Right in Front of a Fort from 1740

A MUST-STOP! Plan for a full day exploring the fort, trails, and beach at Fort Matanzas National Monument.

At Fort Matanzas National Monument you can anchor right in front of fort, which was built in the 1700’s by the Spanish Empire.

You can’t dinghy to the fort directly, but you can dinghy to the beach in front of the Visitors Center, on the opposite shore. Once there, get a free ticket to take the ferry across and tour the fort! It’s fun to ride on someone else’s boat for a change.

Aside from touring the fort, there are two easy trails to explore. There’s excellent beach and sandbar access,and those areas were dotted with people enjoying the fine weather

We saw a plethora of wildlife, including jellyfish, nudibranch, roseate spoonbills, bald eagles, cardinals, osprey, fiddler crabs, green anole lizards, and one shy black-and-white warbler

The current is very strong! We learned an important lesson here: put out enough scope for the depth you’re in at HIGH TIDE not just the current depth when you anchor. We drug 0.5 nautical miles. Thankfully, we didn’t drag into the shoal and run aground

Our time here was some of the best times, the area was absolutely stunning. I hope everyone has a wonderful time here!