Cape San Blas is Florida’s best kept secret. Nestled in the panhandle, this quiet beach town has not yet been commercialized and isn’t overrun with tourists. It has the best sunsets we’ve ever seen and is definitely the most peaceful beach we’ve visited in Florida. In this post, we’re spilling the beans on everything you need to know to visit Cape San Blas. From the best area to stay, fun places to explore nearby, and our favorite spots to eat – this guide will tell you everything you need to know!
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A Little History
Cape San Blas is on a little peninsula that juts out from the mainland like an elbow. On one side of the peninsula is St. Josephs Bay. On the other is the Gulf of Mexico.
During the Civil War, Cape San Blas was a location where a Confederate saltworks operated. Salt was sourced and processed by the evaporation of seawater – one of Florida’s major contributions to the Confederate cause. The saltworks was destroyed by a Union Navy ship though and operations in Cape San Blas ceased.
Hurricanes have not been kind to Cape San Blas, with both Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Michael wreaking havoc on the little peninsula. Perhaps this is why it has not been commercialized.
Hurricane Michael was the most recent storm to hit the area. It destroyed numerous homes and businesses. The hurricane also created a short lived mystery – a shrimp boat called Donna Kay appeared on the shore with no known origin. The boat stayed there for over 3 years and became quite the tourist attraction, until it was destroyed as part of the state’s beach cleanup efforts.
A lot of the businesses and homes have since been rebuilt following the hurricanes but there are still large swathes that remain empty. Cape San Blas has a resilient spirit though and its natural beauty endures even the strongest of storms.
If you like visiting quiet US beach towns that aren’t over crowded, check out our Dog Friendly Guide to Jekyll Island and our list of Top 10 Places to Eat on Hilton Head Island!
A Beautiful Beach With Dazzling Sunsets
If you’re going to visit Cape San Blas, you should know that it truly is a quiet beach town. There isn’t a nightlife scene. It isn’t the place to party it up over spring break. There aren’t a ton of shops and excursion type things to do.
People primarily visit Cape San Blas to relax on its pristine beaches. The beach area itself isn’t very wide, meaning that you’re pretty much guaranteed to have a front row view of the water with few people around. The white sand beach has calm waters compared to those on the Atlantic side, so it is a fantastic place to take little ones to play.
Beautiful shells dot the shoreline, making sunrise walks along the beach especially enjoyable. The absolute best time of day to be on the beach though is at sunset. We have not experienced sunsets as beautiful as the ones in Cape San Blas anywhere else in the world.
The sun sets over the water and the sky always puts on a brilliant display of colors. You’ll be racing home from dinner to see the spectacular show put on in the sky each evening. Be sure to bring your camera, as its an excellent time of day to get pictures. The sun setting over the water makes for a perfect backdrop!
Do you plan to visit Cape San Blas with kids? Check out our post on 10 Beach Essentials for Babies and Toddlers!
Where To Stay
Have you ever found something that is so perfect you almost don’t want to share it with anyone else for fear it will be spoiled? That’s how we feel about the area we stay in whenever we visit Cape San Blas. But, sharing is caring. So, we’ll share our secret with you.
Jamaica Drive
We don’t always stay in the same beach house when we visit Cape San Blas, but we always stay on the same road: Jamaica Drive.
We usually book accommodation on Jamaica Drive through VRBO. They have several listings for Jamaica Drive, including the cute pink cottage pictured below that we stayed at.
This short gravel road is in a prime spot. Walk out of your beach cottage, and to the right is the beach directly outside your doorstep. Turn to the left, and at the top of the road are some of the best businesses on the Cape.
A row of storefronts sit along the main road (aptly named Cape San Blas Road) that Jamaica Drive branches off. The main store is Cape Trading Post. Here you can find everything from snacks and drinks to fishing lures to beach gear to pregnancy tests (nothing makes you feel more like a redneck woman than walking up a gravel road to buy a pregnancy test from the local trading post and hoping your in-laws don’t spy you walking back with it in hand!).
It is incredibly convenient to be able to walk up the drive to get simple necessities – especially since the closest full size grocery store is 20 minutes away. The trading post also serves biscuits in the mornings and personal pan pizzas in the afternoons! We love a one stop shop!
Directly beside it is Weber’s Little Donut Shop. It is the smallest donut shop we’ve ever visited and has some of the best donuts we’ve ever tasted. The inside only has room for the donut fryers and racks to place the donuts. They aren’t on the racks long though. People begin queuing up early, and the line gets long fast.
On more than one occasion, we’ve lined up around the block with fingers crossed they wouldn’t run out of their delicious cake donuts before we reached the front. The wait is worth it every time though. Check their Facebook page to stay in the loop on hours of operation.
Donuts aren’t the only sweet option you can get at the end of Jamaica Drive. In the afternoons, people flock to the ice cream shack beside Weber’s. There’s also usually a line for here, but it moves pretty fast! Watching the sunset and then walking up the road to get some ice cream is the perfect ending to a day spent at the beach!
But wait – There’s one more reason we love staying on Jamaica Drive: St. Joe Shrimp Co. This restaurant and fish market is housed in a metal building just across the road from the ice cream shop. The fried shrimp is the star of the show, but we’ve had several other things on their menu and it’s all been tasty. If you prefer to cook your own meal, they have a wonderful fresh seafood selection as well!
We love spending a lazy morning on the beach and calling ahead an order to St. Joe Shrimp Co. when we get back to the beach cottage. Kayla usually sends her husband to pick up the food while she gets their daughter ready to eat, and then everyone takes a long afternoon nap after their seafood feast! What more can you want from a beach vacation?
If you want to stay on Jamaica Drive, use the map feature on Airbnb to see some of the little 2 bedroom cottages available to rent. There are also a couple of bigger beach houses that overlook the water and are perfect for larger groups.
Dome Home
If you’re inclined to stay in unusual places, you may enjoy this UFO shaped beach hut located up the road (more commonly known as The Dome Home).
Accommodations for Wheelchair Users
Wheelchair users will be delighted to know that there are 2 family style cabins available to rent at the William J “Billy Joe” Rish Recreation Area that are ADA compliant. The rec center also offers mobility equipment rentals in the form of beach push chairs and motorized chairs.
Day passes are available to those who wish to rent the chairs to take on the boardwalk over to the beach or the under-road tunnel that leads to the bay. The rec’s pool also has a lift chair and wheelchair ramp into the water! We absolutely love the lengths that this location goes to in ensuring the park and its amenities are accessible to all!
Other Things To Do In The Area
On The Cape
If your accommodations don’t have a pool and you fancy a swim, the William J “Billy Joe” Rish Recreation Area pool is a nice option. A lot of times, we’re the only people there! The covered areas by the pool provide shade and a great place to have a picnic.
Just down the road, is T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park (what a mouthful!). The beaches in the state park frequently rank among the top in the United States. And for just $6 per vehicle, you can enjoy them too!
Swimming is allowed on the beaches and in the bay. Those wanting to fish can, as long as the park’s guidelines are adhered to. Bicycles are welcome to ride the roads in the park or there is a 10 mile bike trail just outside the park. There are also 3 hiking trails of varying lengths.
For anyone wanting to be a bit more adventurous, you can go horseback riding on the beach or you can do a guided kayak tour with a stop to try out scallop fishing!
Port St. Joe
Port St. Joe is only a 20 minute drive from Cape San Blas and has a cute downtown area filled with shops and restaurants. You could easily spend several hours shopping around town.
Frank Pate Park is located right across from the downtown area. There is a nice pirate ship playground where children will have a fun time getting their wiggles out. Another highlight is the pier that juts out into the water and has a large gazebo at the end. It’s a lovely space to enjoy the sunset and water from the bay, and there are benches if you’d like to stay a while.
From February to December on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of every month, there is a farmer’s market in town where you can buy fresh produce and locally made items. It’s a great place to buy one of a kind mementos from your trip or to stock up on snacks and grocery-type items for the week.
Apalachicola
Apalachicola is a coastal town 30 minutes to the east of Cape San Blas. It has a large downtown area that is easily walkable and brimming with eclectic shops and restaurants. If we’re staying i Cape San Blas for a week, we like to pop over to Apalachicola around midway through our trip for a change of pace.
We usually spend a few hours visiting the different shops. But no trip to Apalachicola is complete without a stop at the Apalachicola Chocolate and Coffee Company. They always have a delicious selection of chocolates and pastries to choose from!
Where Else To Eat In The Area
We’ve shared the best places to eat near where we stay, but here are some other restaurants that are guaranteed to be a hit when you visit Cape San Blas.
(CSB = Cape San Blas | PSJ = Port Saint Joe)
Skully’s Low Country Boil (CSB)- Small restaurant with outdoor seating that serves the best low country boil you’ll ever have. They also have gumbo and steamed gulf shrimp. You won’t find anything else on the menu though, because why would you mess with perfection?
Indian Pass Raw Bar (PSJ) – Small restaurant with an old school feel. Locals (and Food Network) will tell you that this is THE place to go. You’ll want to get the oysters of course and the stuffed shrimp.
Shipwreck Raw Bar (PSJ) – Serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Be prepared to wait for dinner or get there right when they open. It’s a very popular spot! If you do end up having to wait though, there is a pirate ship out front for children to play on. We recommend getting the hot crab dip and fried seafood platter.
Provisions (PSJ) – We ate here for the first time during our last visit. Our pasta was so tasty and the ambience was perfect for a date night!
TIGF: This is Garden Food (PSJ) – This intimate eatery is located on one of the back streets of PSJ so can easily be missed, but it has an excellent menu with a global influence. Make reservations in advance, as people were having to be turned away when we visited.
Bayside Bakery & Cafe (PSJ) – Celebrating a special occasion? Bayside Bakery & Cafe is where you’ll want to get your celebratory desserts. They make beautiful and delicious cakes and other pastries. You can order a custom cake in advance, or if you get there earlier in the day, they usually have cute options available that they’ll write on for you. They also have quiches, chicken salad, tuna salad, and pimento cheese – Yum!
Bad Mamma Jamma (Mexico Beach – just past PSJ) – Food truck serving amazing dishes with large portions. They used to be stationed at CSB, but now you have to drive over to Mexico Beach to eat there. The food is top notch though, so it’s worth the drive in our opinion!
Thanks for reading our guide to Cape San Blas! Let us know in the comments below why you love to visit Cape San Blas!
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Great post! I have never been to Florida, but Cape San Blas looks like a great quiet place to escape from the everyday stress
Wow this town looks adorable and I had never heard of it before! Thank you for sharing a beautiful article! Will have to add that to the bucket list!
I live in Florida and never heard of this place. Will have to check it out! Thanks for sharing.
I’ve never heard of this area before. It looks lovely. Thanks for sharing.
This Florida hidden gem looks amazing and I would love to visit cape San Blas! Thanks for all the good tips too. Looks great!
As a native Floridian, I have to admit I’ve never heard of Cape San Blas, so clearly it’s a best kept secret! Oddly enough I have heard of Apalachicola! I’ll definitely have to check out Cape San Blas next time I’m in the panhandle, especially for those donuts.
This whole part of the panhandle is so wonderful! I hope it all stays small and quaint and noncommercial but realistically… The only places that have avoided development are those which have enacted strict regulations. Thankfully, some towns are finding the positives of doing so.