Last Updated on April 12, 2024 by Marybeth
Immediately captivating, with fresh additions of contemporary and a whole lot of conviviality – Apalachicola. Old world charm plus new world cool. This town boasts an award-winning Main Street association and the friendliest residents. Apalachicola might even mean “the land of friendly people,” but that also may be a tiny twist of the Hitchoti Indian words, a gentle mash-up by the locals. No judgement here, because these locals truly made us feel as though we weren’t curious tourists in town to soak up all the serenity and delight before moving on to the next Panhandle town.
You’ve heard of it and it’s on your list to visit someday. So many fun waterfront towns in Florida, so little time (and energy for a remarkably long drive.) That was us, and if it’s you, put Apalachicola on your next-visit list. Move over, all you top stylish historic towns everyone’s been reading so much about. We’ve launched a campaign to champion the true and less-traveled, heart-and-soul small towns of Florida.
With a deep history of fishing and oystering – oyster harvesting was its first seafood industry, beginning in 1836 – Apalachicola has been called Oyster Town, and The Oyster Capital of the World. One enterprising resident, John Ruge, developed a pasteurization method in the late 1800s that enabled safe seafood packing and shipping, which was a game changer. He also advocated the planting of oyster shells near existing oyster beds to enable safe places for spats to spawn.
John Ruge also went on trial for using “unbecoming language in a public place.” Colorful history is the best, isn’t it? Imagine going on trial for THAT today? Apalachicola wasn’t always about the oyster, though, with cotton shipping, timber, and cigar boxes in its past.
A more sobering fact regarding the oyster industry is the moratorium placed on harvesting oysters until 2025. (We’ve also read the date has been moved to 2026.) We’d be embarking on a long conversation listing all the purported causes for this – which include over-harvesting, stormwater runoff, damage from Hurricane Michael, several years of drought, Georgia’s overuse of water that feeds the bay (this claim was dismissed by the Supreme Court.) But our mission is to show you today’s reasons to visit, where to stay and play. This goal of ours may seem too lighthearted, skimming past important discussions. We wholeheartedly accept this impression, and encourage you to dive deeper – we did, it is fascinating and important – using resources we’ll list at the end of this article.
With over 900 historic homes and a Distinctive Destination designation from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, you history lovers will want to download and embark on the self-guided walking tour. Note that you may get a bit distracted along the way – for a small town, Apalachicola offers an enormous amount of contemporary art galleries, fabulous upscale shops, low-key watering holes, and exceptional local restaurants where yes, seafood is the star, but many are the non-seafood choices as well.
For you outdoor adventurers the options are so vast you will need to stay more than a couple of nights! Go paddling – 100 miles of trails comprise the award-winning Apalachicola River WEA Paddling Trail System. Book an in-shore fishing charter, stand-up paddle board fitness class, airboat excursion, fishing trip guide, eco-tour, or rent a boat and guide yourself. Check out the options at ApalachicolaBay.org.
We found enough adventure and fitness options (so much walking!) in the approximate mile and a half that makes up the charming downtown. You can see everything by foot. Wander through the downtown historic district and then take a break to laze around your gorgeous room at the exquisitely renovated Gibson Inn.
STAY
No place in the south has ever known such a unique hotel story of ownership as this. Built in 1907 by James Fulton Buck, the Inn was bought sixteen years later by two siblings. A stint serving as soldiers’ quarters during WWII happened, after which the hotel remained closed and the ground floor was used for retail. Besides that, the Inn has been primarily owned by two siblings. Not the same two (they would now be something like one hundred and forty years old!) but three sets of two siblings have owned the Gibson Inn! Almost sounds like a math word problem we all hated in grade school, but truly, how astounding! Pretty sure no other grande dame iconic hotel can claim such a lineage.
Fun fact: I couldn’t find out the first siblings’ exact ages. Nowhere is it written when Mary Ellen “Sunshine” Gibson was born, nor her sister Annie Gibson Hayes. Two years after purchasing the Inn with her sister in 1923, Annie married a man sixteen years her junior – imagine all the pearl-clutching that went on! This near-scandal caused Annie to keep her birth year a big secret, even from census-takers, and her family continued the mystery by leaving out her birth date on her tombstone.
Following the Gibson sisters’ ownership, the WWII requisition, and the years of neglect, siblings Michael and Neil Koun purchased the property in 1983.
Current day siblings, Steven Etchen and Katherine Etchen Couilard bought The Gibson in 2018, embarking on the most impressive renovation the Inn has seen in her long history. Modern elegance shines through its historical integrity. So much of the original building has been preserved, including the native heart pine and black cypress.
Entering the lobby – which has been modeled after an old photo of the original – you’ll be welcomed with dark wood beams, clubby leather couches, warm low lighting, and potted palms next to historical artifacts you may need to ask the provenance of. (That tall spiky wood thing that looks like a spear was actually a paddle, perhaps used by early inhabitants in the 18th century.) Pieces of Apalachicola history can be found all around the Inn, some discovered during the renovation, preserved and framed.
You’ll feel as though you’ve stepped back in time as you make your way around the Inn and up the stately wood staircase to your room. (The stairs creak a little, in the best way. They are 117 years old!) Open that door and you’ll be transported back to today, with fresh pops of vibrance, the most comfortable bed, chic palm-leaf lighting sconces, and stylish side chairs you’ll want for your own home. The bathroom feels like an upscale spa space. And that roseate spoonbill mural… This was our room, and no two rooms are the same, so visit The Gibson Inn to choose yours.
Pull up a stool at The Parlor Bar just beyond the lobby. Its buzzy atmosphere, craft cocktails, wine and locally brewed beer will encourage you to stay awhile. The on-site Franklin Cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.
PLAY
A beach day is always a great idea, and St. George Island is just a 15-minute drive away. Easy to find St. George Island Lighthouse Beach (you’ll cross the bridge and almost dead-end there) provides parking, bathhouse facilities, covered picnic areas, and a playground. Food trucks have been spotted there as well. We saw Mellow Mullet Shaved Ice during our one drive-by afternoon (so sad we didn’t have more time. Next time we will plan better and spend a whole day, or several, at the beach.) Weber’s Little Donut Shop is next to the parking lot, and right across the street is The Blue Parrot Oceanfront Cafe. Plenty of places to fuel up before, during, or after spending the day on the uncrowded beach.
The St. George Island Lighthouse Museum & Gift Shop is located next door; come for some interesting history and climb the 92 steps for breathtaking panoramic views from the top.
Located 10 minutes east, Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park is the spot for kayaking, boating, fishing, hiking, camping, and stargazing. We were delighted to find the park is working toward a designation as a Dark Sky Park with the International Dark Sky Association. Its location, and elevated observation platform, offers the best night sky observation in the area.
St. George Island is known for what it is not: it is not a touristy, crowded beach that draws vacationers looking for tons of excitement. It’s been fondly described as the place to go to escape all of that. You’ll find no high rises, go-kart rides, or traffic lights. An unassuming town with beautiful beaches. Nothing fancy, which also describes the two hotels on the island: the Buccaneer Inn and the St. George Inn. Both offer clean, old-Florida style accommodations and wonderful locations.
Back on the mainland, on to those superb local restaurants and hip shops:
Mead lovers, buzz on in to Apalachicola Bee Company! If you’ve never had mead (we weren’t even sure what it was) we encourage you to try it. Apalachicola Bee Company stocks many things honey-related, including Tupelo honey, Save the Bees t-shirts, pumpkin spiced whipped honey in the fall, scotch bonnet pepper hot honey, and so much more. Ask the Beetenders anything about bees, honey, and mead. Other drinks are available such as hard cider with tea and chai spices. Apalachicola Bee Company are sponsors of the upcoming 2024 SGI Brewfest on April 20th. Private-label offerings coming soon, stay tuned. (Stay buzzed?)
Everyone we met in Apalachicola made us feel at home, but the welcome was amplified to new heights (but not overwhelmingly so!) at the Apalachicola Yacht Club. We were so eager to visit, as we belong to a yacht club (the not-snooty kind, just like this one.) Ours is run by member volunteers; everyone pitches in, and my husband was recently Commodore. If that sounds like all fun and boat drinks, it was to a degree. But also an almost full-time job. All of this to say, to find a bar with YACHT CLUB in its name, well, we were so there.
If you search street view on maps for this place you’ll see what a shack it used to be – this transformation is amazing! New owners Clayton Mathis and Carrie Jones Mathis got the idea for the name from a group of locals who used to hang out together and called themselves The Apalachicola Yacht Club. An article on The Franklin County News says this easygoing bar is actually more “like a spiffy rowboat you can paddle under the moonlight.” We were thrilled to sit among so many jovial yachters, (no boats involved; my kind of evening sailing!) bellied up to the beautiful, yachty wood bar. We wish we’d brought a burgee from our club to hang among the hundreds of others. Stellar job, AYC, making your warm space feel just like a true yacht club!
Wine and beer available at the time of publication, live music several days a week, yoga on Mondays and Singo on Tuesdays. Check their website or Instagram for the current schedule.
GO HERE AND GET A BISCUIT. They’re a huge, mouthwatering, flaky, buttery treat. We took ours to the waterfront park across the street and enjoyed watching the early morning sky slowly brightening. I thought “No way am I going to be able to finish this thing” but I DID. Friendly people, good coffee too. We chose a sausage egg and cheese, and a bacon egg and cheese biscuit, but take a look at their other options – like cupcakes, muffins, scones – and get your dessert at the same time!
Bottom’s Up
Purchase wine, beer, liquor, cigars and gifts here. You’ll also find beverage service; sit and enjoy. We love that their Facebook page is full of posts with adoptable pets in the area! Booze + pet re-homing: brilliant combo.
Hole in the Wall Seafood
A true hole in the wall with incredible seafood and genial staff. The recent new owners have kept everything the same; the reason why people keep coming back. You’ll find steamed shrimp, raw (and steamed and baked and Rockefeller) oysters, fried grouper, shrimp baskets, seafood gumbo, clam strips, and more. Make sure you also order the hushpuppies!
Any place that “first opened its doors in 1900” is a must-visit in our world. Highly recommended by the folks at the Gibson, the Owl Cafe just recently underwent renovations – you’ll now find an open kitchen – and is welcoming everyone back. Their renowned lunch and dinner menu, as well as their Taproom (‘Tapalachicola’) Happy Hour specials, and peeks of the bay from the upstairs outdoor deck will have you happily settling in with a Papa’s Pilar Porch Pounder or a Stormy River.
13 Mile Seafood
Sitting right on the water and surrounded by picturesque working boats, 13 Mile Seafood began in 1957 and is a subsidiary of Buddy Ward & Sons. Here you’ll find the freshest of seafood to take home for a meal, or order in large amounts for a cookout. Selections are too numerous to list but here is a sampling: blue crabs, oysters, shrimp, clams, sushi-grade Yellowfin tuna, grouper, flounder, mullet, and smoked fish dip.
Food truck food is often the very best around. Tamara’s on the Go is one of those experiences. The Grouper BLT and the Tabasco Chicken were phenomenal. Tamara also offers menu items like Pesto Salmon, Soft Shell Crab Sandwich, Chicken Chimichanga, Mahi Rueben to name a few. Check out their Facebook page for menu updates and hours. Tamara’s on the Go also can cater your wedding or event. (Our youngest daughter had a food truck for her wedding in Brevard County: we are huge fans of a food truck wedding reception.)
This will be your view as you dine at Up the Creek Raw Bar. Everywhere you look are photo-ready heart-expanding views of this serene scene. The food is equally as stellar. Our conch fritters and Mahi tacos were some of the best we’ve ever had. Sit outside, under cover or on the outdoor deck under an umbrella (there is indoor seating, but why?)
With more boutique shops within a scant square mile than any other town you’ve probably ever known, make sure you bring your husband’s wallet. (Does that sound like an old-person joke? I’m thinking yes.) We wound our way in and out of so many shops, delighting in the fresh, original, unique, coastal, and upscale merchandise. We’ll list some here but one of our favorites was Grady Market. You’ll find men’s and women’s clothing and accessories, baby and kid gifts, local art, candles, wine glasses, soaps, and Apalachicola t-shirts.
Scout out these shops and art galleries while you’re here: Apalach Outfitters, Backstreet Trading Company, Betsy’s Sunflower Kitchen Store & More, 49 Palmetto Gallery, Live Oak Gallery, Oyster Catcher, Riverside Mercantile, The Pearl – Art for Everyone. Find the full list of shops, galleries, and restaurants at Apalachicola Main Street.
Around town:
You see now, right? Why Apalachicola should be on your next-visit list? This friendly little town has worked its way into our hearts and onto the top section of our Favorite Towns in Florida list.
One last photo:
Oyster industry news resources:
Apalachicola Oyster Rehabilitation is Slow Growing, Garden & Gun
Oyster Reef Restoration, UWF Voyager
TNC & Partners Construct Oyster Reefs in Pensacola, The Nature Conservancy
And a multit-topic, in-depth documentary showcasing Florida’s most pressing environmental issues, and what we can do to help:
Protect Our Paradise, Discover Florida Channel
