St. Augustine

If you are a history buff, you are going to love St. Augustine. The oldest continually settled city in the US (Roanoke Island in NC was settled earlier, but the colony, if you recall, was ‘lost’), St. Augustine has seen two periods of eminence and countless ups and downs, but through it all has retained its old fashioned charm.

The Spanish settled St. Augustine in 1565 after mixed success with the Florida peninsula. Juan Ponce de Leon (remember him?) was absolutely certain that the waters of Bimini were located somewhere…and so he sent off with his crew to find the Fountain of Youth. Ponce De Leon, poor man, was seriously misguided and to his chagrin, ended up near what is modern day Cape Canaveral only to not find the Fountain of Youth and realize that his dreams of immortality for him and his King (King Ferdinand of Spain) were in vain. His time was wasted in this endeavor, but his discovery of Florida opened a new door of exploration and possibilities.

Barring the failure of the Fountain of Youth, Spain gained an asset with Florida, and St. Augustine was the first fort erected to protect this Spanish territory. The Castillos de San Marcos is still standing to this day and guided tours are provided. The fort is made of Coquina, which is a variant of limestone and seashells cemented together, and this powerful building has withstood hundreds of years of battering from enemies and hurricanes.

There is a Fountain of Youth in the center of St. Augustine – but don’t drink it! This fountain is a natural spring that is sulfuric and stinks of rotten eggs and was arbitrarily given the name “Fountain of Youth” for merchandising purposes. It is inside a gift shop (how convenient), so if you want something pertaining to the Fountain of Youth, buy a souvenir from there.

The Downtown Historic District has cobblestones streets, horse drawn carriages, and quaint shops. This city has a lot of sights to take in – don’t be shocked by all of the “oldest” or “first” plaques or buildings that dot the city. There are dozens of cafes, bars, small restaurants, and boutiques that will provide endless hours of amusement. Come and see why St. Augustine will continue to be “settled” – life is so easy here, people just don’t want to leave!

Florida Tourists Guide