Adventurous Activities to Try When You Visit Gulf County Florida
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Gulf County Florida. All opinions are 100% mine.
A fabulous Florida vacation without the big price tag and crowds. Couple that with a family friendly destination, lots of outdoor activities, and great weather year round, a visit to Gulf County Florida is a must.
Who can pass up a day on the Florida beaches? Especially on the Florida Gulf Coast. Keep reading for adventurous activities to try when you visit Gulf County Florida and enter our $50 Amex gift card giveaway.
Scroll to the bottom of this post for the $50 Amex gift card giveaway. Update: the contest has ended.
Adventurous Activities to Try When You Visit Gulf County Florida
Kayaking is one of the many adventures activities in Gulf County Florida
We usually choose a beach destination for family vacations. Because of a family emergency, we had to cancel our summer vacation. This would have been our last summer family vacation because The Big One, now that he's an adult I can use his real name, (Wyatt) is going to college. So where could we go that has great weather in the offseason?
Traveling in the off-season is an easy way to save money on travel. But saving money doesn't mean being cheap. It means finding the value.
And that's exactly what you'll find in Gulf County Florida. The prime season in Gulf County is September through May which means you can save money on your flight, hotel, rental car, and activities. Like the in California, Gulf County Florida is a family-friendly value-added destination
Gulf County Florida is one of those wonderful hidden gems that will surprise you. Who knew that it is one of five US counties with two time zones. Or that Port St. Joe was once a mill town.
Easy Access to Water
Got water?
Not only that but there are 244 miles of coast and 43 miles of shoreline beaches like Cape San Blas, Indian Pass, St. Joe Beach, and WindMark Beach. This means you have easy access to different bodies of water:
- The Gulf of Mexico
- St. Joseph Bay
- Indian Pass Lagoon
- The Gulf County Canal
- Intracoastal Waterway
- Apalachicola Bay and river basin
- Dead Lakes
- Chipola River
Gulf County Florida beaches are family friendly
Nothing says a relaxing vacation more than a Florida beach vacation. You can even bring your four-legged kid. All Gulf County beaches are pet-friendly (except St. Joseph Peninsula State park).
Nature-Based Activities
What SUP?
With all that water, there are many nature-based activities:
- Hiking
- Biking
- Kayaking
- Snorkeling
- Diving
- Paddleboarding
- Fishing
- Boating
- Ecotouring
I want to go kayaking, snorkeling, and paddleboarding in Gulf County Florida. It'll be different than paddleboarding in Hawaii. For sure.
Read: How to stand up paddle board
That's a great thing about outdoor activities. They're never the same experience. Even in the same place. You might see barracudas, marlins, and other fish snorkeling one day and nothing the next day.
Explore nature in Gulf County Florida.
Gulf County Florida's ecotourism is a big draw for Wyatt because he's majoring in Environmental Management.
Ecotourism in Gulf County Florida? Check!
Gulf County Adventure Guide
Have and plan your adventure with the Gulf County Adventure Guide
Intrigued? Want to learn more about Gulf County Florida? Plan your trip using the Adventure Guide.
The Gulf County Adventure Guide is so easy to use. Everything you'd want to know about Gulf County Florida is at your fingertips. Accessible anytime, anywhere, 24/7.
Perfect for when you can't sleep (or are kept up by your little one). Instead of fighting insomnia, search the Gulf County Adventure Guide to see all the fun, exciting adventures you can have in Gulf County Florida.
Gulf County Concierge Program
Free travel planning via the Gulf County Concierge Program. Yes, please!.
If you don't have time, use the Gulf County Concierge Program and let a GCFL Concierge plan a trip for you. For free.
Normally I spend hours researching and creating a detailed itinerary spreadsheet. But lately, I don't have the time. I love planning our trips. That's the fun and exciting part, finding the deals, seeking out the secret spots, etc. It's a time-consuming task, but one that I'm happy to do.
Letting someone else do the planning and legwork is wonderful. It takes less than 2 minutes to submit a request and you'll have a detailed response within hours.
I requested information on hiking, kayaking, paddleboarding, food, and music. Here's what our GCFL Concierge, Kelli, suggested:
Hi Debra,
We have some great hiking trails here! There are many with a beautiful backdrop out at St. Joseph Peninsula State Park. The St. Joseph Bay Buffer Preserve also has some fantastic natural trails.
We have some great hiking trails here! There are many with a beautiful backdrop out at St. Joseph Peninsula State Park. The St. Joseph Bay Buffer Preserve also has some fantastic natural trails.
We have beautiful waterways to kayak and paddle board in Gulf County. You can rent a kayak or go on a guided trip with Happy Ours out on St. Joseph Bay. You can also take a guided trip on the Dead Lakes with Off the Map Expeditions. Paddle boards are available from multiple outfitters as well, including Happy Ours.
St. Joseph Bay is the ideal spot to go snorkeling! You can wade out with your own gear or let the experts take you. Many of our charter captains will take you out or you can go on the Island Queen pontoon with Seahorse Water Safaris. They specialize in these trips and do a 'show and tell' at the end!
We have plenty of places to eat from Mexican, Italian, Southern Grub, and of course seafood. Whether you want a delicious one of a kind seafood dinner, oysters on the half-shell or po-boys it can all be found in Gulf County. Most of the restaurants have live music playing but if you're looking for a place to relax and watch the sun go down check out The Thirsty Goat or Haughty Heron.
If you are interested in learning more about these or Gulf County, please let me know or you can call the Welcome Center at (850) 229-7800 and ask for Kelli!
We've got a list of things to do, where to rent kayaks, paddleboards, snorkeling gear, restaurants to try, and helpful links. It only took a few minutes of my time and didn't cost a dime. How cool is that!
The GCFL concierges are similar to very good travel agents. The ones who take the time to create the perfect travel itinerary catering to your interests such as showing you all the things to do in Orlando besides theme parks. Because like Gulf Coast Florida, you can have great adventures in Orlando without going to Disneyworld or Universal Studios.
$50 Amex Gift Card Giveaway
Are you dreaming of an adventurous, relaxing beach vacation to Gulf County Florida? I know I am. Now that you've added Gulf County Florida to your bucket list, it's time for a little fun.
Enter our $50 Amex gift card giveaway.
Leave a comment telling me which of the adventures in the Adventure Guide would you/your family enjoy taking part in? And why? by 9 pm, Pacific Time on September 15, 2016.
One winner will be chosen at random on September 15, 2016. I'll announce the winner on or about September 24, 2016.
Conclusion
Looking for a value priced Florida vacation? Look to Gulf County Florida. With miles and miles of coastline, everywhere you go you're only 15 minutes from the water.
Gulf County Florida is family-friendly with a small town feel. The people are friendly and if you're not careful you'll end up making a friend or two.
Plus it's only one of a handful of US counties that are in two different time zones. Talk about time flying!
Didn't get to take a trip this year? No worries because Gulf County Florida's prime season is September through May. Which makes outdoor adventures like hiking, fishing, snorkeling, kayaking easy to do all year.
Plan your vacation using the Gulf County Adventure Guide. Or save time and use the Gulf Concierge Program have a GCFL Concierge take care of the details.
Remember to enter our $50 Amex gift card giveaway by telling me which of the adventures in the Adventure Guide would you/your family enjoy taking part in? And why?
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The Fine Print
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. One winner, chosen at random from all eligible entries received, will receive a $50 AmEx gift card, and will be announced on or about 10 days after end of entry period. Entrants may enter within 21 days of this post going live. Must be a resident of one of the 48 contiguous United States (excl. PR, HI, AK) the age of majority in his or her jurisdiction at time of entry. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Sweepstakes is sponsored by Gulf County.
We'd be most interested in snorkeling in St Joseph Bay. The gulf coast beaches are beautiful with soft, white sand and calm water.
We would enjoy visiting St. Joseph Bay because it looks nice
The Bay at St Joseph Peninsula State Park looks like a great place to visit: it has camping, fishing, you can picnic, there is something for everyone to enjoy there.
jslbrown2009 at aol dot com
Our family really enjoys being near large bodies of water so the canoeing and paddleboarding would be ideal along with fishing and any water sports.
I live in Florida and i couldn't have told you where Gulf county was. Thanks for the info! I alwasy like a new place to go kayaking!
My family would enjoy an eco-adventure with a bio-expert because my kid enjoy learning more about nature.
My family loves riding horse, horseback riding on the beach would be fun to enjoy.
I'd love to go to Lake Wimico to see the houseboat village, alligators and other wildlife. Taking a boat trip sounds like a great way to spend the day and take tons of pictures.
We would love to take part in the turtle treasure hunt in Cape San Blas! That sounds like such a good, fun time for the whole family.
we love horse back riding on the beach
I’m going to Florida for Spring Break next year so I loved reading the Adventure Guide!! The Adventure off the Beaten Path sounds so like me!! I love the fact that there’s a lake and that you can see all of the wildlife!
I’d really love to explore Joseph Bay. I’ve never been kayak fishing so I think that would be really cool. I love the idea of pedaling instead of paddling 🙂
I went to Gulf County last year with my friends and had an amazing time. We didn’t get to do any of the things on the Adventure Guide but the next time I go, I will definitely be trying the “Adventure Off the Beaten Path.”
We absolutely love Gulf County. It is absolutely a wonderland for nature lovers. Thanks for sharing this giveaway!
We've gone to Florida on vacation a few times, but we always focused on the theme parks. Now that the kids are more open to other things, I think it's time to check out the natural beauty of Gulf County.
this looks like the perfect locale for a nature lover!
I would love to go scuba diving with my hubby and it would be a great way to celebrate our anniversary!
I would LOVE to kayaking here! I was a kayak instructor for four years and I miss it so, so much.
Aside from relaxing on the beach and watching a beautiful sunset I would love to try snorkeling as it is something I have always wanted to try. This sounds like the perfect place to do it.
I would love to go snorkeling!
Nice blog. I am an adventure junkie and enjoy reading such blogs. Keep up the good work!
I want to try scuba diving. My son loves going to the beach!
I live on the east coast of Florida and rarely (as in 20 yrs) get to visit the Gulf coast, which I love. It's totally different over there. I just heard about Cape San Blas this past spring and have been itching to visit ever since. A friend told me about the great shelling at the national park and a natural lovers paradise. Thanks for the chance to win Debra.
Wow this is so fun, I live in Florida so I'm excited to check this out. thanks for sharing!!
This post made me really miss Florida! I've got family there, but haven't been able to go back and visit them for a long time now. I hope to make it down there again soon!
I love being on the water where ever we vacation. I'll have to put Florida on the list of places to visit. I'd enjoy all of these activities.
I really want to go see the sea turtles in Gulf County Florida. I also would love to explore a few places and go hiking.
There really is a whole lot to do out there, I used to live that way but never enjoyed it while I lived there. I will have to go back for a vacation so I can actually enjoy this stuff.
That looks like a great place for a vacation. That would be fun for my whole family. I've never even been to Florida yet.
I want to go horseback riding at Cape San Blas with my husband. It sounds like something we would both really enjoy doing together.
Your photos are really amazing 🙂 I love kayaking and SUP, and this looks like such a gorgeous place to try it. I'm really keen to revisit Florida and discover what there is to do outside Disney 😀
I go to Florida a few times a year. I love it there. It is a great place to go for a fantastic vacation.
We would love to go to the Port St. Joe Marina and would love to take a sunset cruise or go snorkeling through one of the guided tours.
What a beautiful place to visit. My children love when we have a beach vacation.
This looks so awesome. I really need to visit Florida again! I was there for 3 days but didn't get to see everything I wanted to. 🙁
Im currently living in Florida but I haven't done a very good job of getting out there and really experiencing everything that FL has to offer. these activities all look like a lot of un and worth of getting out and trying.
Looks like a great place for a family vacation - love all the water sports!
My daughters love wildlife so they would love St. Joseph’s bay so that they could look at the sea turtles and dolphins!
Great underwater shot. All the kayaking pictures look like fun!
These all look awesome! I would even try SUP again even though my first and last attempt was a disaster!
We'd love horseback riding on the beach because it sounds like something out of a dream.
I would love to take my daughter horse back riding on the beach!
Florida has a lot of off. I have never been to gulf county, but it looks like there is so much to do!
Im a Florida girl. I have never been to this part of Florida. These pictures are why I live here and exciting to explore this area now
My family would really enjoy an Eco-Adventure with a Bio-Expert because we love wildlife & would enjoy seeing wildlife, such as Dolphins, sea turtles, water birds, etc., & would enjoy learning more about them and the area! We would also love horseback riding on the beach because we love horses & it would be an awesome experience!
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I would like to kayak but I need to learn to swim first. I'm all about travel and on a budget is all me. - Yolonda
I'd go with SUP, because I've been meaning to try it for so long! Assuming I can keep my balance. But if I can dance salsa in high heels, I don't see why not. 😉
Horseback riding for sure! I love Florida! Lived there many years ago and have longed to return since the day I left!
Wow!! I had no idea Florida had so much to offer. I'm embarrassed to admit we really only fly into Orlando and Miami. Looks like we are cheating ourselves
The Gulf County promises a great and fun experience. There are so many activities which make for an enjoyable holiday. Kayaking,biking and snorkelling are the ones I would specially be interested in.