St. Augustine Early Settlements Tour (Self Guided), St. Augustine

The city of St. Augustine on the northeastern coast of Florida is considered the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the United States. It was founded by Spanish explorer Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles on September 8, 1565, and served as the capital of Spanish Florida for more than 200 years.

One of the most significant early European sites in the city is the Castillo de San Marcos (St. Mark's Castle), a fortress constructed by the Spanish in the late 1600s to defend against British and other European powers. The fortress is made of coquina, a type of limestone composed of shell fragments, and is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States. Today, the Castillo de San Marcos is a National Monument and a popular tourist destination.

Another important early European location is the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche. Originally built in 1609 - in honor of a Marian apparition, popular among the Spanish settlers in the area - this is the oldest shrine in the country. Just a 4-minute walk from it lies the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, which is said to be the site where Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon landed in search of the legendary fountain of youth.

Other early European sites of note in the city include the Pirate and Treasure Museum, which was originally founded in Key West, in the early 2000s, and then moved to St. Augustine in 2010. The Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse, built in the early 1700s, is also a popular tourist spot and a reminder of the early days of education here.

To explore these and other locations of European heritage in St. Augustine, FL, in more detail, take this self-guided walking tour.