One of the smallest towns in Miami-Dade County by area, this affluent community is squeezed onto a pair of islands on Biscayne Bay. From above, Bay Harbor Islands looks a little like a pair of lungs. To my mind, the location is as good as it gets. Nothing on this list, whether it’s a chic …
Fronting Choctawhatchee Bay and the bayous that feed it, Valparaiso is a city at the East Gate of Eglin Air Force Base. Dating back some 90 years, the base is the home of the 96th Test Wing, and occupies a vast area to the north and west. There’s a sensational museum on the base, dedicated …
Covering little more than two square miles, this small coastal city has some enchanting scenery. Tequesta features Atlantic shoreline, a piece of the Indian River Lagoon, and the lower reaches of the Loxahatchee River. Something that intrigues me about the coastline is that it’s unusually rocky, and you can view some peculiar formations at the …
An inspiring place in remote North Central Florida, High Springs was first settled almost two hundred years ago. The railroads accelerated development later in the century, and there are hints of this heritage across the downtown area. For you and me, High Springs’ appeal comes from the scores of natural springs flowing into the Santa …
In a lake-strewn landscape in Polk County, Lake Alfred is a small but fast-growing city of 6,500. I’m telling the truth when I say that water is everywhere in Lake Alfred. Officially it makes up almost half of the city’s total area. There are lots of places both here and in neighboring communities where you …
Couched in a sprawling urban area in Pinellas County, this town of 5,000 shares a boundary with St. Petersburg. Kenneth City is purely residential, apart from a commercial area along SR 693. There’s no doubt that the location is a big asset, with St. Petersburg’s super cultural attractions a few minutes away. Some of my …
Set on a barrier island next to Boca Ciega Bay, Treasure Island is part of Pinellas County’s Gulf Beaches. The island has three unbroken miles of some of the loveliest beaches I’ve ever laid eyes on. These have Gulf Coast’s classic soft white, sands, with glistening emerald waters. The main beach in Treasure Island is …
Part of the Gulf Beaches, St. Pete Beach is a sublime coastal escape on a barrier island. The city was incorporated in the 1950s and is actually made up of two former towns on Long Key. That means you have two lively downtown areas to check out, with restaurants, shops, markets and annual festivals. Still, …
The seat of Hardee County is a quaint small town surrounded by pastoral farmland. Flowing by, just east of Wauchula is the scenic Peace River. This might be my favorite river in Florida, with grand bald cypresses on its banks and limestone bluffs, almost never seen in the Sunshine State. These are packed with fossils …
This beautiful and historic city, often named among America’s best small towns, was built around a unique almost perfectly circular spring-fed lake. DeFuniak Springs was developed in the 1880s as a resort for the Chautauqua movement, which burgeoned in rural America at the turn of the 20th century. The original resort is in a wonderful …