St. George Island (SGI) is a 28-mile barrier island on the Florida panhandle’s Gulf Coast. If you look it up, you’re sure to find more than one mention of “Florida’s Forgotten Coast.” But the locals aren’t too keen on that characterization. Because this area of Florida is by no means forgotten; it is simply uncommon and unspoiled, the way Florida used to be.
As a Marylander, when traveling to destinations off the Chesapeake Bay, there are a few ‘musts’ I look for. Namely, there must be water, good food (preferably seafood), maritime history, and outdoor opportunities galore. SGI checked all those boxes for me and more. From uncrowded beaches to world-class fishing, there’s something to suit any fancy.
Getting there
From Annapolis, it’s about a 15-hour drive. Or if you prefer to fly, the closest airports are Tallahassee and Panama City (with both being about a two-hour drive from the airport to St. George Island).
Where to stay
Whether you’re looking for luxury or laid back, there are options to suit any fancy. You won’t find any high-rise hotels on the island, but rental homes and a few small inns along with a campground all make for great options.
I visited the island back in May as part of a maritime media tour. Our host, Collins Vacation Rentals, has been managing properties on SGI for 50 years. The owner, Alice Collins, started with five houses and now the company manages over 275 properties across the island. If you’re bringing the whole family, a rental home is the way to go for the sheer number of amenities.
What’s so special?
As with several other islands I’ve visited over the years, there is just something so unique about these communities. For those who make their living on or near the water, there is often a common resilience of spirit; a shared ingenuity to adapt and survive. And islanders are usually some of the nicest you could ever hope to meet. SGI is certainly no exception.
I had the opportunity to take a guided SUP excursion with Sam Fortunas, the owner of Island Fit SUP and Yoga, and I was so impressed with her local knowledge and her background. Not only was she a business owner and instructor, but she is also a captain and a realtor (the busy summer tourist season only lasts so long). Sam comes from a commercial fishing background (her father runs Fortunas Family Charters), and she went through the process of getting her captain’s license at the same time as her dad so they could help each other study.
Apalachicola Oysters
Then there are the oysters. St. George Island was once the oyster capital of the world, but in 2020, the state of Florida imposed a moratorium on harvesting oysters from Apalachicola Bay until 2025. Prior to this, Apalachicola oysters were heralded for their unique taste thanks to the brackish waters they call home (sound familiar to the Chesapeake?). St. George Island provides a safe haven for oysters between the bay and the ocean, while allowing for the mixing of salt and freshwater.
But over the years, conditions became less than ideal. Droughts resulting in insufficient freshwater, overharvesting, and hurricanes have all played a part. So while initiatives are put into place to bring back this once thriving industry, what’s an oyster-loving town to do? During my visit I ate more oysters over a three-day span than I had in the last several months prior back in Maryland and it was all thanks to local oyster farmers. I can’t say that I’ve tried wild Apalachicola oysters, but the farm raised ones I ate raw and cooked every way imaginable for lunch and dinner each night of my visit, were absolutely delicious.
The plan, and the hope, is that the moratorium is simply temporary, and thanks to local oyster farmers, you can still enjoy all the oysters you’d could ever want at any of the local dining establishments.
Cape St. George Lighthouse
And speaking of resilience and ingenuity, there is no better example than the Cape St. George Lighthouse. The current light, situated at the center of the island, is actually the fourth construction of the historic lighthouse. According to the museum, the first light was built in 1833 on the western tip of St. George Island. Its purpose was to help guide ships into the port of Apalachicola, but it was difficult to see by ships arriving from the east. After suffering storm damage, it was ultimately dismantled and then rebuilt on the southernmost tip of the island in 1848.
The second lighthouse was destroyed by a hurricane in 1851, and the third light was constructed in 1852. It was outfitted with a third order Fresnel lens, the most advanced technology available at the time. The lighthouse became automated in 1949, the Fresnel lens was removed, and lighthouse keepers, who had tended the light for more than 100 years, were no longer needed. What followed were years of beach erosion and storm damage, and the light was ultimately deactivated by the Coast Guard in 1994. The Cape St. George Lighthouse was dark for the first time in more than 160 years.
In 1995, a powerful tidal surge from Hurricane Opal washed the lighthouse from its foundation and it began to lean at a precarious angle. The community rallied to save the light, and the Cape St. George Lighthouse Society was formed to raise funds to get the 400-ton tower back into a vertical position. Unfortunately, the success was short-lived. In 2004, the lighthouse was completely surrounded by water. Another attempt was made to save the light, but on October 21, 2005, the historic lighthouse collapsed into the Gulf.
What was understandably a heartbreaking situation was made better by the continued support of the community. So many people came together to salvage as much as possible from the sight of the destruction. The pieces were moved to a storage site on the mainland, and volunteers carefully cleaned the mortar off more than 22,000 salvaged bricks. Those bricks were then used in the fourth and current lighthouse.
The plans for the 1852 lighthouse (the third iteration) were obtained from the National Archives in Washington, DC, and construction began in the fall of 2007. Salvaged bricks were cleaned and used for the interior walls of the lighthouse, so all visible brick surfaces are the original bricks. The granite door jambs and window lintels from the 1852 lighthouse were also salvaged and used in the reconstruction. The lantern room was recast using original pieces as patterns, and the lighthouse was completed in December of 2008.
Today, the lighthouse stands proudly in the center of St. George Island, a testament to the commitment of the community to preserve its maritime heritage. Visitors can climb 92 stairs to the top where they are rewarded with spectacular panoramic views of Apalachicola Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The site also features a museum and gift shop in the Lighthouse Keeper’s House.
Go fishing
One of my favorite experiences of the trip was fishing for redfish with Captain Lee Chapin of SGI Charters. Chapin’s Calcutta 263 Power Catamaran was the perfect vessel for cruising the bay, and even though we didn’t get offshore, this is a fully offshore-capable boat.
Chapin grew up on the water in Sebastian, FL, and moved to the SGI area around 2004. Listening to him to talk about the island, it was a common sentiment I’d heard from multiple people I’d met—“there’s not many places like St. George Island left.”
He says, “The island just has a different characteristic. Everybody’s laid back, it’s like one big family. No high rises, no busy stores, nothing like that, it’s just laid back.”
While we fished for redfish, Chapin explained how it’s such a great fishing area, inshore or offshore. Inshore you find a lot of redfish, trout, and flounder. Off the beach you might find cobia, pompano, trout, and snapper. “The bottom fishing out here is by far world class,” says Chapin. And why is that? According to him, it’s because the area is uncrowded and not overfished.
After fishing Apalachicola Bay and the Bob Sikes Cut, we quickly limited out on redfish and headed in where Capt. Chapin cleaned our catch and shared with us the big news in Florida at the time—the announcement by Governor DeSantis regarding the record 103-day Gulf red snapper recreational season. It is the longest season since the state was delegated management of Gulf red snapper, with a 61-day summer season and a 42-fall season. For more details on the regulations, visit myfwc.com/marine.
Where to eat
Order oysters at any or all of these (apart from the ice cream shop) and you can’t go wrong!
- Paddy’s Raw Bar (a sunny place for shady people)
- Mango Mike’s (family-friendly full-service restaurant and sports bar)
- Blue Parrot Oceanfront Café (located right on the beach. Try the Sand Blaster cocktail!)
- The Beach Pit (fresh seafood and Texas style BBQ)
- If you’re planning a special dinner, such as an anniversary, you can hire private chef Ian Williams to come to your vacation rental and craft a menu to your specifications (by far one of the best crab cakes I’ve ever eaten, and I’m a Marylander so I don’t say that lightly!).
- Aunt Ebby’s Ice Cream
Things to do
- Climb to the top of Cape St. George Lighthouse (visit stgeorgelight.org for a live webcam view from the top of the lighthouse).
- Spend a day on the former “Best Beach in the US,” awarded in 2023 by coastal expert Dr. Stephn P. Leatherman, aka Dr. Beach, in his yearly ranking of America’s Best Beaches.
- Go fishing with a local charter captain.
- Take a guided kayak or stand-up paddleboard tour.
- Go stargazing (St. George Island State Park is currently working on becoming a designated International Dark Sky Park).
- Take a hike or go birding at St. George Island State Park.
- Walk the beach looking for sea turtle nests (nest will be clear marked with a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign, so be sure to observe from a safe distance).
- Catch a sunrise or sunset from the beach.
- Take a bike ride—a great way to explore the island.
Last month in PropTalk I wrote about how I visited three islands in the month of May, and how’s there’s just something about the island lifestyle that is so appealing. Maybe it’s the little bit of Jimmy Buffett in all of us boaters that wants to sail away and leave the hectic “real world” behind. If you’re looking for that feeling of escape, St. George Island, FL, should definitely be on your list.
By Kaylie Jasinski