Sight Historic Downtown, St. Augustine
Castillo de San Marcos
A sight in Historic Downtown, St. Augustine, budget-friendly ($) and worth about 1.5 hours. Best time to go: Morning.
Why go
Spanish coquina-stone fort completed in 1695, the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States, on Matanzas Bay.
It is one of 9 curated places we feature in St. Augustine, alongside 3 sights, 1 activity and 1 place for a drink. 6 more of our picks sit within about half a mile in a straight line, so it pairs easily with St. George Street and Columbia Restaurant.
- Type
- Sight · Culture
- Neighborhood
- Historic Downtown
- Price
- $
- Time needed
- 1.5 hr
- Best time
- Morning
Nearby
The 6 closest curated picks in St. Augustine, measured as straight-line distance.
- 1St. George Street
Pedestrian street through the colonial quarter, lined with shops, cafes and reconstructed Spanish houses.
Shopping · 0.2 mi straight-line - 2Columbia Restaurant
St. Augustine branch of Florida's oldest restaurant family, serving Spanish and Cuban dishes on St. George Street since 1983.
Food · 0.2 mi straight-line - 3Nights of Lights at Plaza de la Constitucion
The town's central plaza, laid out in 1573, is the heart of Nights of Lights, with the oaks and gazebo strung in white lights.
Sight · 0.4 mi straight-line - 4Casa Monica Resort & Spa
Moorish Revival hotel from 1888 facing the Lightner Museum, its towers outlined in white lights through the season.
Stay · 0.4 mi straight-line - 5Flagler College (Hotel Ponce de Leon)
Henry Flagler's 1888 Spanish Renaissance hotel, now a college, with Tiffany glass and a gilded dining hall shown on guided tours.
Sight · 0.4 mi straight-line - 6Lightner Museum
Gilded Age collections in Flagler's former Hotel Alcazar, built around a palm courtyard and the hotel's old indoor pool.
Sight · 0.5 mi straight-line
On these curated routes
Castillo de San Marcos is a stop on our St. Augustine & Amelia Island route. Open it to see the full day-by-day plan.
More to do in St. Augustine
Castillo de San Marcos is our only sight pick in St. Augustine; here is what else we recommend there. See the full St. Augustine guide.
When to go
Average daily highs in St. Augustine run from 64°F in January to 86°F in July; August is usually the wettest month. For Castillo de San Marcos itself, we suggest: Morning.
Modelled monthly averages for St. Augustine from NASA POWER, not a forecast. Full St. Augustine weather by month.
Getting there
Map links open a live search for Castillo de San Marcos, so hours and directions come straight from the map app.
- Coordinates
- 29.89780, -81.31140
- Destination
- St. Augustine, Florida
- Website
- nps.gov
Castillo de San Marcos: quick answers
How much time do you need at Castillo de San Marcos?
Plan on about 1.5 hours at Castillo de San Marcos. That is our curated estimate for a typical visit; groups that linger will want more.
When is the best time to visit Castillo de San Marcos?
Our pick: Morning. Insider tip: Tickets are valid for seven days; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Which TripsCircle routes include Castillo de San Marcos?
Castillo de San Marcos appears on St. Augustine & Amelia Island, a curated route you can open on TripsCircle and plan with your group.
Add Castillo de San Marcos to your crew's plan
Save it to a shared TripsCircle itinerary, settle the timing with a quick poll, and split the costs with everyone going to St. Augustine.
Plan St. Augustine
- St. Augustine travel guide 9 places
- Best time to visit St. Augustine weather by month
- St. Augustine to Amelia Island 54 mi straight-line
Lists & regions
Also in St. Augustine
Curated recommendation, not live listing data. Confirm hours, prices, bookings and access before you go.