Fountain of Youth in Florida
January 28th, 2010
It’s probably a myth that Ponce de Leon was looking for the Fountain of Youth when he arrived in 16th Century Florida. It’s more likely that he was searching for gold and land than anything else, but after his death, the idea of the Fountain of Youth grew larger and larger, until today it’s firmly established in literature and legend. Most people learn that this mythic version of Ponce de Leon never found what he was seeking, but one trip to St. Augustine, Florida, might disabuse you of such a notion. Indeed, if you travel to this city, even stay the night in one of the luxury hotels Florida is known for, you’ll discover that the Fountain of Youth is just a quick drive down Williams Street, past The Old Jail, where you’ll find three arches that protect the path to the world’s most sought after water.
The fountain here is actually a natural spring, contained within The Spring House. Around this spring, you’ll find a diorama of Ponce de Leon meeting with Chief Oriba of the Timucuan tribe. While the diorama doesn’t show it, Ponce de Leon was actually quite short, at four feet eleven inches, as were all the men of his crew (largely because crews weren’t supposed to be taller than their captains; if you had a short captain in that time period, apparently you were destined to have a short crew). In real life, Chief Oriba probably towered over Ponce de Leon. The diorama also suggests the spring were just a few feet away from ocean, but actually it’s more like a few hundred yards.
What about this spring, though? Is it the fabled Fountain of Youth? Is there any scientific research to back this idea up? None that I’ve been able to discern; however, as a fun, interesting place to see in St. Augustine, it’s well worth the trip. If you go to the gift shop, you’ll be able to take away some of this water in a bottle for about three dollars. Signs warn you not to put your mouth on the spigot or to let any of the water run down the drain — preserving every drop. Only time will tell if it actually makes you younger.