St. George Island Florida Summer Guide: Best Beaches & Local Eats

The Beach That Won

The eastern end of the island is where the sand earns its reputation. Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park stretches for miles, and Dr. Beach ranked it the number one beach in the United States in 2023. That ranking is real, but the park does not need it. What it has is space—enough that you can walk past the last towel and still have the horizon to yourself. The park began with an 1,800-acre state purchase in 1973, and it still feels that raw. The Gulf side is for swimming and baking; the bay side is shallower, warmer, and better for wading with small children. If you want a shorter walk to the water, Public beach access at 8W W Gorrie Dr is a no-frills entry point, and Gulf (of Mexico) Beach Park offers another slice of shoreline.

The Water, Both Sides

The island is only a few blocks wide, so you are never far from either the Gulf or the bay. Sawyer Street Kayak Launch is a quiet put-in on the bay side, and Unit 4 Recreation Area gives you another launch and a bit of picnic shelter. For a live look before you commit to the water, St George Island Florida Beach Cam at 139 W Gulf Beach Dr streams the surf conditions. Jolly Roger beach and fishing hq on West Bay Shore Drive rents gear and runs trips; it is a working shop, not a boutique.

Where to Eat Without a Menu

You will not find a fine-dining room here. The food is honest and tied to the bay. Bigfishcafesgi on East Gulf Beach Drive has the highest rating on the island, and it is small. BJ's Pizza & Subs and Portside Pizza both do pies, and Sand Bar Kitchen + Tavern is newer and smaller still. Beach Pit on West Pine Avenue is the classic stop for a casual meal, and Harry A 's Bar & Grill on West Bay Shore Drive is where the boat crowd ends up. There is also a Subway on East Gulf Beach Drive if you just want a sandwich and to get back to the sand. Apalachicola Bay seafood—oysters above all, alongside scallops, grouper, flounder, redfish, snapper, trout and mullet—shows up on menus across the island, but we have not seen a menu, so order what looks right.

The Light That Kept Moving

The island takes its name from the cape at its western end, Cape St. George, where the light was first built in 1833. That lighthouse was rebuilt two miles away in 1847-48, rebuilt again after an 1851 hurricane, decommissioned in 1994, and reconstructed after its foundation collapsed in 2005. It has moved more than most landmarks, and it now stands as a museum piece in the center of the island. It is worth a look, but it is not the reason you came.

The Numbers

This is not a year-round town. Of 1,815 total housing units, 1,246 are vacant—most of them rentals or second homes. Only 534 are held for seasonal or recreational use, which means the rest of the vacancies are simply empty. The population is 1,218 people, and the median age is 60.9 years. The unemployment rate is 0 percent, and the median household income is $96,250. The median home value is $628,500. Over 60 percent of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher. It is a place people move to when they are done with somewhere else.

One Weekend, Marked

If you are here in summer, check the calendar for the St. George Island Chili Cook-Off. It started over forty years ago as a small fundraiser for the island's volunteer fire department, and the proceeds still go to local emergency services. It is now an International Chili Society competition drawing cooks from across the country, with a silent auction and the Red Pepper 5K. It is the one weekend when the island feels crowded.

Day Trips

Apalachicola is nine miles away, and its Florida Seafood Festival is a fall anchor. Port St. Joe is 31 miles, with the Florida Scallop, Music & Arts Festival. Perry, Steinhatchee, Cedar Key, and Dade City are all farther afield and not worth the drive unless you have a specific festival in mind.

Stay on the island. Walk the beach. Watch the cam. Eat where the boats eat. That is the whole plan.