The Minorcan
Trail
Walk the oldest city in America the way the Minorcans built it — cobblestone by cobblestone, story by story — then taste the little pepper that started it all.
A pepper with a passport.
In 1768, some 1,400 colonists from the Mediterranean island of Menorca sailed to a Florida indigo plantation in New Smyrna. The work was brutal. By 1777 the survivors had walked roughly seventy miles north to St. Augustine — and never left.
They brought their language, their saints, their fish stews… and a fondness for heat. Over the generations the fiery little datil pepper became the soul of Minorcan cooking. We bottle that same pepper today — and walk you through the streets where the story is still standing.
The Crossing
Minorcan, Greek & Italian colonists arrive at New Smyrna.
The Long Walk North
Survivors resettle in St. Augustine's streets — many still here.
The Datil Difference
We grow it, bottle it, and pour it at the end of every walk.
Five stops, one little pepper.
An easy, mostly-flat stroll through the old city. Comfortable shoes, curious appetite — that's the whole packing list.
Where the old city begins
We start at the coquina pillars that have welcomed travelers since the 1700s — the same gateway the Minorcan families passed through after their long walk north.
Kitchens & cookfires
At the González-Alvarez House we talk Minorcan home cooking — clam chowder, fromajardis, and how the datil snuck its way into nearly every pot.
The fort by the bay
The great coquina fortress that guarded the city. We pause on the green to taste the first dab of datil — a little heat, a lot of history.
Flagler's St. Augustine
Past the grand Gilded-Age courtyards, we trace how a humble local pepper became a souvenir worth carrying home — then and now.
End at the water
We finish where land meets sea — the view the colonists first saw, and the perfect spot to talk about the flight of flavors waiting back at the shop.
Three jars. One unforgettable little pepper.
Every walk ends with a guided flight at the shop — sweet to savory to full heat, the way locals actually eat it.
Datil Pepper Jelly
Spoon it over cream cheese and you'll see why it disappears first. A gentle, fruity warm-up.
Datil Pepper Mustard
Tangy, golden, and dangerously good on everything from pretzels to a Sunday ham.
Datil Pepper Sauce
The finale. Bright, fiery, and unmistakably St. Augustine. This is the Datil Difference.
Pick your pace.
Every option is led by a local guide and ends at our St. George Street shop.
The Walk
- ~90-minute guided stroll
- All five historic stops
- One datil taste on the trail
- 10% off at the shop after
The Walk + Flight
- Everything in The Walk
- Guided 3-jar tasting flight
- Jelly · Mustard · Sauce
- A jar to take home
Private Trail
- Your group, your time
- Full walk + full flight
- Great for events & gifts
- Custom pacing & stops
Come walk with us.
Send your request below and we'll confirm your date by email. Pop in to the shop anytime to say hello (and grab a sample).
- The Shop123 St. George Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084
- Walks departDaily, weather permitting · morning & late-afternoon
- Emailoldcitypeppercompany@gmail.com
- Instagram@oldcitypepperco
- Good to knowEasy, mostly-flat route · all ages · comfortable shoes
Taste the Datil Difference · St. Augustine, Florida
Questions? oldcitypeppercompany@gmail.com