The Spanish completed Fort Matanzas in 1742 to defend the southern approach to their military settlement at St Augustine which lay 14 miles to the north, on the Matanzas River. Made of coquina, the small fort housed five cannons and a contingent of just seven soldiers. The fort is the only example of a watchtower type fort in the U. S.
The fort is a few hundred yards across Mantanzas Inlet, and is accessed via ferry. With windy and chilly 40 degree weather, conditions were not optimal, but the fort was fascinating and we were the last to board the ferry on the way back.
The view was spectacular at the top, but to get there you had to squeeze up through a long narrow tunnel on a handmade ladder.
Interesting fact – The name associated with this area, Matanzas, is Spanish for slaughters. It was named after the Spanish massacred the French Huguenot colonists of Fort Caroline in 1565.