If you’ve been following me on Instagram you may know I have had a bit of a castle obsession recently. Given our state’s history, it’s not surprising the number of forts and Spanish-style castles that can be found here in Florida, but did you know we also have an Irish-style castle?
Castle Ottis (pronounced Ah-tis) is located just a stone throw’s away from the Atlantic Ocean in St. Augustine, FL. From inside, you can hear the ocean waves crashing against the shore across the street and from the roof, you can see the most glorious of ocean and treetop views. It definitely reminds me of a real-life sandcastle.
I do want to point out that Castle Ottis is not a tourist attraction and is located on private property. I visited with Dorothy and we were able to join a guided group tour for donation. If you’re lucky, you can call and do the same.
The castle, with its gorgeous architecture, is also a popular location for music videos, photoshoots, and intimate wedding ceremonies.
Let’s meet our tour guide, owner and one of the original designers and builders, Rusty. Rusty was born in Bermuda and has traveled and lived throughout the world. He resides on the property when he is in the country, though not in the castle itself.
The tour was really fascinating and really gave me such appreciation for every inch of this beautiful castle of worship.
Rusty taught us about the construction, laying of the blocks, and nearly perfect woodworking inside Castle Ottis. He knew everything about everything inside and outside. He knew all the fun facts about the location in relation to Jerusalem and the pyramids of Egypt, along with the strong reference to the holy number three. He even knew where the wood came from, the history of it and he knew the person who turned it into the artwork it is now.
It’s not very often that tours are guided by someone that had a hand in the planning, construction, and accusation of a property so this was a real treat. You could really feel Rusty’s passion and love for the castle and Jesus Christ. That kind of energy always rubs off on me and gets me even more excited and intrigued about a location.
When planning the interior, cypress wood was chosen for its durability as the castle is open to the elements. There are no screens or glass in Castle Otti’s windows.
Many religions and cultures are honored inside the walls of Castle Ottis. As you can imagine, it is quite a sight to be seen and enjoyed. Most notably, is a whole room dedicated to mothers with a Mother Mary statue and painted umbilical cord detail on the ceiling.
We had such a blast roaming these grounds. We stayed much later than anyone else engaging with Rusty and picking his brain, one of my favorite things to do when I come across a sweet soul!