Went for the 4th of July weekend and even though it was hot (bring a hat) the loading time was quick and the ferry took less than 12 minutes to the destination. This is a must-visit after the San Marco Fort as how this is connected to the Spanish defense layout against the British. Also, don't forget to tip the guides at the end. There is a box before leaving the ferry. read more

This attraction is so cool in that it's completely free! My family and I were trying to find free/cheap things to do when we were visiting St. Augustine so when my brother found this fort with a free ferry ride, we couldn't pass it up. When we went, we had just missed the earliest time to when the ferry took off, so we had a wait for almost 2 hours for the first next time slot with room on the boat to take us across to the fort. The nearby beaches were a godsend in that aspect since we easily walked a few minutes to a beach down the road and killed time then. The actual tour itself was really nice. The ferry was nice and slow and there was plenty of room on board for the group we were with. The guy driving the boat and the actual tour guide himself were super friendly. The fort itself was really cool. We were impressed that we were able to go up to the very top for free! The ladder up to the third level was really cool. Definitely check this out if you're in the area. read more

Fort Matanzas National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

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A truly wonderful experience. No charge makes it better. A short boat ride over to the fort on other side of river. Note that number of visitors each trip is limited by seating availability on boat so come early and get your tickets. A small fort but interesting nonetheless. Great short hiking trails on the ranger station side . No hiking on the island where the fort is. read more

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Four stars because the ferry wasn't running that day and we had no way to get to the fort itself. We walked around the shoreline and got some pictures of it from the dock and I got my passport book stamped. We stopped in at the tiny info desk/giftshop/museum and talked to a ranger in there a bit. Not much for souvenirs, but I'm glad we stopped. If we ever get back this way, we'll try again....the actual fort looks very interesting from the pictures I've seen. 106/2025 read more

Fort Matanzas National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

Advertise how to actually get the pass to ride the ferry to see the fort. If you don't arrive by 9 you will not be able to will have wasted your day. read more

Fort Matanzas National Monument - View of fort from ferry dock. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

I'm always seeking out National Parks to visit and while Castillo de San Marcos is the much more popular spot to visit, Fort Matanzas is 14 miles south on the southern inlet and only accessible by ferry. I was lucky enough to take the first ferry across at 9:30 am, but it is recommended to go early to get your ticket as they book up quick and often are full for the day. The best part? While Castillo does charge a fee, Fort Matanzas does not! It's completely free. read more

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I haven't been to the fort in years- but it's a nice boat ride across the river and you can go inside the small fort. Today we did some hiking trails- the boat was fully booked for the day and it sounded like they were already booking for tomorrow! Holidays- er-body is out and about. The hiking trails were also busy, not as peaceful as I would have liked- but I took lots of photos and enjoyed the trails. We honestly haven't been in years because we knew they had sustained damage from a storm and there were no tours to the fort. I am thrilled that they are up and running again. We'll have to go again soon! read more

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All of St. Augustine is really cool, but this old fort was my favorite! It's an old colonial style Spanish fort. It's amazing it's still standing! The history and look at life in the 1700s was fascinating! read more

Fort Matanzas experience, free ride it was beautiful!! Need to be 30 min before departure to get tickets (same day only) read more

Fort Matanzas National Monument - Fort Matanzas entrances - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

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We arrived early and parked in line at the gate before the park opened. Had one older guy run in get spots on a later water shuttle to the fort. Interesting process not for the faint of heart. We opted to drive in once the gate was open. Got our free tickets for the shuttle to take us over to the fort later. Explored the area and made it back in time to catch the safety briefing and cruise on over to the fort. Great history lessons and even snuck in some birding along the way. Imagine it can get toasty during the summer. Early March treated us well. Enjoyed the time at the fort. Good experience overall. Park staff are excellent and knowledgeable. We would do it again. Don't take your fishing poles with you. The boat captain does not appreciate it. It makes you look creepy too. You can't fish at the fort. Folks can be creepy and strange. read more

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Free. What a fun time for all ages. Learn history and see a monument. Our fuide Ranger Carolyn and Captain Paul were great. Very informative tour. Short trip to fort. Saw birds, fish, turtles and the islands famous crabs. Lots of parking. Trails for walking. Beautiful trees and picnic tables in parl. Pleaae leave a donation so St Augustine can continue to keep these treasures in the great shape they are due to their hard work. Amazing staff in office as well. Don't miss this trip. read more

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Our visit here was short because the ferry could not take anyone to the Fort due to Hurricane Milton's damage to the dock. But we were able to walk around the area and look at the very old and beautiful trees growing here. There was a very nice and helpful park ranger on premises who is happy to give you the history of Fort Matanzas. If you are looking for a large fort close by, then go over to San Carlos fort. read more

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Let's roll right thru the night and bring this one up to the current: If you're looking for a brief overview of what makes the structure important, what went on here and why it needed to be preserved, the below two should do it. www.nps.gov/foma/learn/historyculture/index.htm www.nationalparks.org/explore/parks/fort-matanzas-national-monument#:~:text=Throughout%20its%20history%2C%20the%20story,enemies%20approaching%20from%20the%20south. The basic idea here is that every day except Tuesday, the park service runs one of their pontoon boats the brief trip across the Matanzas River to the fort. After that you get a brief lesson of who/what/when/where/why and then you're cut loose for about 20-25 minutes to explore the fort itself. Schedule and necessary info below. www.nps.gov/foma/planyourvisit/hours.htm A few noteworthy notes: - The boats leave on the bottom of the hour from 9:30-3:30. If you're not on time, they will leave without you and no, the boat will not come back and depending on how busy they are, you might have an issue actually seeing the fort that day. The Saturday we showed up they were already handing out timed tickets for two and three hours in advance. - If you take a walk on the nature trail, watch out as hanging from the trees are some of the biggest and baddest looking spiders you will see anywhere. - There is no real wandering around once you get on the island with the fort. They have a small area where the grass/weeds are mowed but past that it's all trees/scrub brush/marsh/water - i.e. you're not going to get very far. - Don't be an asshole and not follow the ranger's simple instructions about not touching the actual coquina structure of the fort. They explain how the oils from human skin can breakdown the structure of the shells and it's wild that as they're saying it, three or four people are leaning on/touching/scraping at one of the walls. When busy, parking can be real tight. You've got the people who are waiting for their boat, and you also have overflow from people looking for beach access across the street which is huge on weekends. Overall, while small, the fort is neat and the rangers here will impart as much knowledge on you as you choose to hit them up for. Far more approachable than Castillo de San Marcos and the price (free) is also right as well. A+ read more

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FREE SHOW UP EARLY! Tickets are limited for each time slot. Tours are on the 30 min mark. Check online for times that day. There is a restroom at the visitor center. It's a quick ~4 min ferry ride over to the fort. Followed by a Park Ranger going over the history of the fort. Then there is a bit of free time to explore the fort. You can go up to the top. The full experience is about an hour. The Park Rangers were a wealth of history knowledge and really great! There is a boardwalk trail that loops to explore also. Right next to Washington Oak State Park if you need something to do after. read more

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Fort Matanzas National Monument is an absolute must do if you are in the area! It's free! Yes, you read that right - FREE! Admission is free, as is the ferry pass to get across the Intracoastal waterway to get to the fort itself! We arrived at 10, and picked up our passes for the 10:30 voyage (only a few minutes in very calm waters). The rangers were very informative. There is a brief session where you will be told history of the fort, etc. The rest of your time there is a self-guided tour, with the rangers standing by to answer any and all questions. The fort is restored, and it is immaculate. There are lots of displays of arms, equipment, and items of every day life for the Spanish soldier of the time. There is a very sturdy wooden ladder that takes you up to the very top - the view is amazing! Just be aware that the opening in the roof is narrow - it may be difficult to pass for some. What an amazing time - will definitely be returning! read more

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This is a great place to spend some family time and connect with history. The short ferry ride was free on the day we went and the visit was too! Our guide was knowledgeable and fun. We saw sea turtles and other marine life. read more

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Ferry to the fort closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Nice views! Friendly Staff. Virtual tours available. Restroom available. read more

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Very unassuming little entrance off A1A and all of a sudden you go from pleasant beachfront living to a veritable jungle. That's pretty much what the Spaniards found here a lil over 500 years ago. Our friends from the National Park Service are trying to keep this little corner of La Florida just that way. Getting to the fortress itself, which is located on a little island in the middle of the Matanzas River, is carefully orchestrated. Basically, you get a boarding pass and wait for the ferry to show up. Get on the ferry with the park rangers and they guide you through the whole thing. Aside from the safety briefings, do's and don'ts on the island and the boat, you get a well narrated and interpreted experience. Then it's back onto the ferry. Total experience is about 50 minutes; no staying back under ANY circumstances. After that, the only other thing to do here is their little nature trail which is about half a mile long in a loop around a sliver of forest and a glimmer at the beach dunes by the Matanzas inlet. Lots of explanatory signs and so forth to keep your mind engaged. I added a few of 'em to give a general idea of what to expect. Overall it was a enjoyable experience they took about an hour and 45 minutes. Interesting factoids provided by rangers and an interesting glimpse of the REAL Old Florida long before the days of Henry Flagler and Thomas Edison ever set foot here. I highly recommend it!! read more

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Recommendation if you want to go on the ferry tour to the fort - get there early in the day to sign-up for the Free tour because they can fill up fast. There are no advanced reservations. We were taking a leisurely drive down the coast and stopped in around 11am on a Wednesday and the next available tour was not until 2:30pm. They run every hour on the 1/2 hour until 3:30pm but there is not one at 12:30pm. The main thing to do here is the tour though they have a short nature trail and just south of the main entrance before the next bridge you can park on either side of A1A and they have some nice beaches and tidal flats to explore. The tour itself was well run and very prompt. Ranger Steve is an excellent story teller and made the approximately 50 minute tour and boat ride very enjoyable. The fort is pretty cool and the history fascinating. Well worth the drive especially given this tour is free (they should really charge for this tour). read more

Fort Matanzas National Monument - Trail map - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

So much unique history. Free. Free tour. Free parking. This is an hour or so long tour. You leave by Small ferry and travel to the monument so space is limited. You arrive and sign up for a ferry time. If that time is full, then you moved to the next time. You can not reserve in advance. I recommend going earlier in the day because slot times fill up. There is a picnic area with large trees and bathhouse to hang out in while you wait. They also have nature trail and Jr Ranger book. Our ferry guide gave great information on the rose over and then you are allowed to explore on your own unit time to head back. Don't skip this. read more

Fort Matanza's National Monument located in Saint Augustine, FL. If you plan to take a trip here; they open at 9am & close at 5PM. PLEASE arrive before there time slots or get there early enough to get the FREE boarding pass by ferry to go to Fort Matanza. It is FIRST COME FIRST SERVE; they DO NOT reserve tickets in advance, so if you get there before the 9:30am boarding it might be full so get the next boarding time available to go. While you wait to board; I suggest going on the trail, sit at the picnic tables or wait in your vehicle so the mosquitoes don't bite you. The ferry carries 36 passengers, and met 3 park rangers. I do LOVE that the entry was free, but wished the park rangers had more information during the ride as everyone was silent until arrival less than 5 minutes of getting some info. Fort Matanza is a smaller fort size compared to Castillo de San Marcos. They have 2 of the original cannons. (IMPORTANT) Beware: If you don't like heights or climbing or you are claustrophobic; PLEASE do not attempt to go on the fort. You must climb up the stairs to get onto the fort then climb onto another set of stairs to get to 2nd floor then to get to the observation deck you climb the wooden ladder YET the hole space is very small. read more

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This is a nice little national monument which features a historic Spanish fort from the 1700s. The visitor center has a nice film which provides excellent background on the fort. I wish they more exhibit space to explain more about the fort but they don't have a lot of floor space. The ferry is currently not running since the dock was damaged in the Nov 2024 hurricane. You can get a good look at the fort from the dock. The staff is very friendly and helpful and love to talk about the fort so take the opportunity to have a personal ranger talk. The view of the fort is a very short walk from the parking lot so this is an easy fort to visit. read more

Beautiful historic location that has stood the test of time. Picture perfect for any occasion and don't forget your water toys! read more

Fort Matanzas National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

Fort Matanzas is designed as an outpost fort to protect from being invaded from the rear on the South side of St. Augustine. It is a small fort but don't let that fool you! You need to take a 5 minutes ferry boat ride to reach the Fort. You must get a ticket from the visitor center on your way to the dock. They are limited to no more than 35 people at a time. Tickets are issue on first come first service basis. Picnic tables are available along the parking lot but fires and grills are not allowed. There is a small beach along the side of dock and a short trial that you can take a hike. Here in the island, you have ton of mosquitos, alligators, snakes, hurricanes and the threats of invading enemy. A typical deployment of 7 men for one month is common practice during the 1700's. Hunting and fishing are the common recreation and survivor activities. It must be a hard life and a horrible place to station! Only 3 cannons were in place. You can climb to the top but the opening is quite narrow and it may be a challenge. Once on top, the Fort has an amazing view of the inlet. Now, National Park Service is preserving and maintaining this site. It's a free trip but they accept donations. There are volunteers that fire the muskets or cannon and answer question about the Fort! Check or call for specific detail on a particular day's activity. A very cool place to visit! read more

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Interesting for all ages. Ferry is a great short ride to the fort. Feels like stepping back in time. Great history. The park rangers are knowledgeable and super helpful. read more

What a beautiful experience we had coming to Fort Matanzas. The park itself is beautiful and very well preserved. We walked to the fort welcome area and got our tickets to board the ferry. The ferry and fort are both free of charge. While we waited for the 10:30 ferry, we walked the beach trail. What a beautiful view. We spotted couple of boats, many miniature crabs, schools of fishes, locals fishing and or just sitting near the water, in taking the beautiful view and weather. Riding the ferry was very nice and the view only got better. We arrived at the fort which was very close in a small island called rattlesnake island and could be seen for the welcome center. This is a very small but beautiful fort. We were told that only six soldiers stayed at this fort at a time. On the first floor, we could see where 5 if them would have slept, eaten their me last and enjoy a card game or two. The second story was were the guns and gun powder were stored and where one of the soldiers slept. There was a small opening led by stairs that took you to the roof top. The view from the top of the fort was absolutely breath taking. We were allowed to stay and explore for about 30 minutes before the ferry went back. I loved everything g about this fort, just wished that we would have had more time at the fort and island to explore a bit more. We also went on the nature trail walk and it was so beautiful and relaxing. All in all, I'm so glad we visited and got to experience this amazing piece of history. read more

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Smaller of its sister fort, Castillo de San Marcos, Fort Matanzas is still a pleasure to visit and learn about history.

Educational, convenient, economical, beautiful, scenic, fun, historical. This is a very simple, historical monument. It takes no more than 2 hours to complete the whole process and less if you arrive close to the time the boat leaves and you only do the fort. The boat ride from the western shore of Anastasia Island is very beautiful. Guides are on the boat and at the fort with a short presentation on the history and use of the fort. There is a film in the gift shop, but we didn't watch it. The price is right too, the entry fee is, free. Donations are encouraged. Avoid the summer months and weekends as those are busiest and most likely to be hot (summer). This is perfect for kids 5 and older. Parts of the Fort would be a bit scary for younger kids, but with supervision, any age would love this place. read more

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I've been here about half a dozen times and have always tried to get to the fort. I remember the first few times lightning was so bad, they stopped the ferry. The other times we were too late to take it, but if you plan correctly the tour is so worth the trip. The tour guides are pretty funny and welcoming. And riding the ferry is pretty cool, too. The views of the intercoastal are absolutely gorgeous. When you land, they give you a brief history of the area and you have the option to go all the way up to the top and see the entire lay of the land against the beautiful backdrop of blue water. Make sure you wear proper shoes and definitely use the bathroom prior to the sojourn as there are no restrooms once you hit the island. It's about a half hour to 45 minute tour. It's a free trip, but they do take donations if you are so inclined. It is a National Park run by the Federal government so you'll get to see some real-life park rangers in uniform protecting the property and natural resources. Very cool. read more

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This is a National Park just south of Castillo San Marcos in Saint Augustine located on A1A. This was the first fort that you would encounter if you were going up the waterway towards the Castillo de San Marcos. Were you actually go is a very small shop/ranger station. The actual fort is across the river just slightly north. The time that we were there the ferry was not operating, because of hurricane damage done to the fort across the water. We made the most of our time, I took a lot of pictures, enjoy very small little gift shop that they had. Adjacent to the gift shop and very small room where they can give you a little bit of history about the fort. This is about the extent of this park. Since the ferry was closed because the fort damage across the way there is nothing else to see. I will have to check back in a future date, to see if repairs have been made. read more

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I was "Wow'd" upon arrival. The National Monument park is beautifully maintained. The nature trail leads to a beautiful view of the beach area. If you look closely behind one of the signs, one will see a marker where a massacre occurred. The park has a free ferry ride to Ft. Matanzas. Here, one can see the bridge traversing the inlet one mile away. The cannons at the fort can blast an 18 pound cannonball at a range of 1.6 miles. It was a day well spent. read more

Fort Matanzas National Monument - These cannons can blast an 18 pound cannonball at a range of 1.6 miles. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

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We enjoyed our visit, the park personnel were informative. The area was well maintained and the site is worth seeing. It's all free as well folks. Nice way to spend an hour and learn a bit about the history of the area and why the Spanish built these forts. read more

Fort Matanzas National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

Nice tour guides, informative and engaging. A very good quick afternoon, this area is rich in history.

A huge thanks to the National Park Service for continued maintenance of this fabulous piece of history. Amazing to hear the story of the fort. Definitely worth taking the kids to see!, Check days and hours before going to this FREE boat and walking tour. Www.nps.gov read more

Free tickets for the ferry ride to the fort. Great trip, it is a guided tour but you get the chance to look around the fort on your own and explore. read more

The NPS has done a great job of making this small fort interesting and educational.

This was a cool little excursion. Short ride on a pontoon boat, then we walked around and through the fort for about 30 minutes. The boats for the day fill quickly so plan to get there at 9:00 to get your tickets for the time you want. read more

Matanzas... in English.. slaughter. Murder. You get the idea. Yes, the name says it all, battles, blood and well... history. You literally feel as if you are stepping into the past and seeing what Florida was literally hundreds of years ago. This area is the oldest in the USA, and this is just one amazing part of its history. You can find out the history of the fort on the boat. Don't forget to bring a camera, sure they have a gift shop too. read more

This place is perfect to stop by on the way to St. Augustine from Orlando. They do open at 9AM and we got there a bit early and saw the beach across the street -- I am hesitant to write about that beach because I want it to stay exactly as it is - not many people and absolutely gorgeous. They also technically opened at 9 so no one was in the little hut. They are leash dog friendly (yessss!!!) and the sand is perfect. I'm not much of a beach person and the sand was compact enough that you didn't sink every step . That means that you can keep your sneakers on without getting sand on them. Seriously the least sandy beach trip ever. There was ample parking (we were there early around 8AM). At promptly 9, the gates across the street opened. The ferry is free to the fort, but you MUST get a ticket from the visitors center on the way to the dock. They leave every hour on the half (9:30 being the first one). The boat ride is super short and they stress staying seated a lot m, but it was super smooth that day (it is an inlet after all so I doubt it would get any worse). The fort was also pretty awesome and they really let you explore. 25 minutes was the perfect amount of time to take it all in. You can climb to the top, but as you can see by my mother's hat, that opening is quite narrow and it is a physical challenge. When we returned , there were reenactors (is that a word?) on site that knew everything about the site, answered our questions, and fired muskets. There is a 0.5 mile walking trail that is perfect on hotter days because it is shaded almost all of the way on a nice Boardwalk (it starts to the right of the bathrooms). Honestly, I am incredibly grateful for the National Park System that provides and restores this site for free for us to enjoy :). There were also people parked there to fish and they seemed cool with that too :). read more

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This a a beautiful park loaded with history. It is a great adventure for the family and it includes a short boat ride to the actual monument. There is no charge to take the boat ride and parking is free. You may need to wait for your boat ride, but there are great trials to walk through to kill some time. The trails are in a dense forest with boardwalk and seating every several feet. We went early in the morning before the park opened and noticed a groundsman with a leaf blower. He was apparently cleaning up the park, but ALSO making sure he blew away spiderwebs on the trails. I happened to walk into one and had a beautiful, possible poisonous, spider on my back. I was able to get him off before being bitten and turning into spider man for vacation which was good. Finally, we made our way to the boat ride, which is a quick ride over to the monument. You have a quick guide provided, but after that you are free to tour the monument on your own and take pictures. You could probably spend a good 2 hours on your day here. read more

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