Last Updated on April 16, 2018 by Marybeth
Southern Living Magazine has been highlighting the beauty and culture of the South since 1966 and has become one of the largest lifestyle brands in the country. And so when they say something, we pay attention. And when their readers and editors awarded Florida Top Ten in seven categories of their 2018 “The South’s Best” we lovers of The Sunshine State smiled with pride.
If you haven’t picked up a copy of the magazine or visited their website for awhile, and you’re thinking all they do is talk about tea parties and toile (don’t you love saying that word? “toile“) you need to take another look. Huge on social media (1.1 m followers on Instagram!) the Southern Living crew brings inspiration for all things travel, home, garden, food, and beauty.
On to the good stuff: all the scoop on why Florida placed high on most lists (and really, is The South’s Best State, admit it, yall.)
BEST TINY TOWNS
- Ocean Isle Beach, NC
- Magnolia Springs, AL
- Fenwick Island, DE
- Matlacha, FL
- Helen, GA
- Rabbit Hash, KY
- Convent, LA
- Chesapeake City, MD
- Taylor, MS
- Rocheport, MO
Not only in Southern Living’s Top 10, but making the Top 5, Matlacha is a tiny town bursting with funky personality and a main street (with water all around) filled with brightly painted art galleries, shops, restaurants and cottages where even if you aren’t a photographer you’ll be grabbing your phone to snap a million pics. Wildly colorful are the buildings but also Matlacha’s checkered past (read more about Matlacha, pronounced “Mat-la-shay” here.)
As you drive in “The Fishingest Bridge in the World” announces that Matlacha is big on fishing, but this tiny town also offers boating, kayaking, and of course shopping til you drop into a cozy seat at one of the many (and almost all waterfront) restaurants to fill up on fresh seafood and lots more. Try Bert’s Bar and Grill, or Blue Dog Bar and Grill.
Stay at The Bridgewater Inn or Knoll’s Court Motel for an old-Florida lodging experience (with updated comforts.)
BEST SMALL TOWNS
- Aiken, SC
- Fairhope, AL
- Oxford, MS
- Southport, NC
- Williamsburg, VA
- Beaufort, SC
- Blowing Rock, NC
- Fredericksburg, TX
- Beaufort, NC
- St. Augustine, FL
Squeaking in at #10 St. Augustine, the nation’s oldest city, brims with so much history alongside tons of fun – the perfect combo! – that just a day’s visit isn’t enough to take it all in. Book a tour – trolley, carriage, ghost, vampire, boat, pirate boat – to learn the history. Visit the historic fort Castillo San Marcos. Plan for plenty of time to stroll the historic district shops, galleries and oddities (Medieval Torture Collection, anyone?) and even do the touristy thing if you’re so inclined (hello, Ripley’s Believe it or Not.) Photo opps abound along with Instagram-worthy architecture and beautiful views of the Mantanzas River.
With over 425 restaurants your decision-making skills may short out, so how about keep it simple and healthy and stop by Crave Food Truck during your stroll – it is slightly off the beaten path of the main attractions, but just by a few blocks. Another favorite is Ice Plant Bar (voted #23 in Southern Living’s Top 100 Bars!) which is not just a bar, offering fresh local farm-to-table cuisine. While you’re there pop into the St. Augustine Distillery for a glass of hand-crafted spirits. You deserve it after all that sight seeing.
Crave Food Truck, photo courtesy of Maggie Van Fossen
Ice Plant Bar, photo courtesy of Olivia Bennett Obralter Photography
Stay in one of St. Augustine’s many beautiful, historic Bed and Breakfasts, or stay just over the bridge at Edgewater Inn, an affordable cozy place right on the water and far enough away from the crowds so you can enjoy the peace. While there walk a block or so to The Conch House Marina Resort where your own private tiki hut sits out over the water.
Or go just a short drive off the beaten path to tranquil Vilano Beach where there are various options for lodging, including the retro Magic Beach Motel, or stay in an adorable AirBnB Cottage such as the Kokomo Cottage.
Edgewater Inn, photo courtesy of Maggie Van Fossen
The Conch House, photo courtesy of Maggie Van Fossen
Photo courtesy of Kokomo Cottage
BEST CITIES
- Charleston, SC
- Savannah, GA
- Asheville, NC
- Nashville, TN
- Greenville, SC
- Austin, TX
- San Antonio, TX
- Chattanooga, TN
- Sarasota, FL
- Lexington, KY
As ‘The Cultural Capital of Florida,’ Sarasota might sound high-brow to some, with its opera, live theater, ballet, museums and galleries. And maybe it is, but in a good way. Florida is known for Gatorade, bad drivers and bizarre crime, so having some culture to balance out the badness is something we’re certainly proud of. We may never get why people love opera, but just knowing it’s there gives our state some cachet.
After you get past the high-brow part, you’ll see why the rest of us go. The beaches for one, and the bars for the other. Surrounding the city of Sarasota are Siesta Key (which makes the Best Beach list so many times we’re almost like “not again”) Lido Key and Longboat Key. Not far are the beaches of Casey Key and Venice.
Siesta Key beach is huge!
If you thought St. Augustine’s list of restaurants was daunting, try choosing where to eat in Sarasota with over 690 restaurants. In one of the most charming neighborhoods in the world, the McClellan Park/Hudson Bayou area, try Veronica Fish and Oyster – a modern oyster bar with a nod to the classic supper clubs of the past – and then stroll around and be prepared to swoon over the charming cottages: Craftsman Bungalow Style, Spanish Style and Tudor Revival, some built as early as the 1940s.
Right downtown is Duval’s. Fresh. Local. Seafood. Call their shuttle to pick you up! In the Burns Court Historic District (there are so many cool neighborhoods in Sarasota!) go to Owen’s Fish Camp for the food and the eclectic decor, but get there early as it is super popular.
Owen’s Fish Camp, photo courtesy of Tony Levine
On the island of Siesta Key the Siesta Key Oyster Bar (SKOB) is a must visit for people watching, live music, food and drinks.
For accommodations, if you want to stay in town the Hotel Indigo Sarasota is a great choice, convenient to everything including the opera. We don’t normally recommend chains (we’re all about independently owned) but the Hotel Indigo has proved to be outstanding in many categories – price, friendly staff, contemporary decor, and location.
If you’re beach people like we are, go over the bridge to Siesta Key. Flip Flop Cottages is affordable and cute, a quiet cluster of cottages, basic roomy hotel rooms, and a swimming pool.
Flip Flop Cottages, Siesta Key
Related: How to Co-Exist With Crowds During Peak Season in Florida’s #1 Beach Town
BEST FOOD TOWNS
- Aiken, SC
- Oxford, MS
- Fairhope, AL
- Naples, FL
- Breaux Bridge, LA
- Winter Park, FL
- Key West, FL
- Charlottesville, VA
- St. Augustine, FL
- Williamsburg, VA
Yes, we love to eat here in Florida. Disney, sunshine, and food are among the top reasons people visit Florida; not necessarily in that order. We’ve gathered the top 3 restaurants in each foodie Florida town, according to Yelp and to TripAdvisor: (click on each name to visit their website)
NAPLES
Yelp:
TripAdvisor:
WINTER PARK
Yelp:
TripAdvisor:
KEY WEST
Yelp:
TripAdvisor:
ST. AUGUSTINE
Yelp:
TripAdvisor:
Florida placed in the Top 10 in three more categories:
Best Beaches – #3, Destin
Best Resorts – #9, Little Palm Island Resort and Spa, Little Torch Key
Best Desserts – #6, Leynia Miami Beach and #7, Bern’s Steak House in Tampa.
Check out the full story at Southern Living, where you’ll see the rest of the categories Florida didn’t make the Top 10 (there are just a few) and also the best each state has to offer beyond the Top 10’s.
Let us know what YOUR favorites are in our sunshiney state, and also, out of curiousity, had you ever heard of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky?
