What's special about St. Augustine, Florida? Well, in addition to sun, sand, shopping, and a diverse food scene, the East Coast beach town has more of something than any other town in the U.S.
That would be history. St. Augustine was founded in 1565 by Spanish conquistador Pedro Menendez de Aviles, which makes it the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the contiguous United States. Essentially, it's America's oldest city.
Historical attractions in the city include the Colonial Quarter, a living museum where visitors can experience centuries of colonial Spanish and British history in an interactive, immersive historical journey (and don't skip the authentic musket drills).
There's also the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum, with one of the largest collections of pirate artifacts in the country, where you can explore the Golden Age of Piracy.
The city is full of historical attractions
The Old Town Trolley takes visitors through downtown. The Castillo de San Marcos National Monument is a Spanish stone fortress from 1696, which is now a national park. It's the oldest masonry fort in the continental U.S. Attractions include volunteers and rangers in historic costumes, lectures and demonstrations, and presentations about the fort's long history.
The city offers dozens of historical tours -- by foot, by trolley, by golf cart, and by boat. They visit St. Augustine's many historical sites, including a supposedly haunted jail. Some of the trolley tours are hop-on-hop-off, so visitors can try the many restaurants and shops along the route.
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And many tourists visit Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth Archeological Park, which showcases the myth of the fountain of youth and the Spanish explorer who sought it in Florida. The park features tastings of the mineral-rich water of the park's spring (which some say was the one de Leon was searching for) and archeological exhibits detailing Native American and colonial life.
The park is located at the site of the original Native American village of Seloy. Ponce de Leon was exploring that region as early as 1513.
St. Augustine's long and rich history is one reason that the old city is on The Motley Fool's Best Places to Retire Index. It's a great destination for tourists, retirees, and history lovers.
