Fort Matanzas National Monument was built in 1742 to defend Spanish St. Augustine from the British, nearly 300 years ago.

Fort Matanzas has a very long & interesting history, closely connected with the founding of St. Augustine by Pedro Menendez de Aviles. In 1565, Menendez murdered over 250 French Protestants including the famed Jean Ribault, on the land where the Fort is today. Due to the history of the site, the Spanish named both the fort and the inlet "Matanzas," which means "slaughters" in English. That name carries on to this day.

#InStone

Photo by Stavros Mitchelides

St. Johns County family rentals

We found 6,529 family rentals — enter your dates for availability

Where to?

Dates

Calendar
Flexible dates

December 2025

18

January 2026

Find the best place to stay - St. Johns County

Exterior

Inn at Camachee Harbor by Coolvacay

Sleeps 4 · 1 bedroom

Sitting on the ocean with ocean spray in your face. (Just with high winds)

Premier Host

Oceanfront Family Retreat - Steps to Sand w/ Grill, Bikes & Ocean Views!

Sleeps 8 · 2 bedrooms · 2 bathrooms

Pool

Brand New Construction-Ocean Views- Private Pool - Plenty of room for everyone!

Sleeps 16 · 7 bedrooms · 7+ bathrooms

Find spaces that suit your style

House

Condo/Apartment

b00b2504-b692-3023-41d8-d925d991353215f28bee-e290-4c9c-b2da-afc18a0c61d7