Florida’s ‘Forgotten Coast’
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I think that the “The Forgotten Coast” is a misnomer for this panhandle section of Florida. I’ve traveled a fair amount and asked around, and no one I knew had ever been there. You can’t forget something that you didn’t even know exists! I will say, however, that the name drew me in. Anything ‘Forgotten’ couldn’t be overrun by tourists, and that is a rare phenomenon when looking for oceanfront rentals in one of the most visited states in our nation.
It was my VRBO search for a ‘5-6 bedroom home, with pool, steps from a beach’ that led me to a property in Cape San Blas, a beach community near the town of Port St. Joe. It’s a rare slice of ocean frontage with no strip malls or high rises; just a popular donut stand, a few seafood restaurants, and miles of pristine white sand.
Cape San Blas
What makes “The Forgotten Coast” special:
Not touristy and overcrowded
Beautiful, natural ‘old’ Florida
Amazing coastline with squeaky white sand beaches
Relaxed seafood restaurants
Fishing from the beach - including shark fishing!
Bonfire and dog-friendly beaches
Boardwalks and bike paths
Plenty of room for a fish mosaic!
This area has some great rental accommodations up and down the coast. We booked a large beach house with friends that was a five minute walk from the beach and included its own heated swimming pool. Check out Coastal Joe Vacation Rentals, VRBO, or Airbnb for a vacation property. Many come with kayaks, bikes and a golf cart or beach cart. The beach in that region is gorgeous, not crowded, walkable, and dog-friendly.
Our heated pool next to the house.
Bonfires are allowed!
Cape San Blas has a handful of small restaurants, including the famed Indian Pass Raw Bar. The original restaurant was destroyed in the 2018 hurricane, but they've rebuilt and still draw patrons from up and down the coast. The chalkboard menu lists the days’ offerings, most notably oysters and shrimp. Grab your own drinks from a cooler, check off your selections on a ticket, and hand it to any staff member you see. Drinks - including a self-serve beer tap - are all on the honor system.
Casual, well-priced and so tasty!
The other famed Cape foodie establishment is a tiny donut stand that starts out with 12 varieties of doughnuts at 7 am and usually sells out around 11 am. Folks start lining up around 5:45 am during peak season. This donut line is the most people you’ll ever see in Cape San Blas!
My boys loved the croissant donuts.
Activities in the area:
There is no manufactured fun (think theme parks) in this part of Florida, so it’s all about getting out in nature and exploring. Here are a few things we did to break up our beach days:
T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park when you enter (at the very beginning) make your first right turn into a small parking lot. The trail starts out as a boardwalk and then continues on sand before connecting to the coast. When we reached the access point to the water, we walked to the left and saw a ton of sea creatures! We literally had to watch our step along the shore so that we didn’t crush the little crabs scurrying around! Exploring tidal areas and observing nature is one of our absolute favorite activities on a trip. A simple walk on the beach can teach you so much about the local flora and fauna.
Salinas Park - in addition to a play structure, there is a short board-walk through the woods that is just the right length for young kids. The trees in this area almost look prehistoric. I’m not sure if it’s due to Hurricane Michael (2018) stripping the lower branches, or if they always look this way, but it felt like a brontosaurs would walk out any moment.
Searching for crabs below…
Charter Fishing Excursions: Half of our crew headed out on the water for a morning of charter fishing with Captain Shane and Johnson Boys Fishing Charters. They reeled in enough Sheepshead and Mackerel to feed 13 people, and then some!
Check out that mackerel!
Lots of Sheepshead - sooo good fried up!
Shark fishing from the beach: we booked through Cape Surfaris for my son’s 8th birthday and it was an awesome activity. It’s fishing...so sometimes they bite and sometimes they don’t, but just around the 2 hr mark he was able to pull in this HUGE red drum. The turns at the rod and squeals of delight were well worth the wait. In between the action, the adults relaxed and sipped drinks while the kids played in the sand. Check out Cape Surfaris Facebook page or Joel’s Instagram, and you’ll be blown away by the sharks he’s pulled up on the beach!!
He was worried the pole would snap!
What’s nearby?
If you get a rainy day, head east about 30 minutes to the historic town of Appalachicola. While Cape San Blas is mostly residential and Port Saint Joe is pretty tiny, Apalachicola is a historic town with a lot of charm and plenty of shops and restaurants to peruse.
Some of my favorite shops:
The Tin Shed - nautical themed items with a flea-market type feel
Down Town book -small, but interesting selections
Appalach Outfitters - sandals, clothing, etc.
Appalachicola Sponge Company - an interesting, odd variety of all things sea-related
Bee Inspired - clothing and unique homemade wares
The Tin Shed was just the kind of tchotchke shop I was looking for to find a birthday gift for my sea-loving son!
Dining:
For lunch, we grabbed a seat at the bar at the Hole in the Wall Seafood Company. The two gentlemen shucking oysters filled us in on the history of the town and educated us on the proper way to slurp down a raw oyster (saltine crackers are needed, along with their house-made cocktail sauce and a squeeze of lemon).
Another local recommended Up the Creek Raw Bar and grabbing a drink at the Apalachicola Ice Company, which looked great, but we only had a couple of hours in town.
Hole in the Wall Seafood - great oysters!
Just off the coast of Appalachicola is Saint George Island, which sounds similar to the relaxed vibe of Cape San Blas and seems to have a very devoted following. Definitely worth checking out!
In Summary…
The “Forgotten Coast” was a perfect beach vacation, especially for avoiding the crowds during a pandemic. The only hesitation I’d have about returning to this area for spring break is that the weather in late March/early April can be iffy, and you’re not necessarily guaranteed beach weather. Most of our days were in the mid to high 70s and sunny, but our last couple days were windy and in the 60s.
I absolutely loved the relaxed feel of the location. You will have a lot of beach to yourself, and although I brought “dressy clothes,” there was no where to wear them - which is fine by me!
The weather may be a gamble...but pack a hoodie, bring the dog and a cooler, and chances are you’re going to have a stretch of beach all to yourself. And I guarantee you, the memories you make here will not be forgotten.
One of our last sunsets in the area.