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10 Historical Sites That Preserve Florida’s Spanish Colonial Heritage


Florida Has Rich Spanish Roots

Spain first claimed Florida in 1513 when Juan Ponce de León arrived, and they ruled for over 300 years until 1821.

You can still see this history in places like St. Augustine’s stone walls, the oldest city in the U.S., and in old missions, forts, and towns across Florida.

If you want to learn about Florida’s Spanish Colonial heritage, you need to visit these 10 sites.

Mission San Luis, Tallahassee

Mission San Luis served as western Florida’s capital from 1656 to 1704.

This huge 60-acre site was home to 1,500 Apalachee natives and 150 Spanish settlers, who mixed their ways of life. When you visit today, you can walk through carefully rebuilt buildings, including the biggest Native American ceremony building in the Southeast.

The town’s round layout shows how the Apalachee built their towns, while Spanish buildings like the monastery and fort show colonial influence.

As a National Historic Landmark, Mission San Luis brings history to life with workers in period clothes and demos of old tools and methods.

Cathedral Basilica, St. Augustine

In downtown St. Augustine stands America’s oldest Catholic church – the Cathedral Basilica. Built in 1565, this church mixes Spanish Mission and classical styles, with curved bell towers and clay roof tiles.

The church walls, built in 1797, are two feet thick and made of shell stone. Inside, you’ll find sacred items like St. Augustine of Hippo’s finger bone and objects from the pope. Hugo Ohlms painted the ceiling in 1965 to show the area’s Catholic history.

In 1976, it became a basilica and National Historic Landmark. Today, you can take tours or attend daily church services.

Sebastian Inlet State Park and McLarty Treasure Museum, Melbourne Beach

You can discover exciting stories about wrecked Spanish ships at Sebastian Inlet State Park and McLarty Treasure Museum.

Here you’ll learn about a big disaster from 1715. During this tragedy, eleven Spanish ships sank off Florida’s east-central coast, killing 700 people, though 1,500 survived.

Fish, swim, and dive here while learning about the area’s rich sea history. The McLarty Museum sits where survivors once camped and showed off found treasures like gold, silver, and jewels.

Calusa Heritage Trail and Randell Research Center at Pineland, Pine Island

At the Randell Research Center on Pine Island, you can walk the Calusa Heritage Trail through 67 acres of ancient treasures.

The 0.9-mile trail with signs teaches you about the Calusa Indians, who lived here for over 1,500 years starting in 100 A.D. Clear signs guide you past huge shell mounds and old canals, and viewing platforms let you see everything from up high.

The wet soil here has kept botanical remains safe, and the 1920s Ruby Gill House serves as the center’s main building. If you like, you can take self-guided tours every day at this National Register of Historic Places site.

San Pedro Underwater Archaeology Preserve State Park, Islamorada

Under the clear waters near the Florida Keys lies the San Pedro, a Dutch-built trading ship that sank during a huge hurricane in 1733.

The ship sits 1.25 nautical miles south of Indian Key and carried 16,000 silver Mexican pesos and Chinese porcelain before it sank. Listed as a National Historic Place, the San Pedro lets divers and snorkelers see what sea travel was like in the 1700s.

For instance, you can go diving to see what’s left, including a 90-foot by 30-foot field of ballast stones, seven fake cannons, and a real anchor.

Fernandina Plaza/Old Town Fernandina, Fernandina Beach

Fernandina Plaza is special because it was the last city the Spanish planned in the Western world, laid out in 1811 during King Ferdinand VII’s rule.

Now part of Fernandina Beach, they carefully designed this town following Spanish rules, with straight streets crossing at right angles and the San Carlos Plaza in the middle.

The Spanish built Fort San Carlos here in 1816, but Native Americans lived there 2,000 years before that. This 0.8-acre park continues to look over the Amelia River, keeping the original Spanish city layout through strict rules about building and views.

Castillo de San Marcos, St. Augustine

The Castillo de San Marcos has protected St. Augustine since 1695, standing strong on Florida’s Atlantic coast.

They built it using shell-stone, which could absorb cannon fire by squishing instead of breaking apart. The fort rises 35 feet high with diamond-shaped corners, and no enemy has ever captured it.

Four different governments have owned the fort six times throughout its history. You can visit it and explore its arched ceilings and historic rooms while workers in period clothes tell you about its military past.

Historic Pensacola Village

In downtown Pensacola, Historic Pensacola Village shows you four and a half centuries of Florida’s colonial past through 28 historic buildings and museums.

The University of West Florida’s Historic Trust runs the village.

This includes special places like the 1832 Old Christ Church (Florida’s oldest church still standing) and the T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum, where you can see items from the De Luna Expedition.

Through live history shows, guided tours, and the Colonial Archaeological Trail, you can experience what America’s first European settlement was like.

The Archaeology Institute at the University of West Florida, Pensacola

The Archaeology Institute at the University of West Florida leads important digs across Pensacola’s colonial sites. Their biggest discovery was the Luna Settlement, the first place Europeans lived in America, which came before St. Augustine by six years.

Working with the UWF Historic Trust, they maintain the Colonial Archaeological Trail, with outdoor displays showing Spanish, British, and American times. Their staff studies Spanish forts, colonial homes, and 1500s shipwrecks while training anthropology students.

Fort Mosé Historic State Park, St. Augustine

Fort Mosé Historic State Park shows you the first legal free Black settlement in what would become the United States. Spanish governor Manuel de Montiano started it in 1738 as a safe place for slaves who escaped from British colonies.

Two miles north of St. Augustine, this 40-acre waterfront site had dirt walls, a moat, and a watchtower. About 100 people lived here, creating a unique mix of African, Native American, Spanish, and English customs.

Visitors can explore the interactive museum, walk on boardwalks over the marsh, and learn about this settlement’s important history.

The post 10 Historical Sites That Preserve Florida’s Spanish Colonial Heritage appeared first on When In Your State.



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