Must See Destinations

Things to Do in Port St Joe:

Things to Do in Port St Joe:

Things to Do in Port St Joe: is roughly an hour east of Panama City on the Florida panhandle. Cape San Blas, Indian Pass, Port St. Joe, St. Joe Beach, and Wewahitchka are all part of Gulf County.

Visitors to Port St. Joe, one of the Emerald Coast’s lesser-known jewels, are drawn by a desire for small-town charm and a glimpse of the past. Port St. Joe has a lot of things to do for such a tiny town, and there is something for everyone.

This is the place to go if you’re searching for a fun road trip! In Port St Joe, Florida, and throughout Gulf County, there are many exciting things to do at Port St Joe.

Beaches, boat trips, kayaking, a historic downtown, and delicious restaurants are all available.

A Short Glimpse on the Things to Do in the Port St Joe:

  • A large state park with some of the highest dunes in the country and an opportunity to see the endangered coastal sand pine ecosystem.
  • A recently deactivated but much-loved lighthouse that is now nothing more than a phantom, a recollection of what once was, but with a chance of being resurrected.
  • The beaches of Port St. Joe are pretty breathtaking.
  • Oh, there were many noisy military jets flying overhead from surrounding bases. If you have to, look up and try to locate the planes. However, if you do, everyone will see that you are not a local.
  • A fascinating, if not inspiring, look into some of the state’s early history.
  • Gift and antique shops, cafes, vest-pocket parks, vast greenways, and an appealing waterfront marina abound in this compact, easily accessible town.

Below are our top choices for things to do in Port St. Joe, Florida, located in Gulf County. We can see why this area is known as the Forgotten Coast. The beaches were deserted, and none of the craziness that may be seen in other Florida beach communities.

You can spend a weekend or your whole vacation happily as there are plenty of things to do in Port St Joe, Florida.

Museum State Park:

Things to Do in Port St Joe
Museum State Park

This is an excellent place to start because it provides historical and contextual information for the rest of our day in and around Port St. Joe. A museum and a 14-acre park are located here, and they date back to the late 1830s when the original and now-lost city of St. Joseph occupied the location.

St. Joseph was Florida’s largest city at the time, with 12,000 citizens taking advantage of the nearby natural deep-water port to compete with nearby Apalachicola as the region’s shipping center. Cotton and other crops and products were transported to St. Joseph for export, mainly by train.

Visitors will find beautifully landscaped grounds, artifacts from once-thriving Native American settlements, and a 19th-century steam locomotive. Take a self-guided tour through displays and exhibits that date back to Florida’s founding as a state at the Constitution Convention Museum State Park.

That locomotive and a Disney-esque exhibition in which full-size, robotic characters act out a scene from the Constitutional Convention greatly appeal to the kids.

Dead Lakes State Park:

Things to Do in Port St Joe
Dead Lakes State Park

Visit Dead Lakes State Park in Wewahitchka, Florida! This is a unique lake with trees that sprout directly out of the water. You may take a tour of the area with Off the Map Expeditions aboard a pontoon boat.

You may also take a kayak tour with a guide. I strongly advise taking a guided tour. Back there, it becomes a maze, and I can see how you could easily get lost.

Try to have a guide who is acquainted with the area and can give you a wealth of information about the lake and ecosystem. Osprey, eagles, and various other species can also be seen. You might even spot an alligator or two when the weather is warm!

Enjoy Paddleboards:

Things to Do in Port St Joe
Enjoy Paddleboards

Happy Ours rents kayaks and paddleboards and sets them up immediately at their bayfront shop. After that, you can go kayaking on the bay. You can’t believe the water is so clear and shallow until you are in the kayaks. The kids will feel completely safe. Plus, everything is visible from the ocean! Our tour guide explained what we were seeing and taught us about Port St. Joe’s history!

You may also take the kayaks into and through the long grass, and it would be great fun just being out on the bay in them. You can also avail yourself of taking bicycles for rent, which would be great for exploring the biking track that runs alongside the river.

Fishing:

Things to Do in Port St Joe
fishing Port St Joe

Your guide can take you out fishing or on an Eco tour in the kayaks! It is an excellent way to learn about fishing and its surroundings.

Bonfire in Port St Joe:

Things to Do in Port St Joe
Bonfire in Port St Joe

A beach bonfire usually sounds like a fantastic idea, but the trouble of setting it up may prevent it from happening. In this scenario, no! Simply come up and light a fire. You can go when you’re finished, and the experts at Going Coastal Cabanas will handle the rest. This is a fantastic way to enjoy the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico while roasting marshmallows around a fire.

Visit Turtle Center:

Things to Do in Port St Joe
Visit Turtle Center

The Forgotten Coast Sea Turtle Center is a new thing to the area, so it’s interesting to see them and hear about their plans. Sea turtles abound in the bay, and the gulf side serves as a prominent breeding spot for them from May to October.

You can visit right now to learn more about the local sea turtles and how we can help protect them. They also present a range of volunteer opportunities that you might be interested in.

 

Boat Adventure with Captain

Things to Do in Port St Joe
Boat Adventure with Captain

Head out on the bay with Captain Charlene of All about Fun Charters for an exciting boat excursion! It may be slightly cool at first if you visit in December, but it would be great fun after the sun comes out. If you visit during the summer, Captain Charlene will take you to her favorite snorkeling area, where the kids may snorkel in 2 feet of water and see a variety of sea life in the crystal blue water!

You are welcome to bring them on board, and Captain Charlene will teach you everything you need to know about what you’ve discovered! When we were out on the sea, we encountered a pod of approximately 15 dolphins that stayed and played and put on a show for us.

Captain Charlene may also organize special tours if you want to go to a picnic place only accessible by boat or if you have something else in mind. Give her a call, and you’ll be able to figure it out!

Shopping besides eating Downtown:

Things to Do in Port St Joe
Shopping besides eating Downtown

Let’s talk about everyday things to do in Port St. Joe. Before we drive to a large, local, multi-faceted state park, you’ll stop for a refreshing drink, a little shopping, and a wonderful meal to keep us going.

Let’s head to Reid Avenue, a half-mile length that runs through the heart of town and is only a few streets from the beach. You will find an inviting collection of sidewalk cafes and gift and antique shops here and in the surrounding streets.

Like so many others, this little town downtown is fighting for existence – but it’s holding its own against America’s strip proliferation. It is deserving of your support and is a pleasant place to spend some time. You are not permitted to look at your wristwatch. Simply roam and discover.

Try Per-snick-e-ty at 229 Reid Ave. for a mishmash of presents and souvenirs, though there are many other options. Joe Mama’s Wood Fired Pizza serves up some delicious pizza.

Visit Port St Joe Golf Club:

Things to Do in Port St Joe
Visit Port St Joe Golf Club

If golf is your sport, you should visit the St Joseph Bay Golf Club. The course was enjoyable as well as challenging. We were fortunate to acquire a tee time at 11 a.m. on a Sunday and had a fantastic day on the course.

Peninsula State Park:

Things to Do in Port St Joe
Peninsula State Park

You must enjoy visiting a state park, and this one did not disappoint! Port St Joe’s St Joseph Peninsula State Park has a hiking route and two beaches. One is on the Bayside, and the other is on the Gulf side.

By the beaches, there are facilities and a shop. An excellent place to visit for the day.

Swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling, fishing, bird watching, and outdoor expeditions are available on the 1,900-acre property. It’s everything here, along with miles and miles of the legendary sugar-white sand of Northwest Florida.

There are no crowded beaches here; take as much space as you want with as much buffer. You can trek along two nature trails or rest under the trees in shady picnic sites while admiring some of the highest dunes in the continental United States.

Donna Kay Shipwreck:

Things to Do in Port St Joe
Donna Kay Shipwreck

It’s a fantastic spot to watch the sunset. I’ve also heard it’s lovely for capturing the night sky. This is also accessible from a beach located farther up the road.

There are a bunch of enormous boulders and a tiny opening where you can see the water and the beach on the left-hand side of the road if you’re driving on the coast towards St Joseph Bay State Park.

You may park on the side of the road and walk from there to the wreckage. I’d guess it’s approximately a half-mile from here to the shipwreck. This beach is also fantastic because it’s full of tree trunks!