San Augustine, the oldest city in the USA, was founded in 1565. On the northern coast of Florida, the area was first explored by Ponce De Leon over 50 years earlier, of course with his legendary fountain of youth rumoured to be located close by.
Several attempts by both the French and Spanish took place in the ensuing years to populate the area, but mutiny and pirates made it impossible until 1565, when Menendez landed on the feast day of Saint Augustine. And so it was named.
The city, with its deep Spanish history, has a wonderfully Mediterranean feel – having just come from old colonial Charleston, we didn’t think that cities in the USA could feel much more European, but San Augustine did.
And, after several hours of wandering the pretty streets, to make us feel even more at home, we ended up in The Prince of Wales pub!
