Ponce de Leon Statue, St. Augustine, FL, Bezoekersgids & wat te doen in de buurt

The Ponce de Leon Statue on Charlotte Street in St. Augustine, Florida, honors Juan Ponce de León, the Spanish explorer whose expedition made the first recorded European sighting of Florida in 1513. It is a quick outdoor stop in the historic district, and it makes a good starting point for the story of how Spanish Florida began.

The story behind it

On April 2, 1513, an expedition led by Juan Ponce de León sighted the coast of Florida. He was sailing from Puerto Rico in search of new lands to claim for the Spanish crown. Many historians believe his party came ashore near Seloy, a Timucua village on the site of present-day St. Augustine, close to what is now the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park.

The popular tale says he was hunting for a Fountain of Youth. Historians widely regard that as a myth. His royal contract set out how any gold and other riches would be shared, and it never mentioned a magic spring. The city itself was founded later, in 1565, by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés.

Nearby, the Castillo de San Marcos, completed in 1695, is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States. It is built of coquina, a local limestone, and it withstood English sieges in 1702 and 1740. In the 1830s the Seminole leader Osceola was held there, and in the 1880s Apache prisoners, including members of Geronimo's band, were imprisoned in the fort. It gives context to the age of exploration that the statue recalls.

What to look for

• Look at the figure of Ponce de León itself and at how the city chooses to portray its most famous early explorer.
• Check for any plaque or inscription at the base, which is the quickest way to learn who placed the monument and why.
• Notice how often his name appears around town, from streets to the old Hotel Ponce de León, now Flagler College.
• Glance at the pale coquina stone used in many old St. Augustine buildings, the same material as the Castillo walls.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about ten to fifteen minutes for the statue, longer if you combine it with the surrounding streets.
• It is an outdoor monument, so you can see it without a ticket and without going inside anywhere.
• Go in the morning or late afternoon, when Florida's heat is gentler and the light is better for photos.
• The historic district is compact and walkable, so pair the stop with the Castillo de San Marcos and the plaza. Check current opening hours for the fort and the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park.

See it on a quest

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in St. Augustine, FL is a good way to see the statue as one stop on a longer walk through the old town. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and you solve a puzzle on the spot, so you look closely at what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

The Pirate's Curse, St. Augustine suits anyone drawn to the city's seafaring past. You reach each place on foot, hear its story when you get there and solve a puzzle in the streets around it. It is free to play, and you can start whenever you like with no guide and no group to join.