Florida’s Forgotten Coast Stories: Cape San Blas

Cape San Blas Beach | Image by James Lewis

Saint Joseph Bay | Image by James Lewis

My wife and I discovered Cape San Blas completely by accident.

We originally booked a return trip to St. George Island for the 4th of July (2023). But fate threw us a curveball. Two weeks before our arrival date the property manager (Cape & Coast) called and informed me that there was “an issue” with our rental on St. George and that it was no longer available. But thankfully, before I could begin to process this unwanted news the C&C representative pitched a solution to the dilemma:  a comparable home in terms of bedrooms and bathrooms, pet friendly, and on the beach. The only catch - it was on Cape San Blas.

“Where in the heck is Cape San Blas?” I asked.

What we did not realize in that precise moment is that sometimes when God closes an island, he opens a peninsula. As it turns out, Cape San Blas is also part of Florida’s Forgotten Coast, situated 25 miles west of Apalachicola directly across Saint Joseph Bay from Port St. Joe. And let’s be real, getting a refund and trying to rebook a full week at the beach during the most popular summer holiday of the year with 14 days’ notice (think surge pricing on steroids) was not an option. After a brief sidebar, we graciously accepted the proposed change of venue.

Weber’s Little Donut Shop | Photo by James Lewis

Based on our experience, there are two notable differences between Cape San Blas and St. George. First, Cape San Blas is even smaller and less developed than its Forgotten Coast counterpart. The closest full-service grocery store is a 20-minute drive to Port St. Joe. There are, however, two local general stores. The Cape Tradin’ Post includes a package store, a coffee & ice cream stand and Weber’s Little Donut Shop. The Scallop Cove offers bait & tackle, gas (the only filling station on the Cape) and pontoon rentals.

The local restaurants include Skully’s Low Country Boil (outdoor seating dinner only Tuesday through Saturday), The Smokehouse (lunch and dinner daily), Cone Heads (lunch and dinner, closed Wednesday and Sunday), and LongBill’s Pub & Grub (lunch and dinner daily with breakfast on Saturday and Sunday). Port St. Joe Shrimp Company operates daily as a fresh seafood market but also serves lunch Sunday through Friday. We mainly lean on Long Bill’s for an easy takeout night which includes, but is not limited to, a couple of “Cheesy Goodness” pizzas, Southern Fried Pickles, and Mozzarella Sticks. I learned the hard way that Long Bill’s typically suspends to-go orders during peak hours (between 6PM~8PM). So, I now make sure to order by 5:30PM and pick up just before 6:00PM (fool me once).

The second item that struck us almost immediately was the color and clarity of the water. On days with little to no waves or wind you can see straight to the bottom of the Gulf. But the visibility gets even better if you rent a pontoon boat on Saint Joseph Bay which is located on the leeward side of the Cape. Scallop Cove Too! is inside the gates of the State Park and offers full or half day rentals. From the marina, you can head to the west end (aka “The Point”) where you can swim, float, shell, fish or watch dolphins and turtles. Or if you are visiting during scallop season (mid-August through September) you can head east towards Black’s Island and try your hand at scalloping in the grass beds. All you really need (other than a vessel) is a fishing license, mask and fins. We have been to Cape San Blas twice now and “boat day” has consistently been our crew’s favorite experience. I strongly encourage reservations in advance. Scallop Cove Too! has a total of six 22-foot pontoon boats which rent quickly, especially on popular holidays. If there are no rentals available, there are additional operators in Port St. Joe such as Cape San Blas Pontoon Boat Rentals.

Light Up Your Night Beach Bonfires | Photo by James Lewis

The other crowd favorite is Light Up Your Night Beach Bonfires. Jan-Michael (owner/operator) brings the party to Cape San Blas, St. George Island, Indian Pass or St. Joe Beach and literally takes care of everything except the weather. He offers four bonfire packages which all include a table, tiki torches, firewood, s’mores kit (with roasting sticks), bluetooth speaker, chairs, glow-in-the-dark beach games (bocce, frisbee and football), setup and cleanup. All you need to do is show up and have fun. The last time we were there Jacob,the youngest of our blended children, took down seven s’mores and played glow bocce and frisbee until closing time.

And really that pretty much sums it up. When we come here our routine is very simple. We wake up slow, make breakfast, head out to the beach, set up (cool cabana, chairs, cooler, fishing poles), play all day, pick up at sunset. Rinse and repeat. Sometimes less is more. 

It’s funny how things work out when you least expect it. Cape San Blas and St. George are two places I never would have sought out. Both were introduced to us by chance, for which in retrospect we are extremely grateful. It reminds me of a quote from Dr. Seuss, “If you never did, you should. These things are fun and fun is good.”