Click on any town name for a description of
the area
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Apalachicola is located on Florida’s
northwestern “Forgotten Coast,” bordered by St.
Vincent Sound and the Gulf of Mexico. This quiet little town
sits on a beautiful, breezy bay, surrounded by a chain of
offshore barrier islands. The pristine white sand beaches here
have been rated among the country’s best. The bay and
estuaries are sublime for fishing and boating, and the area is
dotted with spectacular wildlife preserves. Go canoeing,
kayaking, or just stroll the beach looking for unusual shells.
If you’re so inclined, stop by the John Gorrie Museum
State Park, named for Apalachicolan Dr. John Gorrie, inventor
of man-made ice, refrigeration and air-conditioning. Take a
walk along Apalachicola’s waterfront business district to
admire the beautiful Victorian-era buildings, art galleries and
gift shops. For absolutely delectable seafood, Apalachicola
restaurants are the place to go (click on the oysters in the
picture above for a list of the area’s best spots).
It’s paradise!
This is the largest of four barrier
islands surrounding Apalachicola, about five miles off the
northwest coast of Florida. This gorgeous island offers 28
miles of perfect beaches, as well as a multitude of fishing
bounty. With beautiful clear water on the Gulf side, swimming
and boating are also popular activities. The island has been
carefully developed especially for vacationers and offers some
of the best dining and lodging accommodations in the area.
Saunter along the boardwalks or hiking trails in the Dr. Julian
G. Bruce State Park on the island’s east end, and soak up
the magnificently serene views ... you may be surprised to find
that the park has more than nine miles of totally undeveloped
beaches and dunes, the longest stretch of beachfront park in
the entire state. Tropical coves, salt marshes, oak forests and
sea pines provide the setting for a stunning array of wildlife,
including rare bald eagles and ospreys. Biking, canoeing,
shelling, snorkeling ... whatever your pleasure, it’s
here for you on St. George Island.
Eastpoint was established in 1898 when a
group of families from Georgia rafted down the Apalachicola
River and staked claim to the area. Travel between Eastpoint,
Apalachicola and Carrabelle was via paddlewheel steamer until
1932, when a ferry service started up; there were a few roads,
but it wasn’t until 1965 that the Apalachicola Bay Bridge
was built, finally linking Eastpoint to Apalachicola.
Eastpoint is the real thing: an authentic
old-world fishing town, with a busy harbor full of fishing
boats and bayside eateries that serve the fresh daily catch.
It’s the hub of the area’s seafood industry, and
the locals know it’s the spot to pick up the freshest array of
fish. The docks stretch for nearly two miles along the coastal
highway, with boatmen hauling oysters and shrimp from the
waters of Apalachicola Bay to shore. You can sit and watch them
while you sample their wares!
There’s an emerging business
district near the Island Drive area leading to St. George
Island, and due to relatively reasonable land prices, Eastpoint
is considered by many to be the next area of growth.
Residential subdivisions have blossomed, and there is an
upscale residential development just east of town, as well as
plans for bayview townhomes.
Cape San Blas is situated on
Florida’s northwest Gulf coast, about 25 miles from
Apalachicola. Delightfully uncrowded, Cape San Blas has twenty
miles of sparkling beach tucked between the azure waters of the
Gulf of Mexico and St. Joseph Bay. Consistently named among the
country’s top beaches, Cape San Blas is known for its
crystal clear water, sweeping dunes and “secret”
location. The tide here is usually low, making Cape San Blas
perfect for swimming, shelling and tidepool-watching. A huge
beach park on the peninsula offers snorkeling, diving, fishing,
boating and sea kayaking, or for those who are up to it,
there’s a six-mile sand-hiking trail. The park is a
beautiful marriage of recreational activity and wildlife
preserve - it’s well known as a birder’s heaven,
with several notable events held throughout the year. Cape San
Blas is also home to the annual Scallop Festival and a number
of fishing tournaments. This is where you can truly get away
from it all.
The sleepy little fishing village of
Carrabelle calls itself the “Gateway to the World’s
Most Beautiful Beaches.” Located along U.S. Highway 98 on
Florida’s “Forgotten Coast,” Carrabelle is
just 50 miles southwest of Tallahassee. Carrabelle is a quiet
coastal community with no crowds, no skyscrapers and nearly any
traffic. It has a reputation for excellent fishing in its bays,
inlets and flats; some folks say “
the fish practically jump into your
boat” around Carrabelle. This area also boasts numerous
state parks, beaches and recreation areas that offer miles of
hiking and biking trails, and other outdoor recreational
activities. Hollywood has even come to Carrabelle; the movie
“Ulee’s Gold,” starring Peter Fonda, was
filmed in Carrabelle, as was “Coast Lines,”
starring Josh Brolin and Sara Wynter.
The enchanting town of Port St. Joe is
located on the northwest Gulf Coast of Florida between Panama
City and Apalachicola. This historic community was one of the
first established on the Gulf Coast, and it has retained its
“old Florida” style of relaxed, carefree life, like
it was in the days before high-rises and theme parks. Port St.
Joe is well known for its fishing and its world-class marina -
here you can rent a boat, hire a tour guide or charter a
fishing trip and catch yourself a whopper! Whether you’re
a tournament contender or just a lazy-day fishing fan, you can
fish in a variety of waters for speckled trout, redfish and
tarpon. Take a sunset cruise, or go snorkeling and swimming
with the dolphins, or just relax about a rented pontoon boat.
Like the beach? Nearby St. Joseph’s State Park Beach has
been rated #1 in the country for three years in a row, and
offers plenty of opportunities for swimming, relaxing on soft,
pearly sands, surfing, shelling, jet-skiing, water-skiing and
more. When you get hungry, dig into the fresh seafood at Port.
St. Joe’s dockside café, or at one of the other
romantic dining establishments in town. Discover Port St. Joe
for yourself!
