5 Beautiful Hidden Gems in Florida To Visit Where You Can Get Away From It All!
More and more I find myself looking for someplace to travel where I can get away from it all.
Away from work and emails. Away from meetings, stress and…
You know what I’m talking about? Do you find yourself doing the same?
Well I got you.
Here are five hidden gems in Florida to visit that are more off-the-beaten-path than on. And they’re great places to spend a few hours or a few days where you can relax and recharge.
And one is even the best place to hunt for sharks teeth!
I love variety and I enjoy each of these places for different reasons and find myself returning again and again.
Each is unique and with a charm all its own, whether it’s camping on an uninhabited island or renting a house right on the Gulf of Mexico.
Do I have your attention? Great! Let’s explore!
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1. Matlacha
Matlacha is a small town in Lee County on the way to Pine Island from Cape Coral.
And I mean small.
As in if you blink, you miss it. I’m not kidding.
It’s actually a man-made causeway that was built to link Pine Island with the mainland in 1926.
A block either side off the main street you find homes reminiscent of Old Florida with boats tied up to the dock out the back door and shell-filled walkways.
It reminds me of a smaller, un-crowded version of Key West, a true hidden gem in Florida to visit!
What To Do
The road leading through Matlacha is lined with eccentrically decorated homes, restaurants, brightly colored gift shops full of handcrafted décor and art galleries.
In the middle of town is the draw-bridge that spans Matlacha Pass. This is where you find people lined up from dawn to dusk casting fishing lines for redfish and snook.
In the waters around Matlacha you can spot dolphins, manatee, turtles and a huge variety of fish.
It’s a great place to spend a few days soaking up the atmosphere. And if you enjoy outdoor activities you’ll have plenty to keep you busy!
Here you can boat, fish, kayak, canoe and paddle board to your heart’s content. Bring your own or contact one of several rental places in town.
Where To Eat
For being such a small town, Matlacha has several very good restaurants just waiting for you to try.
Seafood right off the boat, hauled up to the back door means it doesn’t get any fresher.
Check out a different place for each meal and decide on your favorite!
Olde Fish House Marina – Located just past the bridge, this place has a laid-back vibe where you can order fresh seafood to go from the market, or to eat at one of the picnic tables provided. They also have live music.
The Yucatan Waterfront Bar & Grill – The Yucatan is on your left as you leave Matlacha heading towards Pine Island. Delicious seafood and grilled meat dishes are the local favorites here. They also have a great outdoor deck and bar right on the water. Open for lunch and dinner.
Blue Dog Bar & Grill – If you’re looking for American pub vibe, check out The Blue Dog. Known for their seafood, beer and wine, you can enjoy the delicious fare sitting on the deck overlooking the water.
These are just three of the restaurants you need to try, there are many more selections to choose from!
And for the best homemade ice cream hands-down…stop in at Great Licks Ice Cream Shop. Their Black Raspberry Chip is to die for! Yummmmm!
The sunsets are amazing here in Matlacha, and there’s nothing like enjoying a delicious dinner of fresh seafood while watching nature paint the sky.
Where To Stay
There’s no shortages of places to stay in Matlacha either although during season it’s advisable to make reservations as they do fill up fast.
It’s nothing to see No Vacancy signs posted everywhere November thru April. So get your reservations in early.
One of the more visually stimulating places to stay is The Bridgewater Inn located right next to Matlacha Pass and the draw-bridge.
The rooms open out onto the dock and colorfully painted lounge chairs invite you to sit and watch the fish and dolphin swim.
If you want to bring an RV and stay right on the water, check out Sugar Sand Beach RV Resort, located in the middle of town just a couple blocks off the main road. They have 10 sites and a kayak launch with rentals available.
If a colorful 2-bedroom beach bungalow is more your style, check out Matlacha Cottages where you can go right outside the back door and fish off their dock.
There are several vacation homes for rent through Vacation Rental By Owner (VRBO) as well.
Whatever your accommodation preference, you’ll find the charm of southwest Florida infused throughout.
2. Cayo Costa Island State Park
At the northern tip of Pine Island you can catch a ferry to Cayo Costa State Park, a 2,420-acre barrier island off the coast of southwest Florida.
Cayo Costa is a great place to tent camp or rent a rustic cabin, or just hang out for the day.
The only way to this hidden gem is by ferry or private boat.
A tram runs from the bayside ranger station across the island to the gulf side and camping area. (Runs between 10am and 4pm).
Otherwise it’s about a mile walk along a wide, packed trail across the island.
What To Do
Here you can be as busy as you want…or not!
Shelling, snorkeling, fishing and scuba diving are possible off the beach as well as swimming, and paddling. (Bring you own gear.)
There are also bicycles (and kayaks) for rent at the gift shop and hiking trails allow you to explore at your leisure.
Word of caution though…June, July, and August are some of the hottest temps in Florida so be prepared for the heat…and the bugs.
Best time of year to really enjoy Cayo Costa is late fall through early spring.
This is Florida at its best –no schedules, no traffic, and nine miles of sandy beach to enjoy.
For a Floridian’s Guide on How to Have the Best Beach Day Experience ever, click here.
Where To Eat
All food, drinks, and gear must be brought to the island with you.
At the ranger station you’ll find the gift shop with a small selection of souvenirs, ice, snacks, drinks, and camping items including firewood. You’ll also find tons of information about the island and surrounding area.
Where To Stay
This is where you can come get away from it all and re-center yourself.
The park has 30 tent sites and 12 cabins. You can find more information along with reservations here.
There are specific sites set up and suitable for hammocks. And all the cabins are a single large room with three bunk beds and a table. Cabins can sleep up to 6 people.
There is no electricity at any of the sites. However, each site does have an outdoor grill and restrooms are located throughout the park with shower facilities and potable water.
With no electricity, the night sky is filled with stars, the beaches and surrounding waters filled with marine life and if you don’t want to be reached…who’s to say your cell phone isn’t dead?
Just don’t forget the bug spray!
3. Boca Grande
Just a bit to the north you’ll find Gasparilla Island and at the southern end of it, the town of Boca Grande.
This hidden gem tucked among Florida’s barrier islands, is a small community that brings you back to turn-of-the-century Florida.
There are no traffic lights, no chain restaurants or hotels.
And you’ll find no buildings over three stories.
There is a $6 toll charge to get on the island and the Florida SunPass is not valid.
What To Do
There are many things to see and do while on Boca Grande. You’ll find bike trails, walking paths, beaches, shops, historic homes and buildings to tour.
Amazing restaurants with fresh seafood.
And there’s even a championship golf course and a world renowned competition croquet lawn!
At the tip of Gasparilla Island is Gasparilla Island State Park and the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse Museum. (Entry fee $3 per vehicle paid to the honor box at the entrance.)
The lighthouse is open seven days a week (closed in August) and contains a gift shop and museum full of history about the island and its native inhabitants.
The beach here is particularly beautiful with its white sand and shells washed up by the tide.
The view of the Gulf is beautiful and you can make out Cayo Costa just across Boca Grand Pass.
You can get an up close and personal view of Boca Grande Pass on the eastern tip of the island.
This is where the tarpon usually run from April thru August.
In June you can watch dozens of world-class anglers compete in the World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament right from the beach!
Where To Eat
One of my favorite things to do is to stop at the Loose Caboose (at corner of Fourth St. and E. Railroad Ave.) and grab one of their sandwiches to go. (I’m partial to their Cuban.) I love enjoying a relaxing picnic on the white sand beach and watch the blue waters of the gulf.
There are also two picnic areas at the park with covered tables and restroom facilities nearby.
If you’re looking for an early breakfast to get your day started, look no further than the 3rd Street Cafe. They open at 5am and you can enjoy a delicious breakfast outside in their secret garden and watch the island wake up.
For picnic staples, there’s Hudson’s Grocery where you can find a comprehensive hot deli selection along with gourmet foods and fresh seafood.
As long as you’re there, you might as well check out the Pink Pony just a ways down. They have the best hand-dipped ice cream on the island!
Where To Stay
Staying at the historic four-star Gasparilla Inn, with its old southern charm is an experience like no other.
This hidden gem has been favorited by VIPs such as Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Katharine Hepburn, GHW Bush and family, Britt Hume, Harrison Ford, and Tom Brokaw just to name a few.
If there’s limited availability, you can find reasonably priced accommodations at the Boca Grand Hotel, Anchor Inn, and the Innlet on the Waterfront.
Then there’s always the VRBO option if you prefer to stay in a condo or house on the island.
If you do visit Boca Grande, peak season generally runs from November to late April. Off-season is May through July with most of the island shut down in August and September.
If you really want to get away from it all with less crowds and slightly cooler temperatures, plan to visit in early May or early October.
4. Little Gasparilla Island
Continuing north up the coast, you’ll find another barrier island known as Little Gasparilla Island which is separated from Gasparilla Island by Gasparilla Pass.
Little Gasparilla Island is approximately two and half miles long and accessed only by private boat or Pirate’s Water Taxi. You can catch the water taxi from Eldred’s Marina located just before the tollbooth to Gasparilla Island (and Boca Grande).
Charge for the taxi is $10 per person each way and runs from 8:30am to 5:00pm seven days a week.
Parking at the marina is $6 per day. You can get more details by contacting the marina at 941.697.1431.
This is truly an opportunity for a secluded tropical getaway.
What To Do
There are no roads on the island, only golf cart paths and walking trails. And there’s no stores or restaurants.
If you have a boat, there’s available slips to dock it at the island. Sometimes it’s better to have the luxury of coming and going when you want rather than waiting for the taxi. Unless of course you’re truly wanting to be secluded.
Swimming is excellent here with the white sand and the depth is relatively shallow out to about 15-20 yards.
Snorkeling, fishing, boating and scuba diving are all possible here –just be sure to bring your equipment with you.
Where To Eat
The closest grocery stores and restaurants are nearby in Cape Haze and Englewood, about 10-15 minutes from the marina. It’s recommended that you bring what you’ll need for your entire stay.
You can rent golf carts from Little Gasparilla Island Carts. Some vacation rentals come with golf carts and bicycles so be sure to check before reserving.
Where To Stay
There are several homes on the island available to rent and some are even right on the water! There’s the gulf side and the inland waterway so make sure you know what you’re getting when you make your reservations.
There’s nothing like waking up to the sound of the surf and drinking your morning coffee while watching the fish and dolphins play.
Peak season for visitors to the island is December to April. To make reservations try VRBO or directly through Little Gasparilla Vacation Rentals.
We’ve typically visited in mid- to late July when there are no crowds. You definitely feel as though you have the island to yourself.
If you want to get away from it all…Little Gasparilla Island is a hidden gem in south Florida you definitely need to visit!
5. Venice Beach
Another couple miles further up the coast you’ll find my next favorite getaway…Venice.
Venice has two beach areas. One is known as the South Jetty, which is part of Humphris Park.
The other is marked by the Venice Fishing Pier located at the southern end of the beach.
At Humphris Park, there is a parking lot with toilets and picnic tables before you walk out onto the beach area.
Venice Beach (near the Pier) can be accessed off W. Venice Ave where there is free public parking and lifeguards available as well as a concession stand and picnic areas.
Turtle nests are common along the beach between May and October so camping and fires on the beach are prohibited.
What To Do
If you’re into beach combing and want to try your hand at finding prehistoric sharks’ teeth, Venice is known as the “Shark’s Tooth Capital of the World”.
Most sharks’ teeth are found along the beaches of the Venice jetty south to Caspersen Beach. So grab a “Florida snow shovel” and get to work!
You can rent these sand basket shovels at the Venice Fishing Pier or find one at a local area Walmart.
The beach at the South Jetty is normally slightly less crowded. Fishing along the jetty is popular for trout, pompano, red snapper, flounder, snook and tarpon.
Where To Eat
Just south of Venice Beach is the iconic Venice Fishing Pier.
One of my favorite things is to spend the morning at the beach (before the heat settles in) then have lunch at Sharky’s on the Pier. Sharky’s is a favorite among the locals with great food, outdoor seating, and delicious frozen cocktails at the walk-up cabana bar.
They do take reservations and it’s recommended during peak-season as the place is popular with locals and visitors alike.
Insider tip: There is a section of tables on the north end of the restaurant that are first come, first serve so if you’re lucky enough to find an empty one, grab it!
There is also a second floor outdoor lounge with a shaded balcony that is a great place to hang out while waiting for your table. You can order drinks and bar food while you wait!
It’s also a great place to watch the sunset with a view of the pier –perfect for pictures to send back to those at home with a “wish you were here” caption!
Where To Stay
Accommodations in Venice vary from typical motels to private condos available along the beach.
The Inn at the Beach, next to the Venice Beach entrance is a great place to stay with its studio rooms outfitted with kitchenettes and outdoor pool and hot tub.
They also have bicycles for rent and the beach is less than 200 feet away.
If you’re looking for more long-term options or prefer to stay in an apartment or house, check out VRBO options.
Well there you have it…Five off-the-beaten-path destinations in South Florida where you can get away from those pesky office emails and zoom meetings.
Travel and explore the area and find out what Floridians already know…all you need to relax and enjoy the moment is to be surrounded by turquoise gulf waters and white sandy beaches.
These five beautiful hidden gems in Florida provide that and more!
So make your reservations and embrace your inner dragonfly!
If you want to see more posts featuring tropical destinations, check out The Best 7 day 4 Island Hawaiian Itinerary. Caution: This is NOT for the lazy vacationer!
Or consider visiting Orlando’s All-Inclusive Tropical Paradise: Discovery Cove.
