In 1500, the northeast coast of Florida was an unsettling place to be. The French, Spanish, and Native Indians were all fighting to claim this area of the
Atlantic coastline. The Spanish particularly wanted to establish a city in the new world. After several bloody wars with the French, Spain laid claim and created St. Augustine in 1565. The city was well protected by dangerous, shallow seas, a barrier island, and an impressive military fort. The city and port would prosper because it was the last stop for Spanish trade ships before their long journey back across the seas to Europe. Valuable goods like chocolate, spices, gold, and tobacco made St Augustine the biggest new land port of the time.
Today, much of the color and culture of that bustling port city still remains. Small, intimate streets, historic landmarks, interesting pubs and specialized shops make this a great place for couples to explore. I will break this Watts on Spots destination down into a two day trip; The first day will be spent like a tourist and the second, fishing, sunbathing, and relaxing on nearby beaches.
The first thing to do when you arrive in town is to head to the St. Augustine Lighthouse. You can get a great workout walking the steps of this towering landmark. From the top, it is easy to see why this was such a great place for the Spanish to build. The barrier island (now Anastasia State Park) is directly east of the lighthouse and protects the mainland from rough seas. Looking inland you can see the Mantanzas River and the historic Castillo de San Marcos.
From the lighthouse you can go west over the Bridge of Lions to the fort. It’s worth the two-dollar entry fee to walk within the walls of this historic place. Coquina rock, quarried from the nearby barrier island was used to build the fort. Cannonballs hailing in from enemy ships would simply implode into the porous, shell and coral filled Coquina. Today, visitors can go on a guided tour and learn about some of the famous battles the fort survived.
I did not see any lions on the so-named bridge, but the king of the jungle does guard the front gates of nearby Flagler College. Created as the Ponce De Leon Hotel by Henry Flagler the beautiful buildings are now home to classrooms and a cafeteria for the four –year, Liberal Arts College. Young co-eds drift through the historic passageways almost used to the packs of tourists who visit here everyday. The “Hotel” is also rumored to be haunted by the ghosts of two of Flagler’s lovers, both of whom lived in the building.
On day two of your St Augustine vacation, pack fishing gear and plenty of sunscreen. Anastasia State Park has four miles of white, sandy beaches for swimming and sunbathing. Inland from the beach is Salt Run, a tidal lagoon that is full of oysters and fish. The best way to catch a nice redfish is to bounce a Rip Tide Curtailer over one of the waterways many oyster beds. I also had some luck using a 
MirrOLure jerk bait. Salt Run is perfect for a kayak so bring your own or rent one from the park’s concession.
Another place to fish, especially in the summer, is from the North Beach of the Guana River Wildlife Management Area. Take A1A about 7 miles north of the city to find this unique beach. I was so shocked to see sand dunes reaching 40 feet over the surf. I didn’t think that we had dunes like this on the east coast of Florida. There was an impressive slope to the water and I bet that snook would be all over this beach when it gets warmer. North Beach can also be a great place to collect shells. As my friends and I strolled down the beach in January there was a large shrimp boat fishing just offshore. There was a frenzy of birds and fish in the water behind the boat. Even from a distance it was easy to see that someone should have been fishing behind the shrimpers. There probably were some tuna and monstrous cobia out there. Watching the sea worn vessel move down the coast I began to think back to the Spanish. What kind of catch were they bringing to port in 1565?
Contact Chris Watts by email at wattsonspots@yahoo.com