Cape San Blas, Florida, is one of the few remaining unspoiled gems that shines brightly on the necklace of beaches that run along the coastline of Florida. Unlike her more developed sister beaches in Panama City, Destin, and other Panhandle locations, the Cape is often called "The Forgotten Coast," because while all the growth was taking place in other beach communities, the Cape was staying pristine and largely unchanged. A dog-legged shaped peninsula, Cape San Blas extends out from the mainland in the area of Port St. Joe, Florida, a tiny community where the Florida constitution was written.
As you leave the mainland, the first section of the Cape runs east and west. As you pass the historical Cape San Blas Lighthouse area and a spot known as Stump Hole, the landmass makes a turn, and the remaining 15 or so miles run north-south. This portion of the Cape is also sometimes known as St. Joseph Spit. At the northern end of the Cape is the St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, which includes over 2,500 acres of beautiful unspoiled beaches, majestic dunes, and wilderness. At the very tip of the Cape is a popular spot for people to go by boat for family outings of shelling and picnics.
As a Florida native, I'm picky about my beaches. That's why I had a "wait and see" attitude when my husband planned our first family vacation to the Cape San Blas area in 1997. As a Sarasota County native, for some reason I had never heard of Cape San Blas, Port St. Joe, or Gulf County -- that "Forgotten Coast" moniker again. When we arrived, however, I was instantly in love with the area and knew I would come back again and again. And that is exactly what we have done. My children have grown up spending summers on the Cape and we spend as much time there as we can.
Why is the Cape so special? Once you drive into Port St. Joe, you leave behind the hustle and bustle that is so much a part of Florida today. On the peninsula there are many Things you will not find: No skyscrapers, apartment complexes without mass, there are no towering hotels, no malls, no cinemas, no traffic, no noise, no crowds! What do you find beautiful beaches, magnificent sunsets, pristine St. Joe Bay, the stunning waters of the Gulf of Mexico, pelicans, dolphins, shells and more.
What to do? A Cape reconnect with your family and nature are a number of activities. You can only fight for one weekon the beach, reading books, fishing from the beach, getting a tan, collecting shells or playing horseshoes. Lots of families do just that, and they say even kids find the Cape a great place to unwind and relax.
More the active type? On the Cape, you can go horseback riding on the beach, take a kayak out in the gulf or bay, learn how to scallop, go offshore for a day of catching grouper and red snapper, head over to St. Vincent's Natural Wildlife Refuge on a water shuttle, take a trip to Apalachicola get some oysters or over to Panama City to Shipwreck Island Water Park. This page with Cape San Blas Information about local businesses and things to do will get you started on renting boats, where to eat, golf, fish and more.
If you are looking for a vacation spot where the only noise is the sound of the seagulls, the surf, and your children's laughter, the Cape may be for you.
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