Visiting Fort Matanzas National Monument: The Free Florida Fort Most People Have Never Heard Of

Visiting Fort Matanzas National Monument is easy and best of all free! I’ve gone a couple times and it makes for a fun outing that offers history and pretty views.

This fort played a pivotal role in protecting St. Augustine and you can see how the soldiers would have lived when working at the fort. Plus, the free ferry included a quick history lesson once you arrive at the fort.

I’ll review what to expect, offer any Fort Matanzas ferry tips, and show you why this is one of the top free things to do in St. Augustine!

Good to Know Before You Go

• Cost: Completely free — no entrance fee, no ferry fee
• Ferry days: Thursday through Monday only (no Tuesdays or Wednesdays)
• Ferry times: Every hour from 9:30AM to 3:30PM
• Tickets: First come, first served — pick up at the visitor center day of
• Arrive early: At least 20 minutes before your ferry time
• Restrooms: Available in the parking area — none on the boat or at the fort
• Food & drinks: No food allowed. Water only permitted on the ferry and at the fort
• Weather: Ferry cancels for lightning — morning visits recommended in summer
• What to wear: Comfortable walking shoes, hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen — the fort has very little shade, especially midday

What Is Fort Matanzas?

If you’ve spent even a day in St. Augustine, you’ve probably heard of or seen Castillo de San Marcos. It’s the big, beautiful fort right in the heart of the city. But Fort Matanzas? That one tends to fly under the radar, and did for me even as a Florida local until a few years ago.

Fort Matanzas is a small coquina watchtower built by the Spanish back in 1742, and its whole purpose was to protect St. Augustine from the south. The idea was simple — if an enemy ship tried to sneak down the Matanzas River to flank the city, the soldiers stationed here would spot them and fire a warning shot. It worked. In fact, the fort only ever had to fire on an enemy once in its entire history. Sometimes just being there is enough.

The name itself has a darker backstory. “Matanzas” is the Spanish word for slaughters, and it comes from a 1565 massacre that happened right at this inlet. It’s one of those details the ranger shares that makes you stop and look at the landscape a little differently.

It’s not a huge, sprawling fort like Castillo. It’s small, quiet, and tucked away on a little island you can only reach by ferry, which honestly makes the whole experience feel like more of an adventure than a typical historic site visit.

Visiting Fort Matanzas National Monument

Visiting Fort Matanzas National Monument is super easy. You will visit the office located just west of the beach road (A1A). I’ve never been on a day when it was super busy, so I’ve never had an issue parking, but I did see a sign about overflow parking.

Once you arrive, walk to the main building and you will see an office on the right. The lady working the day I arrived greeted me and I asked if there was any availability for the ferry that afternoon. I had my pick of any of the three remaining afternoon ferries and it was a Friday in March. I did hear someone call as I was leaving who checked on availability, so if it’s a busy weekend, consider calling ahead. Just know that you cannot reserve tickets.

Fort Matanzas Ferry Tips

After I stated which ferry I wanted, I was handed a ticket and told to be in the waiting area 10 minutes early for a safety briefing. Since I had about 40 minutes before the tour, I asked the lady if there were any trails. She informed me of two trails, one sandy and one with a boardwalk.

If you don’t want to walk, there are picnic tables near the main parking under gorgeous trees where you can relax. There is a bathroom in the parking area as well. Since there are no bathrooms at the fort or on the boat, be sure to utilize them before the tour.

You can only take water with you on the ferry. No other food or drinks are allowed. The whole tour lasts about 50 minutes, so I didn’t even take water with me.

Also, be sure to consider the weather. Summers usually see thunderstorms daily, and the ferry will be cancelled if there’s lightning. Head there in the morning for cooler temperatures and a lower chance of storms in the summer. Additionally, the ferry may be cancelled without notice for any reason, so keep that in mind!

• Get your free ticket at the office
• Call ahead on busy weekends to ask about availability
• You will need to arrive at least 10 minutes before for a safety briefing
• No ferry on Tuesdays or Wednesdays
• Ferries every hour from 9:30AM to 3:30PM
• Nature trails and picnic area if you arrive early
• Restroom is located in parking area
• No restrooms on the boat or at the fort
• No food or drink, other than water, is allowed on the ferry or by the fort
• Consider the weather as cancellation will happen

The Ferry Ride

You will need to arrive about 10 minutes before the ferry when visiting Fort Matanzas National Monument. The waiting area is outside, but it’s shaded and there are benches. The ranger will give a safety brief and also mention proper etiquette on the island.

Once that is complete, we will show our tickets and walk along the dock to the ferry. The ranger and ferry captain will check your ticket and take a count. There are bench seats on each side and the ferry is open on the sides but covered offering some sun protection.

The ferry ride lasts about five minutes. You can see the fort from the dock, so the whole journey is short and easy across the Matanzas River. Only official personnel are allowed by the fort, so no one else will be there, which keeps it from being too crowded.

Visiting the Fort Itself

Once we were docked, we were led to the grassy area by the fort. What little shade was offered at 1:30PM was welcomed as the Ranger gave us a brief history of the fort. She spoke for around 10 minutes and included how the Spaniards were able to fight off the French and how nature played a big role.

Once the Ranger finished, she advised anyone who was comfortable climbing a ladder to head there first. The opening is fairly narrow, but doable and a wooden ladder feels very appropriate for the fort. From the top, you can see far in all directions and it offered such a beautiful view!

Having everyone (who was interested) climb first kept the ladder situation from being dangerous. And when it was time to climb down you didn’t have to worry about anyone coming up. After I enjoyed the views for a while and took loads of photos, I climbed down the ladder.

Some people had a harder time climbing down than up. If you’re not comfortable, the Ranger recommends not participating. Still it seemed as though most of us did make the climb.

Where the ladder goes up to the tower is where the soldiers would stay. There are some displays explaining the history, and items showing how life looked back then.

Outside on the first level are the cannons, which are pointed toward where the ocean and river meet. With this fort strategically placed here, the enemy would often just turn around, recognizing that a surprise ambush at the St. Augustine fort is not possible.

After enjoying the fort for a while, I headed down and took more photos from ground level. The day was absolutely gorgeous with the sun, water, and sandbars, which is also why there were plenty of people and boats around.

We were asked to be back at the boat at 10 after 2PM, so we had about 20 minutes to explore on our own after the Ranger spoke. This was the perfect amount of time as the fort doesn’t offer much shade and is not very large.

We were back at the visitor center dock about 2:20PM, just in time for the Ranger to give the safety briefing to the next group.

The Trails & Nature

Since I arrived about an hour early when visiting Fort Matanzas National Monument, I asked if there were any trails or things to do while I waited. The lady who provided me my ferry ticket advised there were two trails. One with a boardwalk and one sandy trail.

Since I only had sandals or flip flops, I opted for the boardwalk trail. There was a sign at the start offering a QR code. The link took me to a page on their site with explanations of the nature in a numbered format. Along the boardwalk were numbers, so you can stop at each one and read about various aspects of the Florida wildlife around you.

The trail wasn’t long, but I took my time and it turned out to be a lovely, shaded journey through the forest. While the boardwalk did take me to the intracoastal, the shrubs and trees were too high to see anything.

If you do arrive early, these trails can offer something to do while you wait.

Who Is Fort Matanzas Best For?

As a free activity that doesn’t take more than an hour, I’d say it’s for everyone! There were people of all ages when I went, so it can be fun for the whole family from grandparents to kids.

If you love history or nature, this is worth doing! It’s a fun little day trip from Daytona Beach if you mix it with lunch in Flagler, or carve out a couple hours and enjoy a half day trip from St. Augustine. This is definitely one of the best free things to do in St. Augustine and there aren’t many to choose from.

Who Should Reconsider?

While there were elderly people on my trip, they could walk well. They may not have climbed the ladder, but they handled the stairs that lead up to the first floor. If mobility is an issue, this wouldn’t be the best tour as you won’t get to see much.

Practical Tips for Visiting Fort Matanzas

The ferry departs Thursdays through Mondays (not Tuesdays or Wednesdays), weather permitting. The time options start at 9:30AM and go every hour until 3:30PM.

You cannot reserve your ticket over the phone as it is first come, first serve. However, you can call ahead and ask if there’s availability for the remaining ferries if you don’t want to waste a trip. There were options for all the afternoon ferries when I arrived at 12:30PM.

You will need to be there at least 10 minutes before the ferry leaves for a safety briefing, so I’d suggest arriving at least 20 minutes early to get a ticket and use the restroom.

What to Bring

Do not forget sun protection like sunscreen, hat, and/or sunglasses when visiting Fort Matanzas National Monument! I left with a bit of a sunburn and farmer’s tan, but I did go in the middle of the day.

They do not allow any food or drinks to be taken, but will permit water. If you visit in the middle of summer, water would be helpful, but I left mine in the car for the tour.

What to Do in the Area Before or After

If you only have a short amount to wait for the ferry, I’d suggest walking one or both of the trails. I chose to walk the boardwalk trail by the restrooms and it was perfect! I got my 1:30PM ticket at 12:40PM, used the restroom, enjoyed the trail and made it to the waiting area with a few minutes to spare.

If you have a picnic lunch, there are gorgeous trees by the parking lot with tables. Sit and relax while you wait for your ferry time.

Of course, the nearby beach (Crescent Beach) is definitely worth enjoying before or after visiting Fort Matanzas National Monument. I had a late lunch in St. Augustine beach after my tour, then returned to this area to enjoy the beach. There are two parking areas, one small one by the beach, and the other on the intracoastal side.

At low tide there are sandbars on the intracoastal side, so you can walk around and enjoy the beauty of it all! You can also walk under the bridge and over to the ocean side. This area is so beautiful and since it’s more tucked away with limited parking, it doesn’t get super crowded!

Of course, St. Augustine Beach is just up the road, so you can easily find ice cream, coffee, or lunch places within 15 minutes of Fort Matanzas.

Marineland Dolphin Adventure is only about five minutes south, but I’ve had friends visit more recently and didn’t love it. If you do decide to visit, you’ll want to go in the morning for the various demonstrations, then you could do Fort Matanzas in the afternoon. Just don’t forget to stop and get your ferry ticket for your preferred time first!

Wondering how to spend 3 days in St. Augustine? Check out this itinerary to make it easy: 3 Days in St. Augustine: The Perfect Itinerary for Florida’s Oldest City.

Is Fort Matanzas Worth Visiting?

So is Fort Matanzas worth visiting? I absolutely think it’s worth it! And it’s one of the few free things to do in St. Augustine.

If you’re heading from Daytona Beach, consider adding time in St. Augustine or a stop in Flagler Beach to make it more of a day trip.

I’ve gone twice and enjoyed it both times and you really cannot beat the price! A free activity with interesting history and beautiful views!

I hope this post helped you decide if visiting Fort Matanzas National Monument is worth it for your trip!

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