Audio Guide: St. Augustine Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), St. Augustine

It is said that the first-ever Thanksgiving meal took place in 1565, when Spanish explorers led by Pedro Menéndez held a Catholic Mass and a communal meal with the Timucua people in what is now St. Augustine, Florida.

Poised on Florida’s northeastern coast, the city holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously inhabited European-founded settlement in the United States. Its story begins in 1565, when Spanish admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés arrived and named the settlement after Saint Augustine of Hippo. His fleet had sighted land on August 28, the saint’s feast day, and the name stuck. From the outset, this new outpost stood at the center of imperial rivalries, its survival tied to Spain’s determination to defend Florida against French and English ambitions.

Conflict came quickly. Just three years after its founding, French forces under Dominique de Gourgues attacked in 1568, but Spain held its ground. For more than two centuries afterward, St. Augustine served as the capital of Spanish Florida, its fortunes tied to empire and the sea. Protection was paramount, and in 1672 the Spanish began building what became Castillo de San Marcos (formerly known as St. Mark’s Castle). Finished in 1695 and made from local coquina stone, the fortress absorbed cannon fire instead of breaking apart-a clever twist of geology that helped it withstand sieges, pirate raids, and British assaults. Today, it still looms over the waterfront as the oldest surviving masonry fort in the continental U.S.

Religion kept pace with the cannons. Founded in 1565 as the earliest Catholic parish in the nation, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine became the city’s spiritual anchor. The present building, completed in the late 18th century, shows off Spanish Colonial influence, and through centuries of changing rulers, it remained a constant thread of continuity.

Speaking of changes, the city was passed around like a hot potato. In 1763, Spain ceded Florida to Britain, and the town briefly became the capital of British East Florida. It returned to Spanish hands in 1783 before being passed to the United States in 1819 through the Adams–Onís Treaty. In 1821, it briefly served as the capital of the Florida Territory.

The city's commercial potential was not lost on savvy entrepreneurs. Industrialist Henry Flagler transformed St. Augustine into a winter oasis for the wealthy elite, leaving behind the sumptuous Ponce de León Hotel and other landmarks.

From Spanish garrisons to Flagler’s gilded hotels, St. Augustine has always been shaped by people chasing visions. As you walk its centuries-old streets, you'll trace the footsteps of explorers, settlers, soldiers, and dreamers. Take your time, explore at your own pace, and let the city's rich layers of history reveal themselves with every stop along the way.