inside Rooms
This cool site lets you choose a room inside the fort to visit and then shows a photo of it. Fun!
St. Augustine, Florida
I personally love St. Augustine. It's one of my favorite Florida places, but I like to go when it's less likely to be overrun with tourists. Good times to avoid would be any vacation weeks such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and the Easter holiday (many kids have Spring break around that time). Bike week in February or March can make driving especially tough in the Daytona area which you will pass near on your way to St. Augustine. Also, the millions of bikers don't stay in Daytona - they are tourists too, so St. Augustine could be packed with bikers and I have nothing against bikers, but I'm warning you of the crowded streets and don't be fooled - Bike Week lasts longer than a week!
St. Augustine Fort and Aerial View
This short video shows part of a reenactment and the fort in relation to where it's situated on the Intracoastal Waterway on the east coast of Florida in Flagler County.
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If you are staying at Disney World
The Fort is about a 2 hour drive north on I-4, I-95 and US Rt.1.
Be sure to bring rain jackets, sunscreen and bottled water. In fact water is all that's allowed inside the fort and on a very hot day you'll be glad you brought your own!
Modern Day Uses For Coquina Rock
Today coquina rock is still used in many ways. From decorating fountains and pools, building monuments and entryways, to creating garden borders and other landscaping projects, it's a reliable building material that won't be affected by high humidity or eaten by termites.A couple of famous landmarks made of coquina rock are the Daytona Beach Clock Tower and magnificent Bandshell.
Click here for a list (with nice photos) of many other uses.
Florida Has Lots Of Attractions
What interests you most about the state?
I'm curious if you visit the Sunshine State for the Disney experience or are you more interested in Florida's natural beauty and historical culture. There are lots of great things to do in Florida, but if you had time to do just one thing while visiting Florida, which would you choose?
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What do you think of this famous Florida fort?
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tembrooke Dec 28, 2010 @ 7:55 pm | delete
- Blessed!
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kimmanleyort
Nov 14, 2010 @ 8:40 am | delete
- I have never been to St. Augustine or Castillo de San Marcos, but you have taken us on an interesting walk through history. This sounds like it would be a fun excursion if you were visiting Disney World or St. Augustine. ** Blessed **
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Easy Ways To Bring Along Some Water
You will need water everywhere you go in Florida!
One thing you will need no matter where you go in Florida is water! Carrying your own will assure you that it will taste good too.
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Historical References
These are the sites that provided some of the information I have used in my writing.
- Teacher's Help Site
- A pdf file with historical information about the building of the Castillo de San Marcos
- The construction of the fort with coquina
- The construction of the Castillo de San Marcos in St.
Augustine, Florida. The history of the coquina fort.
by dustytoes
I lived in central Florida for close to 27 years and have visited St. Augustine many times. It's a beautiful and historic place.
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Florida Map Book
Florida Atlas & Gazetteer
Amazon Price: $12.00 (as of 05/30/2012)
Florida is a huge state, use this helpful map to find the best spots for camping, hiking, attractions, recreation, boat ramps and more.
Planning a Visit To St. Augustine
There is lots to see in this historic place
St. Augustine and St. Johns County: A Historical Guide
Amazon Price: $11.21 (as of 05/30/2012)
This book is a helpful travel guide for anyone planning a visit to St. Augustine, Florida.
Seashells of Florida
