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A yearning for small town charm along with a glimpse of the past propels visitors to Port St. Joe, one of the lesser-known jewels adjacent to the Emerald Coast.
Port St. Joe -- A small town with a big heart.
The proud residents of Port St. Joe are fond of that municipal nickname, and it's hard to dispute its accuracy.
Founded on a spot of profound natural beauty along northwest Florida's upper Gulf Coast and also on one of the state's most historic sites, Port St. Joe and its 3,500 residents greet visitors with a wide variety of activities and graceful, welcoming smiles. This place is a chorus of "Good morning" and "Good evening," of homecoming parades and Friday night lights, of "Yes, ma'am" and "Y'all come back real soon."
"Hands down, it's the people; that's what makes this place special," said Kim McFarland, a longtime resident who teaches at Port St. Joe High School. Her husband, Tim, was born and raised here, and he now serves as a county judge.
"You can have the prettiest beaches in the world, and we do, and so many other things, but without friendly people, it's all a waste," she said. "This is a real small town, with all of the good things that represents. It's very much like going back to Mayberry."
True enough, especially if Mayberry had been located adjacent to one of the world's premier fishing grounds, because this also is a place -- let's get right down to it -- with some of the most luscious seafood available anywhere at anytime.
And, trust us, you will work up quite an appetite, even during a one-day exploration of Port St. Joe and its environs.
Among the items on our Port St. Joe tourist menu:
An educational, even inspirational, glimpse of some of the state's earliest history. A compact, easily walkable town of gift and antique shops, bistros, vest-pocket parks, wide greenways and an inviting waterfront marina. An expansive state park that offers a deep dive into the state's precious coastal environment, including some of the nation's highest sand dunes and a chance to experience the endangered coastal sand pine habitat. A newly decommissioned but much-loved lighthouse, now just a phantom, a memory of what...