Flagler Beach
Orange coquina sand, and a Spanish fort guarding the back door to St. Augustine.
- Population
- 5,160 (2020 census)
- Incorporated
- April 16, 1925
- Fort Matanzas
- Built 1740–1742
Then
- 1565
Spanish forces kill Jean Ribault and his French Huguenots on the north shore of the inlet, which becomes Matanzas, “slaughters.”
- 1740–1742
After Oglethorpe uses the inlet to blockade St. Augustine, the Spanish build Fort Matanzas of coquina to guard it.
- 1924
Fort Matanzas becomes a national monument on October 15.
- 1925
Flagler Beach, named for railroad developer Henry Flagler, incorporates.
- 2016
Hurricane Matthew's surge badly damages State Road A1A along the beach.
Now
Crushed coquina shells give Flagler Beach its orange sand. The town has one fishing pier and a quiet, low-rise beachfront.
Visitors reach Fort Matanzas by a five-minute boat ride from the visitor center. Bings Landing and the Matanzas River are part of this stretch.